Tooling Manager

POSITION PURPOSE/MISSION:

Lead and direct multi-site tooling operations across the Shawano and Bonduel, Wisconsin locations. This role is primarily responsible for creating and maintaining tooling, patterns, and core boxes in a green sand foundry environment. The Tooling Manager will guide a team of internal Pattern Makers and assigned production employees to ensure our tooling is properly prepared for new product launches, meets customer requirements, adheres to production schedules, and supports long-term operational needs.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s Degree in a technical discipline or equivalent experience.
• 7+ years of experience in a heavy manufacturing, foundry, tooling, machining, pattern making, or related manufacturing environment.
• 3+ years of supervisory/leadership experience in a manufacturing, foundry, tooling, machining, or pattern-making environment.
• Experience managing or leading a pattern shop, tool and die operation, or a similar skilled trades environment.
• Demonstrated knowledge of green sand foundry operations, including pattern creation, pattern maintenance, core boxes, gating, rigging, molding lines, and tooling requirements.
• Experience with CAD, CAM, CNC equipment, tooling design software, or computerized maintenance/work order systems.
• Demonstrated experience in cost reduction through process improvements, Continuous Improvement techniques, tooling reliability improvements, and project management.
• Ability to read and interpret blueprints, drawings, specifications, work instructions, and customer requirements.
• Knowledge of precision measurement instruments, machining equipment, power tools, hand tools, and tooling repair methods.
• Ability to evaluate tooling condition, prioritize repair and maintenance needs, and determine appropriate corrective actions.
• Demonstrated experience in fostering a culture of teamwork, including cross-functional teams, to coach, motivate, lead, and develop direct reports.
• Proficient in the basic features of Microsoft Office products.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• 10+ years of experience in a heavy manufacturing, foundry, tooling, machining, pattern making, or related manufacturing environment.
• 5+ years of supervisory/leadership experience in a manufacturing, foundry, tooling, machining, or pattern-making environment.
• Experience working in a green sand iron foundry environment.
• Experience managing pattern shops, tooling departments, machining areas, or skilled trades employees.
• Experience coordinating outsourced tooling, pattern construction, pattern repair, or vendor-performed tooling work.
• Experience in an organization with ISO/Quality System Requirements.

MAJOR ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Lead multi-site tooling operations across the Shawano and Bonduel locations.
• Direct an organized and systematic approach to the tooling needs of the plant by managing staffing, equipment, tooling priorities, training needs, tooling capacity and capability, pattern readiness, and tooling maintenance.
• Work directly with internal teams such as New Product Development, Commercial, Operations, Safety, and Quality, as well as external vendors and customers to define tooling requirements.
• Lead tooling operations for the green sand foundry environment via pattern creation, pattern modification, pattern repair, core box readiness, gating, mounting, rigging, outsourced tooling, and tooling maintenance activities.
• Supervise Pattern Makers and Production Shift Supervisors by providing operational direction, assigning priorities, monitoring performance, developing employees, and ensuring work is completed according to safety, quality, customer, and production requirements.
• Participate in developing and managing the tooling operation budget including materials, outsourced tooling, repair costs, supplies, and tooling-related capital needs.
• Ensure patterns, core boxes, gating, and related tooling comply with quality, customer, production, and dimensional requirements.
• Coordinate with production, quality, engineering, maintenance, scheduling, safety, and external vendors to resolve tooling-related issues and support production schedules.
• Review blueprints, drawings, specifications, customer requirements, and work instructions to ensure tooling is created, modified, repaired, and maintained to exact requirements.
• Follow Environmental, Quality and Safety Management System procedures and requirements.
• Ability to meet the essential job requirements, with or without reasonable accommodation, as outlined in the job description.

RESPONSIBILITIES FOR SUPERVISION:

• Production Shift Supervisors
• Pattern Makers
• Forklift Operators
• CDL Driver & Technicians

ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS:

• Reports to: Plant Manager
• Primary internal customers: Production, Quality, Engineering, Maintenance, Safety, Human Resources, New Product Development, Commercial, Plant Leadership.
• Primary external customers: Tooling vendors, pattern suppliers, equipment suppliers, and customers as required by the business.

POSITION CHALLENGES:

• Responding to changing customer, production, and tooling requirements.
• Balancing urgent production needs with preventive maintenance, new tooling creation, pattern repair, outsourced tooling coordination, and long-term continuous improvement initiatives.
• Coordinating tooling priorities between locations to support customer demand, new product launches, production schedules, and long-term operational needs.

This position may include access to controlled information or technology under U.S. export control laws.  Employment may be contingent on either the applicant verifying that the applicant falls under the “U.S. Person” definition (including U.S. citizens, U.S. lawful permanent residents, and those granted U.S. asylum or refugee status) or the employer timely obtaining any necessary export license under federal law. The employer evaluates export licensing on a case-by-case basis and may decline to proceed with a job applicant in its sole discretion, as export license applications can take many weeks to process.   

We offer comprehensive health, dental, and vision benefits, along with a 401(k) plan that includes employer matching and profit sharing. Additionally, we offer company-paid life insurance, disability coverage, and paid time off (PTO).