Operations Project Engineer

About the role

Be yourself at Protolabs   Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification.  We are an equal opportunity employer, and we are committed to building a diverse team that feels they are valued in the workplace.  So do you feel you do not meet every single requirement but still intrigued? We encourage you to still apply!  You can help make our company even better.  We do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, age, mental or physical ability, or any way you represent yourself.  We strongly believe diversity makes for more successful teams.    Why Protolabs?   We are the leaders in digital manufacturing.  We hire doers, makers, and creative thinkers who tackle our roles with an entrepreneurial spirit.  Our culture is centered around meaningful work that brings new and innovative products to market at unprecedented speeds.  We are a diverse team that comes from all walks of life and take pride in our team who is smart, genuine, humble, and passionate about what we do.  It’s our people who fuel our creativity and make our culture feel like home.  Join our team as an Operations Project Engineer! This is an onsite role in Rosemount, MN Monday-Friday. As an Operations Project Engineer for Injection Molding you will play a critical role in delivering complex, high-value customer programs from initial engagement through final production. Acting as the central point of coordination, you will partner with customers and collaborate across Sales, Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, and other cross-functional teams to successfully plan, manage, and execute injection molding projects throughout their lifecycle. In this highly visible role, you will combine technical expertise, project leadership, and customer focus to drive project success, ensure operational excellence, and deliver exceptional customer experiences. You will also help shape the future of Protolabs' Production Injection Molding business by developing and improving the processes, tools, and best practices used to manage customer programs at scale. In addition, you will contribute to strategic growth initiatives by supporting Sales and Marketing efforts that expand Protolabs' production molding capabilities and market presence. This is an exciting opportunity for an engineering professional who enjoys solving complex manufacturing challenges, leading cross-functional teams, and making a measurable impact on both customer success and business growth. What You'll Do Business Development  Develop relationships with customers to identify key technical champions within customer organizations  Standardize approach to managing programs and production requirements within individual strategic accounts  Produce technical articles and content to promote Protolabs’s production capabilities  Provide consultative design for injection molding services to customers with an emphasis on long-term scalability and quality Seek project outcomes which satisfy customers' needs in a time and cost-effective way for both the customer and Protolabs  Support the development of long-term programs with our customers that produce sustainable growth and revenue Assist Sales, Marketing, and Product Management in communicating Protolabs's production capabilities to our customers  Synthesize patterns in customer needs to determine potential paths towards standardized offer expansions  Project Definition  Development of documentation and/or software tools to support production project planning, organization, and execution  Develop criteria (triggers) and processes for informing/approving high-value projects in alignment with business capacity and strategy  Analyze and communicate manufacturing design feasibility and scalability directly to customers via email, phone call, video call, etc.  Assess customer and industry specifications, drawings, procedures, purchasing documents, etc.  Utilize project management tools to define resources required, solutioning process steps, and documentation of project plans within specified project timelines  Prepare custom documentation for customers and internal teams outlining our scope of work to be performed  Perform holistic manufacturing costing to determine appropriate pricing for individual projects or programs  Advocate for customer project requirements, evaluate corresponding manufacturing capabilities, and seek productive compromises  Order Management & Execution  Create views, tools and approach to tracking active customer production projects  Own communication mechanisms and strategy for keeping leadership and other stakeholders informed on status of the production pipeline including all relevant details on volumes, revenue impact, risks, issues, etc. Determine and set up manufacturing execution plans for high complexity projects  Develop custom tools and workflows to support projects as needed  Maintain real-time project status for active projects, understanding any risks, issues, dependencies or barriers to delivery as committed  Manage and evaluate sample builds, iterative tooling, or other internal exploratory projects necessary to achieve customer requirements  Work with Protolabs's vendors to communicate downstream requirements, risks, and delivery schedules  Support the organization and the customer in resolving post-sales disputes on production projects  Fulfill other tasks in order execution not covered by other standard job roles as appropriate  Collaboration  Work with additional customer-facing teams to define the vetting process and communication responsibilities  Partner with Applications Engineering, Technical Operations, and Customer Service to determine the optimal customer experience with Protolabs as an organization for individual projects  Work with all internal manufacturing departments to determine capacity and requirement commitments that achieve customer outcomes while not disrupting overall business  Communicate with Quality to navigate requirements based on Quality Policies, Quality Agreements, Work Instructions, Industry Standards, and Protolabs's potential corresponding commitments to customers within these frameworks  Support Engineering in scope development of projects which require additional research and development  Work with Logistics and Scheduling to manage customer delivery schedules for long-term projects  Maintain records of potential and ongoing opportunities for management review  Collaborate with fellow team members to share perspectives and experiences from past work and projects    What It Takes Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business administration, project management, or related field,  OR  any bachelor’s degree + 3+ years’ experience in injection molding or technically similar professions 5+ years in manufacturing or injection molding technical role  3+ years’ experience managing cross-functional projects with a focus on positive customer outcomes  A proactive and customer-focused mindset, with a solution-oriented approach to improving customer satisfaction and business outcomes  Out-of-the-box solutioning for our customers going beyond standard production processes  Exemplary technical knowledge of injection molding operations and end-use production solutions  Excellent project management skills with experience in coordinating complex projects  Superior communication and collaboration skills, capable of interfacing effectively across multiple departments to drive impactful positive outcomes  Demonstrated ability to develop professional relationships with internal and external customers  Ability to drive increased business through cultivating relationships with customer champions   Must demonstrate a thorough knowledge of injection molding part design, materials, and DFM  Proficiency with CAD software such as SolidWorks  Ability to read, understand, and write technical specifications and statements of work  Must demonstrate an ability to read engineering drawings, including GD&T  Competency in preparing technical documentation for customers on an individual project basis, as well as generally supporting industry growth through marketing initiatives and writing white papers  Capacity to provide high level support to Sales and Marketing towards growth of production business broadly  Ability to collect, interpret, and present data  What Makes You Stand Out 7+ years relevant experience Experience working in an ISO13485 or AS9100 compliant production facility Customer-facing manufacturing program management experience PMP or equivalent project management training What's In It For You! We offer a competitive salary and total rewards package We offer amazing benefits including but not limited to: Health Insurance: Traditional OR High Deductible plan Flexible Spending Accounts Health Savings Account (including employer contributions) Dental and Vision Basic and Supplemental Life Insurance Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Paid caregiver leave You will receive at least 3 weeks of PTO + Wellness + Holiday Pay + Volunteer Hours 401k with company match and immediate vest Employee Stock Purchase Program at a discounted rate Matching grants through Protolabs foundation And More! Proto Labs maintains ITAR-compliant operations in all of our United States based facilities.  Due to ITAR regulations, this role is only open to U.S. Citizens, lawful permanent residents (green card holders) or foreign nationals granted refugee or asylee status.  Individuals with temporary visas (e.g. E, F-1, H-1, H-2, L, B, J, TN or OPT) are not eligible for hire in this role.   Proto Labs, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer   Physical Demands: While performing the essential duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to sit; use a computer keyboard, monitor and mouse, telephone and printer; reach with hands, and arms, talk, see and hear.  The employee is regularly required to stand, walk, stoop or kneel and must be able to lift and/or move up to 50+ pounds.     Work Environment: Indoors (A/C); nonsmoking; the majority of this job function is performed in a manufacturing area exposed to machinery and noise; with eye protection and safety shoes required. Occasionally works in outside weather conditions. Occasionally works near moving mechanical parts and in high, precarious places and is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, risk of electrical shock and vibration. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate.