Tooling Design Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

Title: Manufacturing Tooling Engineer II/III

Location: Merritt Island, FL

Max Pay: $73.23

Contract: 6 Months

Job Summary

We are seeking a Manufacturing Tooling Engineer to design, develop, and support production tooling solutions that enable efficient manufacturing and assembly operations. The ideal candidate will leverage engineering expertise, CAD-based design tools, and manufacturing knowledge to create tooling that improves safety, quality, productivity, and reliability. This role requires collaboration with cross-functional teams and ownership of tooling projects from concept through implementation.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and release CAD models and engineering drawings for manufacturing tooling, fixtures, and support equipment in compliance with industry drafting and GD&T standards.
• Create tooling solutions for assembly fixtures, handling equipment, test fixtures, structural weldments, custom machinery, and other manufacturing applications.
• Manage tooling projects throughout the full lifecycle, including concept development, design, procurement, fabrication, testing, installation, and deployment.
• Coordinate with suppliers and internal stakeholders to support fabrication, inspection, and commissioning activities.
• Establish project priorities and ensure timely execution of tooling and manufacturing support initiatives.
• Investigate tooling issues, support repair and rework efforts, and implement corrective actions to improve performance and reliability.
• Conduct root cause analysis on manufacturing and tooling-related nonconformances.
• Develop material handling, packaging, and transportation solutions to protect products and components throughout manufacturing operations.
• Collaborate with Manufacturing, Design, Quality, and Operations teams to optimize safety, cost, manufacturability, quality, and production efficiency.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives focused on cycle time reduction, productivity enhancement, and process standardization.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Experience in tooling design, fabrication, procurement, and manufacturing support environments.
• Proficiency with CAD software for 3D modeling, engineering drawings, and design documentation.
• Strong understanding of mechanical design principles, manufacturing processes, and GD&T practices.
• Ability to develop free-body diagrams, identify load cases, and perform engineering calculations to validate designs.
• Experience working in a manufacturing, production, or industrial engineering environment.
• Strong problem-solving, communication, and project management skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Industrial, Aerospace, or related Engineering discipline.
• Experience with Product Data Management (PDM) systems and engineering change control processes.
• Knowledge of tolerance analysis, stack-up studies, and design for manufacturability (DFM) principles.
• Understanding of machining, welding, sheet metal fabrication, assembly, inspection, and material handling processes.
• Experience performing engineering analysis, including FEA and structural evaluations.
• Familiarity with design for assembly (DFA) methodologies and transitioning products from development into production.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated success collaborating in cross-functional engineering and production teams.

Key Skills

• Tooling Design
• Mechanical Design
• CAD Modeling & Drafting
• GD&T
• Manufacturing Engineering
• Fixture Design
• Root Cause Analysis
• FEA / Structural Analysis
• DFM & DFA
• Project Management
• Vendor Management
• Product Lifecycle Management (PLM/PDM)
• Continuous Improvement
• Process Optimization
• Manufacturing Operations

Screening Questions

1. Describe a tooling solution that you personally designed and released into production.
2. How did you gather and define design requirements for the tool?
3. What design constraints did you consider, such as cost, schedule, manufacturability, or fabrication limitations?
4. Describe an engineering analysis you performed to validate a tooling design.
5. What methods did you use for analysis (hand calculations, FEA, load calculations, etc.)?
6. How did you identify and evaluate critical load cases?
7. How did you verify that the final tooling solution met all requirements?
8. What trade-offs or requirement negotiations were necessary during the design process?
9. How did you collaborate with manufacturing, quality, and production teams throughout the project?
10. Describe a tooling issue or nonconformance you resolved and the corrective actions implemented.