Manager, Tooling Engineering

Job Title:

Manager, Tooling Engineering

Job

Job Location:

Redmond WA

Job Schedule:

9/80:
Employees work 9 out of every 14 days – totaling 80 hours worked – and have every other Friday off

We are seeking an experienced and skilled Manager, Tooling Engineering with a background in tooling design, fabrication, and manufacturing support. The successful candidate will be responsible for leading a team of tooling engineers to develop, implement, and optimize tooling solutions that ensure the highest quality and efficiency in production. This position requires a proactive and hands‑on leadership approach, working collaboratively with cross‑functional teams and suppliers to address and resolve issues, drive continuous improvements, and uphold our stringent quality standards.

This role requires complete ownership of the tooling engineering function from concept to production support. We're looking for someone who is highly invested in the tooling solutions their team develops and genuinely enjoys getting hands‑on with tooling design and implementation. The ideal candidate thrives on the shop floor, takes personal ownership of their team's tooling deliverables, and finds satisfaction in directly engaging with the hardware, production teams, and suppliers to solve real‑world manufacturing challenges.

You must deeply understand not just how to design and build tooling, but the products being manufactured – their design intent, functionality, and critical features – to effectively translate production requirements into successful tooling solutions.

• Lead and develop a team of tooling engineers, providing technical guidance, mentorship, and performance management
• Read and interpret engineering drawings and manufacturing requirements to guide tooling strategy and design that produces conforming hardware
• Take full ownership of tooling engineering deliverables, serving as the primary technical authority from initial concept through production implementation
• Develop a comprehensive understanding of product design, functionality, and manufacturing requirements to ensure tooling solutions support product performance and quality objectives
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams, including design engineering, manufacturing engineering, quality, production, and suppliers to ensure successful program execution
• Oversee the development of clear, comprehensive tooling documentation including design specifications, assembly instructions, and maintenance procedures. Ensure documentation effectively bridges engineering intent with shop floor execution
• Manage tooling budgets, schedules, and resource allocation to meet program commitments
• Establish and maintain tooling standards, best practices, and design guidelines
• Participate in and lead continuous improvement initiatives and contribute to the development of organizational best practices
• Provide design for manufacturability feedback with emphasis on tooling requirements and constraints
• Design and implement process improvements to enhance tooling effectiveness, productivity, quality, and cost‑efficiency
• Manage relationships with external tooling suppliers and vendors
• Ensure compliance with safety regulations and quality standards for all tooling operations

• Bachelor’s Degree and minimum 9 years of prior relevant experience. Graduate Degree and a minimum of 7 years of prior related experience. In lieu of a degree, minimum of 13 years of prior related experience.

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field
• Graduate degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related field
• 7+ years of tooling engineering experience
• Previous experience managing a tooling engineering group or team
• ASME Y14.5 GD&T certification or equivalent advanced training
• Experience with tooling design and manufacturing support for space hardware or aerospace applications
• Experience working within ERP systems such as Oracle or SAP
• Experience working within PLM software to manage tooling designs, assemblies, and documentation
• Proficiency in tooling design principles,…