Tooling Engineer - Solid Rocket Motor & Energetic Operations (Prometheus)

Prometheus Energetics is an independent U.S.-based merchant supplier of solid rocket motors and warheads. A joint venture between Kratos Defense & Security Solutions and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Prometheus combines U.S. industrial speed and credibility with decades of combat-proven designs, manufacturing know-how, and technical training to deliver field-ready products at scale.

The Senior Manager / Principal Tooling Engineer is the lead tooling authority for Prometheus Energetics and reports directly to the Director of Engineering. In this role, you are responsible for establishing, executing, and sustaining the company's tooling design and manufacturing equipment framework as the business moves from facility startup and product industrialization into high-rate production. This technical leader establishes an independent tooling function with the authority, systems, people, and discipline required to ensure that production tooling, molds, jigs, and fixtures meet technical, safety, operational, and customer requirements across key program sites.

Working across Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Programs, Safety, and strategic partner technology-transfer teams, this engineer converts product design requirements and energetic process constraints into robust, safe, and highly reliable tooling systems. The role owns enterprise tooling strategy, 3D CAD design architecture, vendor technical oversight, tool proofing/qualification, shop floor integration, and the use of tooling performance data to prevent defects, ensure explosive safety, and optimize cost, schedule, and mission assurance.

Key Responsibilities

Tooling Strategy, Design Architecture & Mechanical Analysis

• Develop and execute the enterprise tooling strategy, CAD design standards, capital equipment roadmap, staffing plans, and operating rhythm aligned with department goals and company production ramp plans.
• Lead the modeling, detailing, and structural analysis of complex tooling, molds, dies, holding fixtures, drill jigs, handling carts, and assembly equipment using advanced 3D CAD packages (e.g., PTC Creo, Siemens NX, SolidWorks).
• Serve as the company's technical authority for tooling; perform rigorous structural analysis, free-body calculations, tolerance stack-ups (GD&T per ASME Y14.5), and kinematic evaluations to guarantee tool integrity under load.
• Design specialized press tooling, hydraulic/pneumatic fixtures, casting/curing hardware, and semi-automated tooling adapted for high-risk, high-precision energetic processing operations.
• Advise the Director of Engineering, Operations leadership, and Program Managers on tooling risk, capital expenditure priorities, long-lead vendor lead times, and capacity expansion strategies.

Tooling Integration, Procurement & Vendor Oversight

• Manage full-lifecycle tooling programs-from concept generation, documentation, and external procurement through source inspection, receipt proofing, and shop-floor deployment.
• Serve as the primary technical lead and contract liaison with external tool-and-die shops, precision machine shops, and equipment fabricators; review vendor proposals, manage design reviews, and conduct final tooling buy-offs.
• Flow down technical specifications, quality requirements, and military/industry standards to tooling suppliers, ensuring full drawing compliance, material pedigree, and certified heat-treatment/plating processes.
• Lead on-site tool setup, proof loading, CMM verification, and operational line buy-offs prior to releasing tooling hardware to active production lines.
• Partner with EHS and Energetics Safety teams to ensure all tooling designs strictly adhere to site-specific explosive safety standards (e.g., DoD 4145.26-M), grounding/ESD rules, and OSHA ergonomic guidelines.

Production Support, Sustainment & Continuous Improvement

• Provide high-level technical direction to manufacturing operations to troubleshoot active tooling issues, eliminate line stoppages, and reduce tool-induced product variation.
• Lead rapid containment, failure analysis, and Root Cause Corrective Action (RCCA) for tooling-related hardware nonconformances, shop escapes, or tool wear/breakage.
• Establish tooling maintenance, refurbishing, recertification, and configuration control practices to extend tooling lifecycles and preserve manufacturing readiness.
• Partner with Operations and Quality on Lean/Six Sigma initiatives, utilizing tool-level PFMEAs and mistake-proofing (poka-yoke) to maximize first-pass yield and throughput.

Inspection, Metrology & Acceptance

• Establish receiving, source, and periodic inspection capabilities for production tooling, ensuring compatibility with CMM, laser tracker, and optical metrology systems.
• Select and qualify tool-proofing methods; ensure accurate compilation of objective evidence including dimensional reports, load-test certificates, material pedigree, and tool drawing packages.
• Own the tool calibration and recertification interface with Metrology, ensuring out-of-tolerance tooling impacts are systematically evaluated and dispositioned.

Performance Management

Establish actionable dashboards, review tooling performance with engineering and operational leadership, and hold owners accountable for recovery and improvement plans. Measures may include:

Tooling design-to-release schedule compliance and milestone execution

• Tooling vendor quality, delivery performance, and technical drawing compliance
• Tooling-related scrap, rework, cost of poor quality, and first-pass yield impact
• Tooling root-cause investigation aging, recurrence prevention, and effectiveness
• Tooling proof-load, calibration, and maintenance plan compliance
• Explosive safety, ESD, and ergonomic compliance across all active tooling assets
• Tooling team capability, technical development, and program support effectiveness

Keyword: ASQ certifications (CQE, CMQ/OE), formal GD&T certification, or Six Sigma Black Belt credentials, Windchill, CAD
Required Experience:

Required Qualificiations:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• At least 8 years of progressive tool design and manufacturing engineering experience in an aerospace and defense manufacturing environment, with demonstrated experience leading major tooling programs.
• Demonstrated mastery in 3D solid modeling CAD packages (e.g., PTC Creo, Siemens NX, SolidWorks) and Product Data Management (PDM/PLM) environments (e.g., Windchill).
• Expert-level understanding and application of Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T per ASME Y14.5), structural strength of materials, and precision machining/fabrication methods.
• Proven experience translating complex aerospace assembly drawings, specifications, and process requirements into fully realized tooling suites and work instructions.
• Demonstrated experience managing external machine shops, tool fabricators, and equipment suppliers from contract award through final buy-off.
• Proven ability to build technical capability, mentor junior engineers, influence across functions, and make sound independent decisions in a fast-paced startup or production ramp environment.
• Excellent written, verbal, analytical, and executive communication skills.
• U.S. citizenship and the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Secret Security Clearance.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or Engineering Management.
• Direct experience designing tooling for solid rocket motors, energetic materials, warheads, propulsion systems, ammunition, or complex cast-cure/composite manufacturing.
• Experience standing up tooling capabilities, machine shop integration, or capital equipment lines in a facility startup or defense environment.
• Hands-on experience with press tooling, hydraulic/pneumatic actuation systems, lifting/handling fixtures, or automated manufacturing systems.
• Familiarity with DoD 4145.26-M (DoD Contractors' Safety Manual for Ammunition and Explosives), Nadcap requirements, or AS9100 quality systems.
• ASQ certifications (CQE, CMQ/OE), formal GD&T certification, or Six Sigma Black Belt credentials.

Work Environment & Physical Requirements:

• Work is performed in office, machine shop, laboratory, and energetics manufacturing environments, including high-hazard areas subject to enhanced safety and security controls.
• Must be able to wear required personal protective equipment (PPE) and comply with site safety, explosive-safety, electrostatic discharge (ESD), and access-control requirements.
• Ability to move throughout a manufacturing site, inspect physical tooling, participate in shop-floor audits, and occasionally lift up to 25 pounds.
• Regular, reliable attendance is required. Periodic travel to vendor machine shops, secondary company facilities, or customer sites may be required during startup, tool qualification, or critical production events.

From: Kratos Defense