Tooling Engineer (Akron)

Tooling Engineer

Location: Akron, OH

Employment Type: Full-Time, Permanent (Onsite)

Reports To: Manager of Engineering

Position Overview

Ferriot is seeking an experienced, hands-on Tooling Engineer to lead the procurement, design validation, and lifecycle delivery of high-precision injection molds. In this role, you will act as the vital technical bridge between our customers, external tool builders, and internal manufacturing teams. You will drive projects from early concept and quoting through tool qualification, production handoff, and ongoing continuous improvement—ensuring tooling projects land on time, within budget, and to exacting quality standards.

Core Responsibilities

Technical Design & Feasibility

• Evaluate incoming customer part models for Design for Manufacturability (DFM), identifying moldability risks, draft angles, shut-offs, and critical steel conditions.
• Set up, run, and interpret Mold Filling Analysis (MFA / Moldflow) to optimize gate placement, cooling line efficiency, and minimize cycle times or part defects.
• Review and approve detailed tool designs—both new builds and engineering modifications—ensuring strict compliance with Ferriot tooling guidelines and customer tolerances.
• Apply GD&T principles to assess part prints, tooling schematics, and dimensional verification reports.

Vendor Management & Tool Qualification

• Partner with external tooling shops, providing end-to-end design reviews, build oversight, and final sign-off before tool shipment.
• Direct trial runs and tooling tryouts alongside plant technicians, applying scientific molding principles to ensure stable, repeatable processes before releasing tools to full-scale production.

Project Leadership & Cross-Functional Coordination

• Serve as the primary technical point of contact for clients, participating in cost estimating, quotation prep, and engineering change reviews.
• Manage new product development programs through structured APQP milestones, tracking deliverables across Design, Quality, Purchasing, Scheduling, and Operations.
• Build and maintain dynamic project schedules; proactively manage scope adjustments, budget variances, and lead-time constraints.
• Champion a safety-first mindset across all shop-floor trials and engineering spaces.

Qualifications

Required Experience & Skills

• Education & Experience: Bachelor’s degree in Plastics Engineering, Polymer Science, Mechanical Engineering, or a related discipline—or equivalent hands-on industry experience in mold making, tool design, or tooling engineering.
• Tooling & Process Expertise: In-depth understanding of multi-cavity injection molds, runner systems, tool steels, and injection molding machinery.
• Material Knowledge: Working familiarity with engineering-grade and commodity thermoplastics, including shrinkage characteristics and processing behavior.
• CAD & Simulation: Proficiency using 3D CAD platforms (SolidWorks preferred) to translate, inspect, section, and modify customer 3D models, paired with experience interpreting mold filling simulations.
• Project Tools: Solid organizational tracking ability using ERP systems, MS Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), and collaboration tools (Teams, SharePoint).

Preferred Qualifications

• 6+ years of progressive engineering experience within custom injection molding or mold manufacturing environments.
• Practical background in hands-on mold making, machining, or tool room bench work.
• Formal training or certification in Scientific Molding / Decoupled Molding (e.g., RJG Master Molder).
• Lean or Six Sigma credentials (Green Belt or Black Belt).
• Formal Project Management certification (PMP or CAPM) and experience with dedicated PM scheduling software.