Staff Engineer, Tool Design (R4967

Tooling Design Engineer

Build the Tooling Behind the Next Generation of Aerospace Manufacturing

We are looking for a Tooling Design Engineer to design, develop, and deploy the tooling that turns advanced aerospace designs into repeatable, scalable production.

This is a hands-on engineering role for someone who understands that great tooling is more than a CAD model—it is the foundation for safe, precise, efficient, first-time-right manufacturing. You will own tooling from initial concept through detailed design, analysis, fabrication, installation, prove-out, and production release.

You will work closely with Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Production, Safety, Supply Chain, and Design Engineering to develop tooling that enables prototype and pilot builds while creating a path toward rate production.

The ideal candidate is comfortable working in a fast-moving environment where requirements evolve, problems need to be solved quickly, and engineers are expected to spend time both at their desks and on the manufacturing floor.

What You'll Do

Tooling Design & Development

• Own the complete tooling lifecycle from concept and requirements definition through design, fabrication, installation, validation, and production release.
• Translate engineering drawings, GD&T, key characteristics, critical-to-quality requirements, and assembly requirements into robust tooling concepts.
• Design and develop production tooling including:
• Assembly jigs and fixtures
• Drill and bond fixtures
• Composite molds and trim fixtures
• Inspection and go/no-go gauges
• Lifting and handling fixtures/carts
• Protective and transportation tooling
• Ergonomic work holding solutions
• Develop tooling that provides accurate datums, repeatable locating, appropriate clamping, controlled tolerances, and safe operator interaction.
• Design for manufacturability, maintainability, ergonomics, FOD prevention, ESD controls, and long-term production use.

Engineering Analysis

• Perform engineering calculations and FEA to validate tooling stiffness, deflection, clamp loads, stresses, safety factors, and overall structural integrity.
• Evaluate tooling concepts against manufacturing requirements and identify potential failure modes before fabrication.
• Apply GD&T and tolerance stack-up principles to ensure tooling supports required part and assembly tolerances.
• Incorporate human-factors and ergonomic considerations into tooling designs to improve safety, quality, and operator efficiency.

Tool Design Packages

• Create complete tooling design packages including:
• 3D CAD models
• 2D manufacturing drawings
• GD&T
• Bills of material
• Material and finish specifications
• Fastener and torque requirements
• Lifting points and load ratings
• Safety/FOD/ESD requirements
• Inspection and acceptance criteria
• Maintain accurate engineering documentation within PLM/PDM systems.
• Lead technical and design reviews with Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Safety, Production, and Launch teams.

Fabrication & Production Support

• Work directly with internal and external fabrication teams to bring tooling from design to reality.
• Review fabricated tooling, resolve design/manufacturing issues, and drive NCR/ECR resolution.
• Lead tooling installation, fit checks, and shop-floor prove-out.
• Troubleshoot tooling issues directly on the production floor and rapidly implement corrective actions.
• Partner with production teams to refine tooling based on operator feedback, assembly performance, and manufacturing data.
• Support the transition of prototype tooling into robust production-ready solutions.

Validation & Continuous Improvement

• Develop Tool Setup and Care Instructions, preventive maintenance plans, inspection requirements, and tooling checklists.
• Support First Article and production validation activities.
• Partner with metrology teams on CMM, laser tracker, and other dimensional inspection activities.
• Develop gage and inspection strategies to validate tooling accuracy and repeatability.
• Analyze tooling performance and drive improvements in cycle time, quality, ergonomics, and repeatability.
• Establish tooling standards and best practices that can scale across future production programs.

Required Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in tooling design,…