Toolshop Manager

Kaizen is the Number 1 Recruitment Leader in the MENA region and works on placing high‑caliber professionals in prominent and lucrative roles across the Middle East & and GCC.

A well‑established and globally recognized organization, founded in 1841, specializing in business intelligence, data, and strategic insights that help companies make confident business decisions. With operations spanning 60+ countries across the Middle East, South Asia, Africa, and the Indian Ocean/Pacific Islands region, the company is known for delivering trusted market information and advisory solutions to businesses worldwide.

The Toolshop Manager is responsible for leading and managing all toolshop operations, including the fabrication, maintenance, modification, repair, and lifecycle management of production tooling, moulds, jigs, fixtures, and specialized manufacturing equipment. This role ensures the timely delivery of high‑quality tooling solutions that support production requirements, new product introductions, operational efficiency, and continuous improvement initiatives. The Toolshop Manager oversees a skilled team of toolmakers and machinists while ensuring adherence to quality, safety, and cost objectives.

• Manage the day‑to‑day activities of the toolshop, including tooling fabrication, maintenance, repairs, and modification projects.
• Prioritize workloads based on production demands, tooling requirements, project timelines, and resource availability.
• Ensure all tooling work meets engineering specifications, dimensional tolerances, and quality requirements.
• Oversee the maintenance and safe operation of toolshop machinery, equipment, and supporting systems.
• Monitor productivity, efficiency, and performance metrics to optimize toolshop operations.

• Manage the full lifecycle of production tooling, including moulds, jigs, fixtures, dies, and specialized tooling assets.
• Develop and implement preventive and predictive maintenance programs to maximize tooling life and minimize production downtime.
• Maintain comprehensive tooling records, including maintenance history, condition assessments, and asset tracking.
• Plan refurbishment, upgrades, and replacement strategies based on tooling performance and production requirements.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on tooling reliability and operational efficiency.

• Support new product introduction (NPI) activities by providing tooling expertise during development and launch phases.
• Collaborate with Engineering and Manufacturing teams to implement tooling modifications and process improvements.
• Coordinate tooling trials, validation activities, first‑off approvals, and production readiness assessments.
• Ensure tooling requirements are delivered on schedule to support successful project launches and production ramp‑up.

• Lead, coach, and develop toolmakers, machinists, technicians, and apprentices to achieve operational excellence.
• Conduct performance management activities, workforce planning, and succession development initiatives.
• Identify technical training needs and promote continuous skills development within the team.
• Foster a culture of quality, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

• Prepare and manage the toolshop operating budget, monitoring expenditures and identifying cost‑saving opportunities.
• Manage relationships with external tooling suppliers, service providers, and specialized repair vendors.
• Evaluate make‑versus‑buy decisions for tooling activities to optimize cost, quality, and lead times.
• Support procurement activities, supplier selection, contract negotiations, and vendor performance evaluations.

• Ensure all toolshop activities comply with company health, safety, environmental, and quality standards.
• Implement and maintain inspection and verification processes for tooling before release to production.
• Ensure proper calibration, maintenance, and certification of measurement and inspection equipment.
• Promote safe working practices, risk assessments, and…