Design Manager - Mould Design

Role & responsibilities

To lead the mould design department to deliver robust, high-precision, and production-ready injection mould designs on schedule while driving cost optimization, quality, and cross-functional alignment.

Core Responsibilities

• Mould Design & Engineering: Review customer specs and 3D models; conduct DFM and mould feasibility studies; architect mould concepts (parting lines, draft, core/cavity, gating, cooling, ejection, sliders/lifters, interlocks); ensure serviceability, GD&T, and strict design standards in all 3D assemblies and 2D drawings.
• Design Planning & Stage-Gate Reviews: Plan project schedules, allocate tasks, track milestones, and manage revision control (ECNs). Conduct structured 4-stage reviews: Part Feasibility, Mould Concept, Detailed Design, and Final Manufacturing Release.
• Tool Room Support & Shop-Floor Integration: Partner with CNC, EDM, Wire-Cut, and Assembly teams to resolve design-related issues, minimize rework, clarify machining data, and verify design implementation during assembly.
• Customer Interface & Trial Support: Present DFMs and mould concepts for customer sign-off; propose part modifications; analyze mould trial results and execute corrective actions.
• Cost & Process Optimization: Optimize mould base sizes, cavity layouts, steel usage, cycle times, and electrode/EDM requirements through component standardization and design reuse.
• Leadership, Problem Solving & Continuous Improvement: Manage and train design engineers; apply 8D, FMEA, 5-Why, and Fishbone root-cause methods to resolve defects; maintain a dynamic Lessons Learned database.
• Documentation & Data Control: Oversee strict version control, BOM releases, CAD/CAM data archives, and trial/correction reports while preventing the use of obsolete data.

Preferred candidate profile

• Qualification: BTech Mechanical, Plastic Technology or CIPET
• Experience: 1216 years in injection mould design and tooling, including 35 years in a leadership/managerial role.
• Technical Skills: Advanced proficiency in Creo or UG-NX, AutoCAD, and MS Office. Experience with Moldflow, PLM/PDM, ERP, and GD&T preferred.
• Core Competencies: End-to-end tooling manufacturing knowledge, mould troubleshooting/trial analysis, simultaneous project management, and strong customer-facing technical communication.