Lead Design Engineer

Lead Design Engineer

Work Schedule: Onsite, Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM (some flexibility with start time)

Location: Minneapolis area

Salary Range: $105,000–$115,000 (based on experience)

Direct Reports: 6 Design Engineers, 2 Account Managers

Position Type: Full-Time, Onsite

The Lead Design Engineer is responsible for providing technical direction and people leadership for the Design Engineering team while serving as a customer‑facing technical expert. This role leads the transformation of customer requirements into manufacturable thermoformed plastic packaging solutions, including product and tooling design. The position partners closely with customers, account managers, tooling vendors, and internal manufacturing teams to ensure high‑quality, on‑time delivery of design solutions.

• Lead and manage the Design Engineering team, including workload planning, prioritization, and scheduling.
• Evaluate individual and team performance; establish development goals aligned with business and department objectives.
• Develop and manage performance metrics to ensure customer expectations are met or exceeded.
• Lead external tooling procurement and manage vendor performance against specifications and standards.
• Provide technical support to Account Managers and represent the organization in customer‑facing discussions when needed.
• Lead ideation, concept development, and product design efforts for assigned projects.
• Oversee sample creation, testing, and approval processes.
• Create complex 2D and 3D CAD models for products and tooling based on customer requirements and project assumptions.
• Apply strong knowledge of plastics, thermoforming, and manufacturing processes to design solutions.
• Collaborate with Pricing, Process Engineering, Production, and tooling vendors to ensure tooling optimization and performance.
• Support process engineering and production teams during tooling development and launch.
• Approve parts and maintain design and specification databases.
• Review and initiate Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) related to design or specification changes.
• Support corrective actions and lifecycle production issues, including financial impact analysis.
• Ensure compliance with safety standards, ISO requirements, and internal work instructions.

• Education & Experience: Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field with 5+ years of design experience (product or tooling), or Associate degree with 9+ years of design experience in the plastics industry.
• Proven people management and leadership experience.
• Strong project management background.
• Proficiency in Solidworks, 2D and 3D CAD systems.
• Experience in the plastics manufacturing industry.

• Thermoforming plastics manufacturing experience.
• Knowledge of plastic materials, formulations, and performance characteristics.
• Familiarity with quality systems and controlled documentation.
• Experience working directly with customers and external vendors.

• Strong leadership and team development skills.
• Excellent communication and customer‑facing abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Highly organized and self‑directed.
• Proficient with standard office software (Word, Excel, etc.).

• Environment: Office, manufacturing floor, and tool vault.
• Equipment Used: CAD software, MS Office, computer, phone, measurement tools.

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Duties and responsibilities may change to meet business needs or to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.

A  Employment Services is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or protected veterans' status.