Senior Production Engineer - Injection Molding

Position: Senior Production Engineer – Injection Molding
Department: Production – Injection Molding
Reporting To: Head – Production
Team: Leads the Injection Molding Line Engineers across shifts
Location: Hosur, Tamil Nadu
Role Purpose
Own the safe, on-time and high-quality output of the injection molding shop floor at our office chair manufacturing plant by leading the Line Engineers, driving OEE and cycle-time improvement, reducing defects and downtime, and building a strong, skilled molding team.
Key Responsibilities
1. Team Leadership & People Development:
Lead, guide and review the performance of Line Engineers across all shifts; allocate lines, machines and responsibilities.
Set clear shift-wise goals and KPIs for Line Engineers and hold them accountable for results.
Train and mentor Line Engineers on machine settings, defect diagnosis, safety and quality checks; build multi-skilled backups.
Ensure disciplined shift handovers and effective supervision of operators, helpers and technicians through the Line Engineers.
2. Production Planning & Delivery:
Convert daily and weekly production schedules into shift-wise targets and ensure plan adherence.
Plan machine–mold allocation and capacity utilization; flag material, mold or manpower constraints early.
Review daily production reports, track plan vs actual and drive corrective actions for gaps.
3. Process Optimization & OEE:
Own OEE, cycle time, rejection and scrap for the molding shop and drive continuous improvement.
Standardize process parameters and machine setting sheets; approve and control any parameter changes.
Reduce mold changeover time and downtime through structured planning and SMED practices.
4. Mold, Machine & Maintenance Coordination:
Oversee mold changeovers and ensure they are executed with minimal downtime.
Coordinate with the tool room for preventive maintenance, minor repairs and resolution of mold issues such as alignment, temperature variation and venting.
Coordinate with the maintenance team for preventive and breakdown maintenance of machines, chillers and ancillary equipment.
5. Quality, Material & Defect Management
Lead root cause analysis and corrective/preventive actions for defects such as flash, short shots, sink marks, warping and burn marks.
Work with the QC team on first-part approvals, batch audits and corrective actions.
Ensure correct material loading (PP, PPGF, Nylon, ABS, etc.) with proper drying and temperature control.
Ensure traceability of material lots and batches for every production order.
6. Trials, NPD & Continuous Improvement
Lead trials for new molds, designs and materials in collaboration with design/NPD and the tool room.
Drive Kaizen activities, process audits and waste elimination initiatives across the molding shop.
7. Safety & Compliance
Ensure safe working practices, 5S and adherence to SOPs and work instructions on the molding floor.
Maintain production, downtime and quality records and present regular performance reviews to management.
Requirements
Diploma / Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Production or Plastics Engineering; CIPET qualified candidates preferred.
3+ years of experience in injection molding, including team-handling experience.
Proven experience in plastic part manufacturing (furniture, automotive or consumer goods); experience with office chair or furniture components is an advantage.
Strong understanding of plastic flow behavior and defect diagnosis (warpage, sink, flash, etc.).
Hands-on knowledge of materials such as PP, PPGF, Nylon and ABS, and of basic mold/tooling.
Ability to interpret technical drawings.
Working knowledge of OEE, Lean/Kaizen and root cause analysis.
Strong leadership, shift-management and communication skills.
Key KPIs
OEE
Production plan adherence
Cycle-time adherence
Rejection and scrap %
Mold changeover time
Machine and mold downtime
First-pass yield
Safety and 5S compliance

Work arrangement
No