Senior Tooling Engineer - Seats Production

Job Description

Job Description

Senior Tooling Engineer – Seats Production

Position Summary

The Senior Tooling Engineer – Seats Production is responsible for the design, development, sourcing, validation, and launch support of production tooling used in automotive seat manufacturing operations. This role plays a critical part in supporting new product launches, process improvements, and capacity expansion initiatives by ensuring tooling solutions meet requirements for safety, quality, cost, ergonomics, and production efficiency.

Working cross-functionally with manufacturing, quality, product engineering, automation, and external suppliers, the Senior Tooling Engineer delivers robust, production-ready tooling and fixtures while driving continuous improvement throughout the tooling lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

Tool Design & Development

• Design and develop jigs, fixtures, gauges, and production tooling for seat manufacturing processes.
• Ensure tooling designs meet product specifications, dimensional tolerances, and quality standards.
• Collaborate with product and process engineering teams to support Design for Manufacturability (DFM) initiatives.
• Evaluate tooling concepts and recommend solutions that improve manufacturability, efficiency, and reliability.

Tool Procurement & Supplier Management

• Develop tooling specifications and manage requests for quotation (RFQs).
• Identify, evaluate, and select tooling suppliers based on quality, cost, technical capability, and delivery performance.
• Coordinate tool fabrication activities and monitor supplier progress to ensure program timing requirements are met.
• Support supplier issue resolution and continuous improvement initiatives.

Tool Validation & Production Readiness

• Plan and execute tooling trials and validation activities.
• Verify tooling performance against design and production requirements.
• Perform dimensional reviews and ensure compliance with engineering specifications.
• Approve tooling for production use following successful validation and sign-off processes.

Maintenance & Troubleshooting

• Develop and maintain preventive maintenance plans for production tooling.
• Troubleshoot tooling-related issues impacting safety, quality, or productivity.
• Implement corrective actions and drive root-cause analysis activities.
• Manage tool life tracking and replacement planning to maintain operational efficiency.

Cost & Process Optimization

• Analyze tooling expenditures and identify opportunities for cost reduction.
• Optimize tooling designs to improve durability, reduce cycle times, and minimize downtime.
• Support Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Drive process enhancements focused on quality, throughput, and operational performance.

New Program Launch Support

• Participate in cross-functional program launch activities and readiness reviews.
• Ensure tooling availability and readiness for prototype, pilot, and production builds.
• Coordinate tooling modifications resulting from engineering changes.
• Provide technical support during launch, ramp-up, and production stabilization activities.

Required Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field with 12+ years of manufacturing experience; OR
• Master's degree with 8+ years of relevant manufacturing experience; OR
• Ph.D. with 5+ years of relevant manufacturing experience; OR
• Equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience supporting automotive manufacturing environments.
• Experience with Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma methodologies, and ERP systems.
• Experience supporting Just-In-Time (JIT) manufacturing operations.
• Automotive OEM or Tier 1 supplier experience preferred.

Technical Skills

• Strong expertise in production tooling, fixtures, gauges, and manufacturing processes.
• Knowledge of automotive seating systems, trim operations, and interior component manufacturing preferred.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, GD&T, and manufacturing specifications.
• Experience leading tooling validation and launch activities.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and production planning tools.

Leadership Competencies

• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional projects and influence stakeholders.
• Strong problem-solving and root-cause analysis skills.
• Excellent communication, project management, and organizational abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Work Environment

• Manufacturing plant environment with regular exposure to industrial equipment and machinery.
• Exposure to noise, moving equipment, and standard manufacturing conditions.
• Occasional travel to supplier locations and manufacturing facilities may be required.
• Flexibility to support off-shift, weekend, or launch activities as business needs dictate.

Target Base Salary Range:
$114,000 – $172,000 annually

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