Tooling Manager

At AriensCo, we build more than exceptional products – we create opportunities that impact careers. Our culture values innovative thinking, hard work and determination. We interact in teams, collaborate together and make decisions quickly.

We see growth potential in every team member, and are committed to supporting our employees with continuous training and advancement opportunities. 
 
Our environment? We’re corporate, without being “corporate.” Whether you work at our headquarters, manufacturing facilities, or one of our global distribution businesses, you’ll always have the freedom to create and contribute.  Our company vision is “Passionate People, Astounded Customers.” Quite simply: it revolves around people 
 
Speaking of people, you’re not just employee #1,762 to us. You’re family and your role is invaluable. Without exceptional people, we can’t continue to produce the amazing products we're known for around the world.
 
Ready for the ride of your career? Then come join us. By joining our team, you'll have the opportunity to work in a rewarding workplace with a strong sense of community. 

AriensCo is seeking an experienced Tooling Manager to provide leadership and technical direction for our Tool & Die operations and Tool Design team in Brillion, WI. This role leads both hourly toolmaking professionals and salaried tooling design staff, while partnering closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, and other internal teams to support tooling needs across the organization.

THE DAY TO DAY...

Leadership and People Management

• Lead, coach, mentor, and develop tool & die makers, machinists, apprentices, and tool design staff
• Provide day-to-day leadership and direction for hourly tool & die employees and salaried tool design employees
• Establish departmental goals aligned with company objectives and tooling strategy
• Conduct performance reviews, provide ongoing feedback and development planning, and support succession planning for the department
• Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, safety, and continuous improvement
• Facilitate effective communication between tool design, tool & die, engineering, manufacturing, and other internal customers

Tooling and Engineering Leadership

• Provide technical leadership for the design, development, procurement, validation, implementation, and continuous improvement of metal stamping dies, weld fixtures, machining fixtures, inspection gauges, forming and fabrication tooling, automation equipment and manufacturing machinery
• Direct and support the design, detailing, development, and construction of dies, fixtures, tooling, and right-sized manufacturing equipment used throughout AriensCo facilities
• Provide technical review and approval of tooling concepts, designs, and specifications
• Support the development and application of engineering standards, tooling design guidelines, and documentation practices
• Ensure tooling solutions support safety, quality, manufacturability, maintainability, cost, and production requirements
• Partner closely with product engineering and manufacturing engineering to support Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA).
• Provide hands-on technical support, including tool, die, gauge, and fixture design, when appropriate based on departmental priorities

New Product Development and Project Management

• Lead tool & die and tool design activities supporting new product development, product launches, safety initiatives, quality improvements, and manufacturing projects
• Coordinate tooling requirements, schedules, resources, and priorities to support successful project execution
• Manage multiple tooling and engineering projects simultaneously, including internally built and externally sourced tooling
• Monitor project schedules, costs, risks, and performance to ensure projects are completed on time and within established requirements
• Partner with Advanced Manufacturing, Engineering, Operations, and other stakeholders to ensure tooling readiness for product and process launches

Strategic and Operational Responsibilities

• Identify and evaluate new manufacturing technologies, automation opportunities, tooling methods, and equipment improvements
• Identify and develop cost justification for capital improvements within tool design and tool & die
• Develop business cases for tooling investments, automation projects, equipment, and other capital expenditures
• Support annual capital planning and departmental budget development.
• Prioritize tooling and engineering resources based on new product launches, operational needs, productivity opportunities, and business priorities
• Monitor departmental performance and identify opportunities to improve capacity, workflow, responsiveness, and cost

Continuous Improvement

• Lead tooling cost-reduction, quality-improvement, productivity, and reliability initiatives
• Identify opportunities to reduce manual data entry and improve the use of electronic systems and data
• Analyze tooling performance and lifecycle information to improve reliability, tool life, uptime, and overall manufacturing performance
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators related to tooling project execution, budget performance, tool life, downtime reduction and manufacturing productivity
• Apply Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement principles throughout tooling and engineering activities

THE QUALIFICATIONS...

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field, with 5–7+ years of progressively responsible experience in tooling, manufacturing, or product engineering; or Associate degree in Mechanical Design or a related technical field, with 7–10 years of relevant experience, including tool design and demonstrated experience leading tooling personnel
• Experience leading tooling engineering, tool & die, or product development teams
• Strong technical background in stamping, welding, machining, fixture design, automation, and manufacturing systems
• Experience managing capital equipment and tooling projects
• Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement experience
• Experience supporting new product development and production launches

Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without requiring sponsorship now or in the future.

Since 1933, the AriensCo name has been associated with reliable, durably crafted, high-performance outdoor power equipment. Our core values – Be Honest, Be Fair, Respect the Individual, Keep our Commitments, and Encourage Intellectual Curiosity define our culture and inspire our team. We believe passionate people and astounded customers lead to unstoppable success.
 
Our employees’ quality of life is important to us. When people feel appreciated, respected and supported, careers thrive and ideas come to fruition.  AriensCo employees are provided various great benefit opportunities which may include: 

• Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance effective first day of employment

• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) plan

• 401(k) match and profit-sharing plans

• Life Insurance

• Health Savings Accounts (HSA)

• Short Term Disability

• Parental Leave

• Onsite Marketplace Care Partners at all locations

• Paid holidays

• Employee Assistance Program

• Tuition Reimbursement and Apprenticeship Programs

• Safety shoes and safety prescription glasses reimbursement

• Employee Product Purchase Program

• 50% Daycare discount **Brillion Early Learning Center

• 10% tuition discount at KinderCare Learning Centers nationwide **Excludes Brillion Early Learning Center

• Onsite health clinic with Bellin Health **Brillion Campus Only

• Nearsite & Urgent Care Clinic Options **Brillion Campus Only

The concept of diversity is important to us at AriensCo. That’s why we’ve created a culture that is inclusive, accepting and understanding. We embrace diversity among our partners, suppliers and employees. We also strive for diversity in the quality of our ideas. Inclusion and acceptance means that, regardless of who you are, you will always be standing on our welcome mat. 

AriensCo is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and steadfastly committed to hiring and selecting the most qualified candidate for any open position. It is the policy of AriensCo to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information. 

Providing our employees with an environment free of discrimination and harassment is something we take very seriously. Embracing diversity enables us to attract the best qualified talent, foster productive teamwork, and expand our business opportunities.