Staff Supplier Development Engineer
DexianJob Title - Staff Supplier Development Engineer
Job location - Acton, MA, 01720
Duration - Contract - 6 months (possibility of extension & conversion)
Pay - $80 - $90/hr
Position Overview
We are seeking an experienced Senior Staff Plastics Supplier Development Engineer to support the development, qualification, and continuous improvement of external manufacturing suppliers specializing in pla
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stic components and injection molding processes. This role will focus on supplier technical development, injection molding tooling, plastic component design, manufacturing process optimization, and risk mitigation within a highly regulated medical device manufacturing environment.
The ideal candidate will bring extensive experience in injection molding, mold tooling, plastic part design, and supplier manufacturing processes. This individual will partner closely with internal engineering, quality, operations, product development, and external suppliers to ensure components and manufacturing processes meet stringent requirements for quality, performance, reliability, and manufacturability.
The successful candidate will serve as a technical resource for supplier development activities, lead complex engineering initiatives, resolve manufacturing challenges, and drive robust, scalable production processes from early design through qualification and ongoing production.
Key Responsibilities
Supplier Development and Technical Leadership
• Lead technical development and qualification of external suppliers manufacturing precision plastic components for medical device applications.
• Evaluate supplier capabilities, manufacturing processes, tooling infrastructure, and quality systems to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Provide technical guidance to suppliers on injection molding processes, tooling design, material selection, and process optimization.
• Collaborate with supplier engineering teams to resolve complex manufacturing and quality issues.
• Establish and maintain strong technical relationships with suppliers and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Drive supplier readiness for new product introductions, design changes, process transfers, and production scale-up.
Injection Molding and Tooling Engineering
• Lead injection molding tooling development, including mold design reviews, tooling specifications, design-for-manufacturability assessments, and tooling qualification.
• Review plastic component designs for manufacturability, dimensional accuracy, material suitability, process capability, and production consistency.
• Support tooling kickoffs, mold trials, design reviews, and factory acceptance testing (FAT).
• Identify and resolve mold-related issues, including dimensional variation, cosmetic defects, warpage, shrinkage, flash, and process instability.
• Apply scientific injection molding principles to establish robust and repeatable manufacturing processes.
• Support the development and optimization of molding cells, including automation, vision inspection systems, and cavity-pressure monitoring where applicable.
• Evaluate tooling modifications and process changes to improve yield, productivity, quality, and long-term manufacturing reliability.
Design for Manufacturability and Process Optimization
• Partner with product development and design engineering teams to incorporate manufacturability early in the product development lifecycle.
• Conduct design-for-manufacturability (DFM) reviews and provide recommendations for plastic part geometry, wall thickness, draft angles, tolerances, gating, and material selection.
• Utilize mold-flow simulation tools, such as Moldflow or equivalent software, to assess filling, packing, cooling, warpage, and other molding considerations where applicable.
• Evaluate manufacturing process data and capability studies to identify opportunities for process improvement.
• Support the introduction of new tooling, equipment, materials, and manufacturing technologies.
• Drive continuous improvement initia