Tooling Engineer & Technical Leader --- DIRECT HIRE/PERMANENT!

Manpower Engineering is exclusively partnering with a reputable, very well-established and growing company in Germantown, WI on a highly visible and direct hire/permanent Tooling Engineer & Technical Leader – Progressive Stamping Dies position that has strong development and advancement opportunities and is available due to succession planning.

The company has enjoyed 54 years of continued success, is financially sound, and positioned for continued growth. They’re family owned and a high-craftsmanship tool & die and stamping company. Their culture is defined by integrity, stability, and long-term relationships – with both employees and customers. Our client designs and builds precision progressive dies, tooling, gages, prototypes, and short & long-run small, complex stampings for sectors including aerospace, defense, medical, electrical, and industrial applications. Those who join become part of a highly skilled team where their expertise directly influences customers, engineering strategy, and the long-term direction of the company. Today, they’re a trusted name among global manufacturers, with many clients who have been with them since the early days. Their team is known for solving some of the industry’s most challenging problems, consistently going above and beyond to meet and exceed client expectations.

• Compensation Plan: Depending on qualifications/experience, this opportunity can offer up to a base salary of $120,000 and also paid overtime at 1.5x and yearly bonus.
• Full Benefits Package (including but not limited to): Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance, 401k match, paid vacation time and holidays, etc.
• Relocation assistance is available.

JOB DESCRIPTION

The company is seeking a Tooling Engineer & Technical Leader – Progressive Stamping Dies with advanced expertise in progressive stamping die design and the desire to grow into a long-term technical leadership role as part of the Senior Management Team.

This position is ideal for someone who wants to:

• Apply high-level progressive die design expertise.
• Do more than sit behind CAD all day.
• Solve complex tooling and manufacturability challenges.
• Support quoting and early-stage design concepts.
• Work directly with customers on technical questions.
• Mentor others and influence future design standards.
• Participate in long-term succession planning, including potential equity ownership.

This is a rare opportunity to join a respected 50-year precision tooling company at a pivotal time as several long-tenured leaders prepare for retirement.

Future Ownership Opportunity

As part of the long-term leadership and succession strategy, the company offers the potential for:

• Stock options.
• Equity participation.
• Ownership-track discussions.
• Significant influence in shaping the next generation of the company.

This opportunity is earned based on technical impact, leadership, cultural alignment, and long-term commitment. It is serious and meaningful for the right individual.

Why This Role Matters

Three key technical leaders will retire within the next several years. Their roles evolved organically and blend:

• Progressive die design.
• Tool/gage concepting.
• Technical quoting.
• Customer engineering communication.
• Engineering leadership.
• Hands-on manufacturability assessment.

This Tooling Engineer & Technical Leader will become a cornerstone of the company’s next generation of engineering leadership and help carry forward critical technical knowledge.

What You Will Do (Primary Responsibilities)

Progressive Stamping Die Design (Core Responsibility):

• Lead the design of progressive stamping dies from concept through final detail.
• Develop complete strip layouts, forming stations, material progression, timing, and die components.
• Create robust, manufacturable designs that meet precise tolerance requirements.
• Collaborate with toolmakers, machinists, and pressroom teams during build, tryout, and troubleshooting.

Tooling & Gage Design (Secondary, Based on Interest):

• Design hard gages, fixtures, and precision tooling.
• Support engineering needs throughout tool build and production launch.

Technical Quoting Support:

• Provide preliminary concepts, rough estimates, and manufacturability inputs for quoting.
• Assist in evaluating customer prints and understanding technical requirements.
• Take on increasing quoting responsibilities as skills and interest grow.

Customer Interaction:

• Join customer meetings to clarify design requirements and provide manufacturability insight.
• Communicate tooling approaches and design justification when needed.
• Strengthen customer relationships with technical credibility and responsiveness.

Leadership & Growth:

• Join the Senior Management Team immediately as a key technical leader.
• Mentor designers and contribute to design standards and engineering processes.
• Grow into Lead Designer, Engineering Manager, or Director of Engineering depending on capability and interest.
• Participate in long-term engineering, tooling, and business planning.

Qualifications

Required Experience:

• 1+ years of experience. 3+ years of experience is a plus.
• Experience designing progressive stamping dies.
• Experience with 3D design.
• Ability to produce strip layouts, develop station sequencing, and design high-quality progressive tooling.
• Experience collaborating with toolmakers and production teams.
• Strong mechanical creativity and analytical problem-solving.
• U.S. Citizen (ITAR requirement).

Preferred Experience:

An experienced Progressive Die Design Engineer can learn Logopress quickly. Tooling fundamentals matter more than specific software.

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering or a related field.
• Experience with SolidWorks. Experience with Logopress.
• Experience supporting quoting or estimating.
• Ability to speak with customers on technical topics.
• Background in tool/gage design.
• Toolroom or pressroom troubleshooting experience.
• Leadership capability or interest in mentoring.
• Desire to grow into higher-level engineering or technical management roles.

Software Flexibility:

Experience with 3D design. Experience with SolidWorks is a plus. Experience with Logopress is a plus. They fully welcome candidates experienced in other progressive die design platforms. For example:

• 3DQuickPress
• Die Wizard / Progressive Die Wizard
• VISI Progress
• TopSolid Progress
• Siemens NX
• CATIA
• Other 3D CAD software.

12-Month Success Profile

A successful Tooling Engineer & Technical Leader will accomplish the following in their first year:

• Lead the design of 6–12 progressive dies meeting the company’s precision and quality standards.
• Demonstrate strong capability in strip layouts, forming concepts, and die construction.
• Build strong relationships with toolroom, production, and management teams.
• Support quoting with early technical input and preliminary design concepts.
• Participate effectively in customer technical calls and feasibility discussions.
• Establish themselves as a core member of the senior management team.
• Begin mentoring designers or engineering personnel.
• Show emerging leadership in engineering decisions, design standards, and continuous improvement.

Why Join The Company?

• Immediate Senior Management Team membership.
• Equity and ownership pathway.
• Family-owned, stable, and respected 50-year company.
• Culture grounded in craftsmanship, quality, and integrity.
• Broad variety of challenging projects across aerospace, defense, medical, and electrical markets.
• Real autonomy — no bureaucracy or corporate politics.
• Leadership opportunities tied to upcoming retirements.
• Competitive pay, excellent benefits, and strong long-term stability.

About The Company

The company is a family-owned tool and die manufacturer known for:

• High craftsmanship and pride in precision work.
• Extremely low turnover and long-tenured employees.
• Respect, integrity, and doing things the right way.
• A calm, collaborative environment where engineers, toolmakers, and managers solve problems together.
• Strong technical partnerships with customers.
• Investment in people — training, mentoring, and promoting from within.
• Stability and opportunity as key technical leaders transition toward retirement.

They value individuals who take ownership, communicate clearly, and care deeply about their work.

Benefits

• 401(k) with company match.
• Health, dental, vision, and life insurance.
• Paid time off.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Retirement plan.
• Flexible scheduling options.
• Relocation assistance available.
• Pathway to stock options and equity participation.