Tooling Engineer

Tooling Engineer

Location: Stanford, KY


Compensation: $70,000 ~ $90,000 DOE


Hours: 8am ~ 5pm


Employment Type: Full-time

• Applications will only be considered from candidates who meet the listed job-related qualifications. Please review thoroughly before submitting your application. •Japanese language ability required. This role requires expert Japanese reading, writing, and speaking ability for technical communication with Japan-based equipment/tooling suppliers, engineering teams, and customer-related technical discussions.

Company Overview


A manufacturing organization specializing in metal stamping and tooling operations is seeking a Tooling Engineer to support tooling design, die maintenance, new part launches, supplier coordination, and production troubleshooting.

Position Summary


The Tooling Engineer serves as the subject-matter expert for metal stamping, tool and die maintenance, tooling design, and pre-production launch activities. This role supports production, engineering, quality, sales, customers, and external tooling suppliers to ensure robust tooling performance, smooth new-part launches, and high-quality stamped components.

Key Responsibilities


• Lead tool and die maintenance strategies, evaluate die conditions, and drive corrective actions to improve tool life and stamping performance


• Troubleshoot complex stamping issues such as formability, burrs, dimensional variation, and galling


• Create, modify, and review 3D models, die designs, and engineering drawings


• Conduct tooling feasibility reviews for new parts, including material selection, forming analysis, and die process planning


• Lead tooling-related pre-production activities from concept through PPAP


• Manage tooling timelines, milestones, risks, tryouts, capability studies, and dimensional verification


• Coordinate with engineering, quality, production, and external tool shops/die builders


• Review supplier designs, progress reports, tryout results, and tooling readiness


• Support RFQs with tooling cost estimates, process feasibility, and cycle time assumptions


• Participate in customer engineering reviews and explain tooling concepts, feasibility concerns, and stamping capabilities


• Improve die performance, reduce downtime, enhance stamping quality, and support cost reduction through tooling/process optimization

Qualifications

Required:


• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related field, or equivalent experience


• 5+ years of experience in metal stamping, tool and die, or tooling engineering


• Expert Japanese reading, writing, and speaking ability for technical specifications, equipment/process design, supplier communication, troubleshooting, and engineering discussions


• CAD proficiency


• Strong knowledge of stamping processes, die construction, GD&T, material behavior, engineering theory, and design criteria


• Ability to troubleshoot complex tooling and stamping issues


• Knowledge of automotive metal stamping, die manufacturing, and JIS/Japanese Industrial Standards


• Ability to work in a manufacturing environment with exposure to loud noise, oil, sharp edges, heat, vibration, moving machinery, and related production-floor conditions


• Ability to lift/move up to 50 lbs as needed

Preferred:


• Experience coordinating tooling suppliers and managing pre-production timelines


• Project management experience


• Experience supporting PPAP, tooling tryouts, capability studies, and dimensional verification

Other Details


This role involves regular communication with Japan-based suppliers and engineering resources because a significant portion of equipment and tooling is sourced from Japan. The position may also support technical customer discussions related to product claims, design change feasibility, and process improvement.

• This role may include additional responsibilities as needed based on business needs. • Application Form