Senior Principal Engineer, Plastics Molding - Pharmaceutical Manufacturing & Medical Devices

Position Overview

Full-time | Hybrid

The Senior Principal Engineer, Plastics Molding provides enterprise-level technical leadership for plastic injection molding and blow molding technologies supporting pharmaceutical manufacturing, medical devices, biologics, healthcare, and closely related regulated products. This role leads complex engineering initiatives across the product and process life cycle, advancing robust, compliant, scalable molding solutions through close partnership with internal stakeholders and external suppliers.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead medium- to large-sized, complex molding engineering projects from concept and design through procurement, qualification, validation, and sustained support.
• Develop and implement technically sound injection- and blow-molding solutions that meet product, process, quality, cost, and regulatory expectations.
• Provide technical direction on equipment, tooling, automation, resin selection, process development, inspection strategy, and manufacturing readiness.
• Conduct risk assessments, manage life-cycle costs, and communicate technical recommendations, project status, and risk-based decisions to management.
• Support supplier selection, supplier performance, and technical issue resolution for molds, equipment, automation, and related services.

Technical and Functional Accountabilities

• Apply deep knowledge of plastics processes, resins, injection molding equipment, blow molding, tooling, and inspection procedures to optimize process capability and product quality.
• Plan and execute FMEAs, design of experiments (DOE), dimensional analysis, statistical process control (SPC) analysis, factory acceptance testing (FAT), equipment and process qualification, and validation activities.
• Translate design controls, quality-system expectations, regulatory requirements, and applicable ISO requirements into practical engineering deliverables and manufacturing controls.
• Lead or support tooling and automation design, procurement, qualification, and supplier management; evaluate technical proposals and acceptance criteria.
• Use metrology and dimensional data to investigate variation, establish process controls, and drive effective corrective technical actions.
• Maintain working familiarity with CNC equipment, wire EDM, surface finishes, grinders, hand tools, and 3D CAD platforms including SolidWorks, Creo/ProE, and AutoCAD.

Leadership and Collaboration

• Serve as a recognized technical resource, providing clear, evidence-based guidance on molding technology, manufacturability, risk, quality, and life-cycle decisions.
• Partner effectively with cross-functional teams and external collaborators, including manufacturing, quality, engineering, procurement, suppliers, and service providers.
• Influence technical alignment across stakeholders, facilitate resolution of complex issues, and enable timely execution in a regulated operating environment.
• Communicate complex engineering concepts clearly to technical and non-technical audiences and advise management on options, tradeoffs, and recommendations.

Additional information

This is a hybrid role based in North Chicago, Illinois. Work may include collaboration across office, manufacturing, supplier, and project environments.

Travel up to 40% may be required to support suppliers, equipment and tooling activities, factory acceptance testing, qualification, validation, and cross-functional project needs.

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Qualifications & Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Plastics Engineering, Engineering, Science, or a related field; equivalent technical experience may be considered.
• 8-10 years of significant engineering and/or operational experience, preferably in pharmaceutical manufacturing, medical devices, biologics, healthcare, or another closely related regulated industry.
• 3+ years of plastic injection molding and/or blow molding design and process-support experience.
• Demonstrated knowledge of molding equipment, plastics processes and resins, tooling, inspection procedures, SPC analysis, and applicable regulatory and ISO requirements.
• Demonstrated experience with tooling and automation design; procurement and qualification; supplier management; FMEA, DOE, dimensional analysis, FAT, validation, design controls, metrology, and quality systems.

Additional Information

Applicable only to applicants applying to a position in any location with pay disclosure requirements under state or local law:

• The compensation range described below is the range of possible base pay compensation that the Company believes in good faith it will pay for this role at the time of this posting based on the job grade for this position. Individual compensation paid within this range will depend on many factors including geographic location, and we may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This range may be modified in the future.
• We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick), medical/dental/vision insurance and 401(k) to eligible employees.
• This job is eligible to participate in our long-term incentive programs.

Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, incentive, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole and absolute discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company's sole and absolute discretion, consistent with applicable law.