Lead Mold Technician

Purpose of Role

The Lead Tooling Technician serves as the site's primary technical expert for injection mold maintenance, repair, and reliability improvement. This position bridges the gap between the Tooling Manager and Mold Technicians by providing advanced technical leadership, developing internal tooling capabilities, reducing reliance on external repair vendors, and driving mold performance improvements. The role is responsible for building technician expertise, preserving tooling knowledge, and ensuring molds consistently meet safety, quality, and production requirements.

Areas of Accountabilities

• Perform and lead complex mold diagnostics, disassembly, repair, machining, welding, reassembly, validation, and return-to-service activities.

• Audit and reinforce compliance with toolroom safety, PPE, crane, rigging, heavy-lift, environmental, and 5S requirements.

• Identify and lead repair and reliability improvements that reduce external spend, scrap, and downtime.

• Investigate assigned tooling-related events, determine root cause, and recommend corrective actions.

• Diagnose and repair complex mold failures and advise named functions on tooling-related operating decisions.

• Own the mold health status (Green / Yellow / Red) for every mold in house and the repair plan that moves each Yellow mold to Green — runnable without secondary work.

• Recommend internal vs. external repairs and define repair scope, specifying the equipment and skills required to bring mid- and large-size repairs in-house.

• Develop the technical skills of Mold Technicians with hands-on training, mentoring, and structured development plans.

• Create and maintain repair procedures, troubleshooting guides and mold-specific binders (drawings, BOMs, specifications) so critical tooling knowledge stays with the site.

• Coordinate daily tooling priorities, mold repairs, preventive maintenance activities, and technician workload.

• Maintain complete mold histories, repair records, PM results, spare-parts information, and supporting technical documentation in UpKeep and designated mold files.

• Advise Production, Processing, Quality, Engineering, and Maintenance on mold condition, repair scope, operating risk, and return-to-service requirements.

Knowledge, Skills, and Experience

• High school diploma or equivalent required; journeyman mold maker, tool & die or equivalent technical credential preferred.

• 7+ years in injection mold maintenance, mold building or toolroom work, with demonstrated expert-level repair of large (40,000–90,000 lb) and stack molds.

• Leads through expertise and influence: clear communicator, organized, holds work to safety, quality and documentation standards.

• Advanced hot runner / valve gate, hydraulic, pneumatic, cooling and mold-action systems; able to diagnose flash, sticking, wear and cooling faults to root cause.

• Precision machining (mill, lathe, CNC, surface grinding) and TIG / micro welding of tool-steel and aluminum components; proficient in precision measurement and blueprint / BOM reading.

• Experience training and developing technicians, and reducing external tooling spend by bringing repairs in-house.

• Working knowledge of mold design principles, materials, finishes and tolerances; UpKeep or equivalent CMMS; crane, rigging and forklift certified or able to obtain.

Rehrig Pacific is a leading manufacturer of integrated sustainable solutions for the supply chain and environmental waste industries with a diverse customer list of industry leaders. We provide end-to-end solutions including returnable plastic products, delivery lifts and sleds, technology to track those assets, and a service team to ensure their longevity. Our team is dedicated to the values, mission, and unique culture within our organization that celebrates our people. We believe in fostering an environment where employees can be their authentic selves and know that they are viewed as integral members of the Rehrig Pacific Family.

Rehrig Pacific Company is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. See also here.