Tool Design & Development Engineer - Vulcanization Tooling

VAT Vakuumventile AG; Haag; On-site; CHF 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

VAT Vakuumventile AG in Haag, St. Gallen, CH is seeking an experienced professional to design and develop vulcanization tools and fixtures.

You will create CAD models, drawings, BOMs, and documentation, while driving tooling improvements to enhance quality, stability, and cost efficiency across manufacturing operations. The role requires several years of tool design experience, strong CAD skills (TopSolid 7 preferred), and fluency in German and English, with a structured, proactive work style

Qualifications

• Completed technical vocational training as a Design Engineer, Polymechanic, Toolmaker, or a comparable technical discipline.
• German and English skills written and spoken.
• Further education in Mechanical Engineering or related fields is advantageous.
• Several years of experience designing tools, fixtures, or manufacturing equipment, preferably in plastics, elastomer, or vulcanization technology.
• Strong CAD proficiency, ideally TopSolid 7, and understanding of manufacturing processes and production operations.
• Independent, structured, solution-oriented work style with high initiative and quality awareness.
• Strong interpersonal and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop vulcanization tools, fixtures, and technical solutions for manufacturing operations.
• Optimize tooling concepts to improve quality, stability, and cost efficiency.
• Create and maintain CAD models, drawings, BOMs, and technical documentation.
• Independently manage design projects while meeting quality, cost, and timeline objectives.
• Support NPI and industrialization projects through serial production.
• Analyze manufacturing processes and implement improvements to productivity and reliability.
• Ensure compliance with quality, safety, and engineering standards.
• Collaborate with Production, NPI, Process Engineering, Product Development, Quality Assurance, and external partners.
• Contribute to standardization of tooling concepts and best-practice implementations.

Skills

Tool design

CAD proficiency

Mechatronics awareness

Drilling into plastics/ vulcanization

German language

English language

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Design Engineer training or equivalent

HF Mechanical Engineering Technician (advantage)

Tool design/Manufacturing education

Tools

TopSolid 7

MS Office

ERP systems

Job description

Location:

Haag, St. Gallen, CH

Employment Type: Permanent

About VAT Group

At VAT, we change the world with vacuum solutions. As the world’s leading supplier of high-performance vacuum valves, we have been driving innovation for more than 60 years. With over 3,200 employees worldwide, we operate from our headquarters in Haag, Switzerland, with manufacturing sites in Switzerland, Malaysia and Romania, as well as sales and service hubs around the world. We are guided by our passions: integrity, teamwork, customer centricity, and innovation – always working together as #oneVAT.

Joining us means becoming part of a passionate, international team where your voice is heard, your ideas matter, and your career growth is supported.

Purpose of the Role

This role is responsible for the design, development, and continuous improvement of vulcanization tooling, fixtures, and technical production solutions. By delivering innovative and robust tooling concepts, the position plays a key role in supporting new product industrialization, enhancing manufacturing efficiency, and ensuring product quality, process stability, and operational excellence.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop vulcanization tools, fixtures, and technical solutions for manufacturing operations.
• Optimize existing tooling concepts to improve quality, process stability, and cost efficiency.
• Create and maintain CAD models, manufacturing drawings, bills of materials (BOMs), and technical documentation.
• Independently manage design and development projects while meeting quality, cost, and timeline objectives.
• Support New Product Introduction (NPI) and industrialization projects through to successful serial production.
• Analyze manufacturing processes and implement technical improvements to enhance productivity, quality, and process reliability.
• Ensure compliance with quality, safety, and engineering standards.
• Collaborate closely with Production, NPI, Process Engineering, Product Development, Quality Assurance, and external partners.
• Contribute to the standardization of tooling concepts and the implementation of best-practice solutions.

Qualifications

• Completed technical vocational training as a Design Engineer, Polymechanic, Toolmaker, or a comparable technical discipline.
• Good written and spoken German and English skills.
• Further education as a Mechanical Engineering Technician (HF), Tool Design Technician, Plastics Engineering Technician, or equivalent is advantageous.
• Several years of experience in the design of tools, fixtures, or manufacturing equipment, ideally within plastics, elastomer, or vulcanization technology.
• Strong proficiency with CAD systems, preferably TopSolid 7.
• Solid understanding of manufacturing processes, industrialization, and production operations.
• Proficiency in MS Office applications and ERP systems.
• Independent, structured, and solution-oriented working style with a high level of initiative and quality awareness.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across functions.

Our commitment to inclusion, fairness and equal opportunities

We believe in meaningful careers, continuous learning, and equal opportunities for everyone to drive our innovation and success. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and are dedicated to fostering an inclusive and respectful workplace. If you have concerns, our compliance channel is available at our website. All reports are handled with strict confidentiality and in accordance with our Code of Conduct .