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Sr. Principal, Plastic Engineer

Req # JR - 183721 Location Cartago, Provincia de Cartago, Costa Rica Job Category Engineering Date posted 08/21/2025
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Overview

Being an Engineer at Baxter means you play a critical role in helping us achieve our mission to save and sustain lives. From innovative product design through to production and patient delivery, our Engineers are key to delivering results for our customers and patients worldwide.

  • Support for Parents

  • Continuing Education/ Professional Development

  • Employee Heath & Well-Being Benefits

  • Paid Time Off

  • 2 Days a Year to Volunteer

Success Profile

What makes a successful Engineer at Baxter? Take a look at some of the top traits we’re looking for and see if you’re a fit.

  • Problem Solver
  • Analytical Thinker
  • Data Driven
  • Solution Focused & Results Oriented
  • Collaborative
  • Innovative

Sr. Principal, Plastic Engineer

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This is where you save and sustain lives

At Baxter, we are deeply connected by our mission. No matter your role at Baxter, your work makes a positive impact on people around the world. You'll feel a sense of purpose throughout the organization, as we know our work improves outcomes for millions of patients.

Baxter's products and therapies are found in almost every hospital worldwide, in clinics and in the home. For over 85 years, we have pioneered significant medical innovations that transform healthcare.

Together, we create a place where we are happy, successful and inspire each other. This is where you can do your best work.

Join us at the intersection of saving and sustaining lives—where your purpose accelerates our mission.

About Baxter

At Baxter, we are deeply connected by our mission. No matter your role, your work makes a positive impact on people around the world. You’ll feel a sense of purpose throughout the organization, as we know our work improves outcomes for millions of patients.

Baxter’s products and therapies are found in almost every hospital worldwide, in clinics, and in the home. For over 90 years, we have pioneered significant medical innovations that transform healthcare. Together, we build a place where we are happy, successful, and encourage each other. This is where you can do your best work.

Your role at Baxter

As a Sr. Principal, Plastic Engineer, you will play a pivotal role in the development and management of injection molding and extrusion processes, specifically focusing on thermoplastic materials used in medical device components. This position requires a blend of technical expertise, leadership, and collaborative skills to drive critical projects from conception through to production.

What you'll be doing

  • Main Point of Contact on many molding & tooling projects in injection molding & extrusion area.
  • Performs Design for Molding on plastic molded components by working closely with R&D, Assembly/Automation and Tooling vendor.
  • Provides plastics resin & material grades expertise to NP & Supply Chain projects.
  • Leads the resolution of technical problems concerning tooling resources at internal and external molding vendors and aspects of coordinating scientific molding process improvements and DOEs within internal facilities and at third-party providers.
  • Responsible for Technical Vendor Management, which includes Asset Management, Molding Process Development & Component Quality requirements/compliance.
  • Responsible for discovering creation of new assets for capacity expansion or replacement. Completes asset health evaluation, repair and/or replacement strategy. Complete associated initiatives and ensures positive outcome of such efforts & activities.
  • Works very closely with Direct & In-direct procurement and guides them with appropriate tooling strategy considering short- & long-term demand forecast.
  • Performs inspection & assessment of assets at internal manufacturing sites as well as at external supplier.
  • Assist Procurement & Transfer Office on initiatives targeted at change of suppliers and vendors for Cost Savings objective.
  • Owns, complete and guides on purchase of appropriate production equipment, including but not limited to molding machines, tools, extruders, dies and other auxiliary equipment.
  • Writes and/or performs, and reports on production platform validation activities.
  • Performs NCR/CAPA investigations and tasks.
  • Assist internal sites & supplier’s molding & quality personals on resolution of quality defects in molded and extruded components.
  • Works collaboratively with Assembly & Automation guides and understands feature development suitable for nest designs, vision system inspections and part flow in feeder bowls, rails etc.
  • Works with internal teams/support staff to complete projects.
  • Mentor and provide leadership to junior members of functional team on technical, project management & risk mitigation aspects.

What You'll Bring!

  • A bachelor’s degree in Plastic Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
  • At least a decade of validated expertise in polymer engineering, specifically within the medical device sector.
  • Strong expertise in plastic material properties, processing techniques, and design principles.
  • Outstanding problem-solving skills and a keen attention to detail and excellent communication and social skills, with the ability to work effectively in a collaborative team environment.
  • A track record of challenging and delivering results in high-stakes settings.
  • Solid understanding and experience in plastics injection molding tool design, build & validation. Experience in low cavitation tools (2/4 cavity) to high cavitation tools (16-32-64-96).

Why Baxter?

Becoming a part of Baxter International Inc. means joining a motivated group passionate about making a significant impact in global healthcare. We offer you:

A dynamic and inclusive work environment that encourages personal and professional growth, opportunities to work on innovative projects that challenge and encourage, comprehensive benefits and competitive compensation packages and a dedication to work-life balance and employee well-being.

Don't miss this chance to advance your career with a global leader in healthcare solutions. Apply now and become part of a team that is determined to craft the future of medical innovation!

Equal Employment Opportunity

Baxter is an equal opportunity employer. Baxter evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status, disability/handicap status or any other legally protected characteristic.

Reasonable Accommodations

Baxter is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities globally. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or interview process, please click on the link here and let us know the nature of your request along with your contact information.

Recruitment Fraud Notice

Baxter has discovered incidents of employment scams, where fraudulent parties pose as Baxter employees, recruiters, or other agents, and engage with online job seekers in an attempt to steal personal and/or financial information. To learn how you can protect yourself, review our Recruitment Fraud Notice.

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Address

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Hear from Our Employees

Our company is enriched by a diverse population of individuals in more than 100 countries that work to solve, innovate, manufacture and drive better healthcare options for patients around the world.

Meet Anwesha – recently promoted to Manager, she leads a team of software engineers for our Medication Delivery business.

“I grew up in a small coastal town in India called Bhubaneswar, where we have our own traditions and culture. I think this has helped me grow personally and professionally. Working with a global team at Baxter, my background helps me to be open, appreciate and relate to people from all different places.”

Meet Sam – he has been with Baxter for over 15 years, working as an Engineering Technologist in Round Lake, IL, US.

“I have a wonderful team. They have been flexible and open to the differences in communication methods and work style necessary for me to excel. If I didn’t have that support, I wouldn’t be where I am now and I wouldn’t have been able to advance within the company. I’m proud to work at Baxter.”

Meet Erika – she has been an engineer in Round Lake, IL, US for over four years, promoted to Senior Principal Engineer in 2019.

“My involvement with National Society of Black Engineers outside of work has afforded me the opportunity to manage Baxter’s external partnership with the organization, exposing us to networking and talent that can help drive diversity and innovation, and providing opportunities for more community engagement and involvement, which I know a lot of my colleagues like.”

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