Job Description: AriensCo is seeking an experienced Tooling Manager to provide leadership and technical direction for our Tool & Die operations and Tool Design team in Brillion, WI. This role leads both hourly toolmaking professionals and salaried tooling design staff, while partnering closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, and other internal teams to support tooling needs across the organization.
THE DAY TO DAY...Leadership and People Management- Lead, coach, mentor, and develop tool & die makers, machinists, apprentices, and tool design staff
- Provide day-to-day leadership and direction for hourly tool & die employees and salaried tool design employees
- Establish departmental goals aligned with company objectives and tooling strategy
- Conduct performance reviews, provide ongoing feedback and development planning, and support succession planning for the department
- Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, safety, and continuous improvement
- Facilitate effective communication between tool design, tool & die, engineering, manufacturing, and other internal customers
Tooling and Engineering Leadership- Provide technical leadership for the design, development, procurement, validation, implementation, and continuous improvement of metal stamping dies, weld fixtures, machining fixtures, inspection gauges, forming and fabrication tooling, automation equipment and manufacturing machinery
- Direct and support the design, detailing, development, and construction of dies, fixtures, tooling, and right-sized manufacturing equipment used throughout AriensCo facilities
- Provide technical review and approval of tooling concepts, designs, and specifications
- Support the development and application of engineering standards, tooling design guidelines, and documentation practices
- Ensure tooling solutions support safety, quality, manufacturability, maintainability, cost, and production requirements
- Partner closely with product engineering and manufacturing engineering to support Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA).
- Provide hands-on technical support, including tool, die, gauge, and fixture design, when appropriate based on departmental priorities
New Product Development and Project Management- Lead tool & die and tool design activities supporting new product development, product launches, safety initiatives, quality improvements, and manufacturing projects
- Coordinate tooling requirements, schedules, resources, and priorities to support successful project execution
- Manage multiple tooling and engineering projects simultaneously, including internally built and externally sourced tooling
- Monitor project schedules, costs, risks, and performance to ensure projects are completed on time and within established requirements
- Partner with Advanced Manufacturing, Engineering, Operations, and other stakeholders to ensure tooling readiness for product and process launches
Strategic and Operational Responsibilities- Identify and evaluate new manufacturing technologies, automation opportunities, tooling methods, and equipment improvements
- Identify and develop cost justification for capital improvements within tool design and tool & die
- Develop business cases for tooling investments, automation projects, equipment, and other capital expenditures
- Support annual capital planning and departmental budget development.
- Prioritize tooling and engineering resources based on new product launches, operational needs, productivity opportunities, and business priorities
- Monitor departmental performance and identify opportunities to improve capacity, workflow, responsiveness, and cost
Continuous Improvement- Lead tooling cost-reduction, quality-improvement, productivity, and reliability initiatives
- Identify opportunities to reduce manual data entry and improve the use of electronic systems and data
- Analyze tooling performance and lifecycle information to improve reliability, tool life, uptime, and overall manufacturing performance
- Establish and monitor key performance indicators related to tooling project execution, budget performance, tool life, downtime reduction and manufacturing productivity
- Apply Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement principles throughout tooling and engineering activities
THE QUALIFICATIONS...- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field, with 5-7+ years of progressively responsible experience in tooling, manufacturing, or product engineering; or Associate degree in Mechanical Design or a related technical field, with 7-10 years of relevant experience, including tool design and demonstrated experience leading tooling personnel
- Experience leading tooling engineering, tool & die, or product development teams
- Strong technical background in stamping, welding, machining, fixture design, automation, and manufacturing systems
- Experience managing capital equipment and tooling projects
- Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement experience
- Experience supporting new product development and production launches
Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without requiring sponsorship now or in the future.
