Senior Project Engineer

Posted 2 Days Ago
Be an Early Applicant
Forest City, NC, USA
In-Office
122K-138K Annually
Senior level
Industrial • Manufacturing
The Role
Hands-on engineer responsible for qualifying injection molding tools and equipment, launching stable production processes, developing manufacturing standards, troubleshooting molds and equipment, and driving safety, quality, efficiency, and continuous improvement initiatives. The role supports design reviews, process certification, production-floor training, standard work, and new project transitions in a 100% onsite plastics manufacturing environment.
Summary Generated by Built In

From a small family business to a multi-billion-dollar global company, Sonoco has been changing the face of products and packaging since 1899 — all while keeping the heart of “People Build Businesses” alive.

 

Our talented people are at the core of our growth, constantly reinventing the Sonoco wheel with brilliant solutions every year. Today we are a world leader in global packaging solutions with diversified operations in over 34 countries. We're extremely proud of our portfolio of brands, our achievements in sustainability and industrialization and the groundbreaking work accomplished by our people. 

Work as a hands-on engineer to qualify new and refurbished Injection molding tools/equipment and develop manufacturing standards for NPL. Continuously improve existing processes, products, and systems in a safe and efficient manner to meet and exceed goals for safety, quality, and productivity. This position will collaborate with the quality department in certifying new and existing processes, as well as assist with training and supporting the plant floor as needed. Exceptional communication skills and strong project organization will be key to success.

What you’ll be doing:

  • Work safely in a manufacturing environment following all plant safety procedures.

  • Assist in part design reviews with an emphasis on DFMEA and good manufacturing processes.

  • Inspect, sample, and modify new tooling to create a stable process ready for production.

  • Assist as the main contributor from engineering team in transitioning new projects to manufacturing.

  • Implement continuous improvement projects focused on process, part quality, and efficiency, ensuring a solid ROI.

  • Provide hands-on support to the production floor, including troubleshooting molds, repairs, PM, and refurbishments.

  • Communicate effectively with internal and external customers in a professional manner.

  • Implement visual controls and standard work in the department.

  • Work with leadership to improve safety initiatives.

  • Be willing to work extended hours as needed, including domestic and international travel.

This position is located out of our Forest City, North Carolina facility and 100% onsite.

We’d love to hear from you if:

  • Education: 4-year Engineering degree preferred; equivalent hands-on experience considered.

  • 5+ years of demonstrable plastic process engineering experience (RJG training a plus).

  • Experience with plastics manufacturing, with focus on injection molding including processing, Tool build, Tool launch and Process controls.

  • Significant hands-on experience in plastic njection molding processes.

  • Mechanical knowledge of process set-up and molding equipment, including robotics, injection machines, molds, and heat control systems.

  • Knowledge of analysis tools: Six Sigma, Control Charting, Root Cause Analysis, Fishbone Analysis, Pareto Analysis, SPC.

  • Ability to read and interpret technical 2D and 3D drawings.

  • Proven analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to troubleshoot practical manufacturing process issues on the shop floor with both state-of-the-art and aged equipment.

  • Strong written and verbal communication skills for interpreting technical procedures, business correspondence, and customer communications.

  • Self-starter, motivated to implement change and improvements with minimal supervision.

  • Ability and desire to work hands-on in a 24/5 plastics manufacturing plant.

Compensation: 

The annual base salary range for this role is from $122,320 to $137,610, plus quarterly target bonus of 7.5% of base salary. 

At Sonoco Products Company, we offer a comprehensive total rewards package, including competitive pay and benefits. *Benefits listed below are for employees located in the U.S. Specific benefits and wellbeing programs may vary depending on your location (within the U.S. or global), or if you are a union employee.

Benefits

  • Medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents, including FSA and HSA options
  • 401(k) retirement plan with company match
  • Wellbeing tools and resources to support holistic health, including an Employee Assistance Program with a variety of services
  • Paid time off and holidays to recreate, rejuvenate and care for the health of yourself and family
  • Variety of company paid and voluntary employee-paid insurance plans including life, personal accident, and disability insurance
  • Tuition reimbursement

We are an equal opportunity employer, and we strictly prohibit and do not tolerate discrimination against employees, applicants or any other covered persons because of race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, marital status, gender identity or expression, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any legally protected characteristic.

Skills Required

  • 4-year degree in Engineering or equivalent hands-on experience
  • 5+ years of demonstrable plastic process engineering experience
  • Experience with plastics manufacturing, injection molding processing, tool building, tool launch, and process controls
  • Significant hands-on experience with plastic injection molding processes
  • Mechanical knowledge of process setup and molding equipment, including robotics, injection machines, molds, and heat control systems
  • Knowledge of Six Sigma, control charting, root cause analysis, fishbone analysis, Pareto analysis, and SPC
  • Ability to read and interpret technical 2D and 3D drawings
  • Proven analytical, problem-solving, and manufacturing-process troubleshooting skills
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills
  • Ability to work independently and implement improvements with minimal supervision
  • Ability and willingness to work hands-on in a 24/5 plastics manufacturing plant
  • RJG training
  • Willingness to work extended hours and travel domestically and internationally as needed

Sonoco Compensation & Benefits Highlights

The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Sonoco and has not been reviewed or approved by Sonoco.

  • Retirement Support — A 401(k) with a strong employer match, including safe‑harbor and year‑end true‑up features, is highlighted in recent plan materials. This level of retirement support is presented as a competitive component of total rewards.
  • Healthcare Strength — Medical, dental, and vision coverage, alongside disability, EAP, and FSA/HSA options, form a comprehensive core package. This breadth is characterized as competitive and adds meaningful value to overall compensation.
  • Fair & Transparent Compensation — Pay is considered fair to competitive across many roles, with production and skilled trades pointing to solid hourly rates and overtime opportunities. Relative positioning against similar‑sized firms is portrayed as favorable.

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The Company
HQ: Houma, LA
9,318 Employees

What We Do

Founded in 1899, Sonoco (NYSE: SON) is a leading manufacturer of consumer, industrial, healthcare and protective packaging. With more than 19,000 employees working in 34 countries, Sonoco serves many of the world’s best-known brands. Our integrated packaging solutions help define brand personalities, create unique customer experiences and enhance the quality of products and the quality of life for people around the world. It’s all in the service of our purpose: Better Packaging. Better Life. Sonoco is committed to creating sustainable products, services and programs for our customers, employees and communities. Sonoco was listed as one of Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies for 2021 as well as being included in Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable Companies for the third year in a row. Learn more at Sonoco.com

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