Tooling Design Engineer

Job Title: Tooling Design Engineer

Job Description

The Tooling Design Engineer designs and validates durable metal production tooling that supports medium-volume assembly, including fixtures, jigs, gauges, and lifting and positioning devices. This role focuses on mechanical, design-heavy work to create production-ready tools that withstand daily use, meet safety expectations, and improve manufacturing efficiency and repeatability. The engineer collaborates closely with manufacturing stakeholders and plays a key role in ensuring that safety-critical tooling, especially lifting fixtures, performs reliably under expected loads.

Responsibilities

• Design manufacturing support tooling such as assembly fixtures and jigs, positioning fixtures, go/no-go gauges, and lifting devices and fixtures for a medium-volume production environment.
• Develop metal tooling that is production-ready, durable, and capable of withstanding consistent daily use, rather than relying on 3D-printed prototypes as the primary solution.
• Perform or support basic structural and strength validation of tooling designs to ensure they withstand expected loads, wear, and operating conditions.
• Own safety-critical design considerations for lifting fixtures and other high-risk tools, ensuring designs do not fail under load and do not create safety risks for operators.
• Collaborate closely with manufacturing and assembly stakeholders to understand build requirements and ensure tooling supports efficient, repeatable, and high-quality production processes.
• Incorporate feedback from production teams to refine tooling designs and improve ergonomics, reliability, and ease of use.
• Apply sound mechanical engineering principles and structural analysis methods to optimize tool geometry, material selection, and construction for durability and safety.
• Use CAD tools to create detailed 3D models and drawings of tooling components and assemblies that are ready for fabrication and implementation on the shop floor.
• Support the full lifecycle of tooling, from concept and design through validation, implementation, and ongoing improvement.
• Contribute to a culture of safety, quality, and continuous improvement within the manufacturing engineering and tooling design function.

Essential Skills

• At least 2 years of experience designing manufacturing tools for a production environment.
• Proven experience designing metal tools that can withstand a medium-volume manufacturing environment and daily use.
• Hands-on experience with lift fixtures and drill fixtures, including their design and practical application in assembly operations.
• Experience performing structural analysis or basic strength validation to ensure tooling can handle expected loads and wear.
• Proficiency with at least one major CAD system for mechanical and tooling design (for example, SolidWorks or other comparable platforms).
• Background in mechanical or manufacturing engineering with a focus on tooling, fixture design, or related mechanical systems.
• Experience designing gauges, fixtures, and jigs used in manufacturing or aerospace or similar precision-focused industries.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with manufacturing and assembly teams to translate build requirements into robust tooling solutions.
• Strong understanding of mechanical design principles, materials, and manufacturing processes relevant to tooling and fixtures.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience designing go/no-go gauges and other precision checking tools used in production environments.
• Exposure to aerospace or similarly demanding industries where tooling precision, durability, and safety are critical.
• Experience supporting the complete lifecycle of tooling, from concept through design, validation, and continuous improvement.
• Background as a mechanical or manufacturing engineer who has gained or is gaining specialized tooling experience in a production setting.
• Interest in working on innovative and mission-driven technology, such as autonomous systems and advanced manufacturing applications.
• Desire to work in a fast-paced, high-ownership environment with significant opportunities for growth and impact.
• Ability to thrive in a collaborative, low-attrition culture that emphasizes pride in work, fulfillment, and long-term career development.

Work Environment

This role is fully onsite, five days per week, on a first-shift schedule. The environment has a startup feel, with a strong sense of mission and ownership, and there are periods of deadline-focused work where staying late may be necessary. Occasional weekend work may be required, but the culture does not promote an intense grind; instead, it values people who are invested in the work and take pride in delivering high-quality results. The team operates in a hands-on manufacturing and engineering setting, using major CAD tools and working closely with production operations to support medium-volume assembly. The organization emphasizes a supportive, growth-oriented culture with opportunities to work across the full lifecycle of design and tooling, and it invests in employees' satisfaction and engagement, including thoughtful perks such as catered meals when appropriate. The overall atmosphere combines the energy of a startup with the stability and long-term focus of a mission-driven engineering organization.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Austin, TX.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $45.00 - $65.00/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:

• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Austin,TX.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on May 29, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 30,000 consultants and more than 4,500 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.