Tooling Manager

Williamsburg, MI

Shape the Future of Manufacturing

Our client is seeking an experienced Tooling Manager to lead the development, launch, and ongoing support of injection molds and production tooling. This is a highly visible, hands-on engineering leadership role where you'll partner with Product Development, Manufacturing, Quality, Purchasing, and external tooling suppliers to deliver world-class tooling solutions that support high-quality production.

If you have a passion for injection molding, tooling design, manufacturing excellence, and solving complex technical challenges, this is an opportunity to make a lasting impact.

What You'll Do

Tooling Development & Program Management

• Lead the development, launch, and continuous improvement of injection molds and production tooling.
• Review and approve mold concepts and designs, including:
• Gating
• Cooling
• Ejection
• Venting
• Slides
• Lifters
• Sensing systems
• Review product designs for manufacturability, tooling feasibility, tolerances, and overall manufacturing risk.
• Maintain tooling specifications and engineering standards for new and existing molds.

Manufacturing & Technical Support

• Serve as the technical expert for tooling-related manufacturing issues.
• Provide hands-on support for:
• Injection molding operations
• Assembly equipment
• Automation systems
• Production fixtures
• Support mold trials, process development, dimensional corrections, and production validation.
• Lead root cause investigations involving:
• Quality concerns
• Scrap reduction
• Downtime
• Cycle time improvements
• Repeatability issues

Supplier & Project Management

• Manage external tooling suppliers throughout design, build, sampling, qualification, engineering changes, and production launch.
• Track tooling schedules, costs, engineering changes, supplier deliverables, and open action items.
• Support tooling quotations, supplier selection, sourcing strategies, and cost analysis.
• Develop and maintain a high-performing strategic supplier network.

Continuous Improvement

• Participate in:
• APQP
• DFMEA
• Launch readiness reviews
• Continuous improvement initiatives
• Tooling standardization efforts
• Ensure tooling documentation, design reviews, engineering records, and change management activities remain current and accurate.
• Lead Engineering Work Order support for Manufacturing and Automation teams, ensuring timely resolution of technical issues.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related technical field with 4+ years of relevant experience

OR

• 8+ years of directly related experience in tooling design or tooling program management in lieu of a degree.

Preferred Experience

• Injection molding tooling design and development
• Manufacturing engineering
• Plant-floor troubleshooting and problem solving
• Automation and assembly systems
• Supplier management
• Tool launch support
• Cost reduction initiatives
• NX (Unigraphics) experience

Skills & Competencies

• Strong understanding of injection mold design and manufacturing processes
• Ability to connect engineering decisions to operational and financial performance
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
• Strong project management and organizational abilities
• Effective written and verbal communication skills
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office
• Ability to build strong cross-functional relationships
• High attention to detail

Travel

• Occasional travel to suppliers, customers, and manufacturing facilities as needed.

EOE (including Disability/Veterans)

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