Manufacturing Engineer

H9 Technical; Stockport; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

H9 Technical is seeking an experienced Tooling Engineer to own supplier-based production tooling and support new product introductions. You will work closely with suppliers, engineering, quality and operations to ensure tooling delivers quality, reliability and performance across the lifecycle.

The role involves managing tooling through full lifecycle, leading introductions, conducting audits, enabling ECNs/ECRs and driving continuous improvement with ROI-focused decisions.

Qualifications

• Experience in tooling management with external suppliers.
• Knowledge of NPI tooling and DFMA concepts.
• Good understanding of Lean manufacturing and problem solving.

Responsibilities

• Manage the full lifecycle of supplier-owned production tooling.
• Lead the introduction and validation of new tooling for NPI projects.
• Collaborate with suppliers to improve tooling performance and quality.
• Conduct supplier visits, tooling reviews and technical audits.
• Support ECNs/ECRs to keep tooling production-ready.
• Drive root cause analysis and implement corrective actions for tooling issues.
• Monitor tooling performance, cycle times and quality metrics.
• Review tooling costs and support ROI-based investment decisions.
• Partner with Engineering, Quality, Procurement and Supply Chain to deliver manufacturing solutions.
• Support supplier development and continuous improvement initiatives.

Skills

Tooling Engineering

Supplier management

Problem solving

Continuous Improvement

Tools

CAD

PPAP

Job description

We're working with a leading international manufacturer that designs and produces highly engineered products for customers across a range of industrial sectors. Due to continued growth and investment, they're looking to appoint an experienced Manufacturing/Tooling Engineer to take ownership of supplier based production tooling and support the successful delivery of new product introductions.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys working closely with suppliers, driving continuous improvement and ensuring tooling is optimised throughout its entire lifecycle.

The Role

As Tooling Engineer, you'll be responsible for managing externally held production tooling, ensuring it delivers consistent quality, reliability and performance. Working closely with suppliers, engineering, quality and operations, you'll play a key role in introducing new tooling, supporting engineering changes and improving manufacturing capability.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the full lifecycle of supplier-owned production tooling.
• Lead the introduction and validation of new tooling for New Product Introduction (NPI) projects.
• Work closely with suppliers to improve tooling performance, reliability and quality.
• Conduct supplier visits, tooling reviews and technical audits.
• Support engineering change activities (ECNs/ECRs) ensuring tooling remains production-ready.
• Drive root cause analysis and implement permanent corrective actions for tooling-related issues.
• Monitor tooling performance, cycle times and quality metrics.
• Review tooling costs and support investment decisions through ROI analysis.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Quality, Procurement and Supply Chain teams to deliver robust manufacturing solutions.
• Support supplier development and continuous improvement initiatives.

About You

You'll have previous experience within a manufacturing or engineering environment and be confident managing tooling projects across external suppliers.

You'll ideally have experience with:

• Tooling Engineering or Manufacturing Engineering.
• Supplier-based production tooling.
• New Product Introduction (NPI).
• Design for Manufacture (DFM) and Design for Assembly (DFA).
• Interpreting engineering drawings and CAD models.
• Root Cause Analysis and structured problem solving.
• Supplier management and technical collaboration.
• Continuous Improvement or Lean Manufacturing methodologies.

Experience with PPAP, tooling validation, supplier audits or tooling contracts would be advantageous but isn't essential.

If you're an experienced Tooling Engineer looking to take ownership of technically challenging projects within a collaborative and forward-thinking manufacturing business, we'd love to hear from you