Senior Tooling Engineer – Seats Production
Position Summary
The Senior Tooling Engineer – Seats Production is responsible for the design, development, sourcing, validation, and launch support of production tooling used in automotive seat manufacturing operations. This role plays a critical part in supporting new product launches, process improvements, and capacity expansion initiatives by ensuring tooling solutions meet requirements for safety, quality, cost, ergonomics, and production efficiency.
Working cross-functionally with manufacturing, quality, product engineering, automation, and external suppliers, the Senior Tooling Engineer delivers robust, production-ready tooling and fixtures while driving continuous improvement throughout the tooling lifecycle.
Key Responsibilities
Tool Design & Development
- Design and develop jigs, fixtures, gauges, and production tooling for seat manufacturing processes.
- Ensure tooling designs meet product specifications, dimensional tolerances, and quality standards.
- Collaborate with product and process engineering teams to support Design for Manufacturability (DFM) initiatives.
- Evaluate tooling concepts and recommend solutions that improve manufacturability, efficiency, and reliability.
Tool Procurement & Supplier Management
- Develop tooling specifications and manage requests for quotation (RFQs).
- Identify, evaluate, and select tooling suppliers based on quality, cost, technical capability, and delivery performance.
- Coordinate tool fabrication activities and monitor supplier progress to ensure program timing requirements are met.
- Support supplier issue resolution and continuous improvement initiatives.
Tool Validation & Production Readiness
- Plan and execute tooling trials and validation activities.
- Verify tooling performance against design and production requirements.
- Perform dimensional reviews and ensure compliance with engineering specifications.
- Approve tooling for production use following successful validation and sign-off processes.
Maintenance & Troubleshooting
- Develop and maintain preventive maintenance plans for production tooling.
- Troubleshoot tooling-related issues impacting safety, quality, or productivity.
- Implement corrective actions and drive root-cause analysis activities.
- Manage tool life tracking and replacement planning to maintain operational efficiency.
Cost & Process Optimization
- Analyze tooling expenditures and identify opportunities for cost reduction.
- Optimize tooling designs to improve durability, reduce cycle times, and minimize downtime.
- Support Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Drive process enhancements focused on quality, throughput, and operational performance.
New Program Launch Support
- Participate in cross-functional program launch activities and readiness reviews.
- Ensure tooling availability and readiness for prototype, pilot, and production builds.
- Coordinate tooling modifications resulting from engineering changes.
- Provide technical support during launch, ramp-up, and production stabilization activities.
Required Qualifications
Education & Experience
- Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field with 12+ years of manufacturing experience; OR
- Master's degree with 8+ years of relevant manufacturing experience; OR
- Ph.D. with 5+ years of relevant manufacturing experience; OR
- Equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Experience supporting automotive manufacturing environments.
- Experience with Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma methodologies, and ERP systems.
- Experience supporting Just-In-Time (JIT) manufacturing operations.
- Automotive OEM or Tier 1 supplier experience preferred.
Technical Skills
- Strong expertise in production tooling, fixtures, gauges, and manufacturing processes.
- Knowledge of automotive seating systems, trim operations, and interior component manufacturing preferred.
- Ability to interpret engineering drawings, GD&T, and manufacturing specifications.
- Experience leading tooling validation and launch activities.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and production planning tools.
Leadership Competencies
- Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional projects and influence stakeholders.
- Strong problem-solving and root-cause analysis skills.
- Excellent communication, project management, and organizational abilities.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
Work Environment
- Manufacturing plant environment with regular exposure to industrial equipment and machinery.
- Exposure to noise, moving equipment, and standard manufacturing conditions.
- Occasional travel to supplier locations and manufacturing facilities may be required.
- Flexibility to support off-shift, weekend, or launch activities as business needs dictate.
Target Base Salary Range:
$114,000 – $172,000 annually
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