Tooling Engineer

April Quest; Portsmouth; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

April Quest is seeking an experienced Tooling Engineer to join our established engineering and manufacturing business. You will develop and implement a 1–5 year tooling strategy, ensuring tooling meets quality, capacity and operational standards.

You will oversee tooling validation, maintenance planning and continuous improvement with travel up to 40%. The role involves collaboration across Engineering, Quality, Production and Supply Chain to maximise tooling reliability and efficiency.

Qualifications

• Strong technical experience in injection mould tooling and/or metal stamping and press tooling.
• Experience working with external tooling suppliers, conducting technical assessments, tooling trials and supporting supplier development.
• Good understanding of tooling lifecycle management, including condition assessments, preventive maintenance, refurbishment and replacement planning.
• Experience managing tooling projects from initial development through validation and production readiness.
• Knowledge of tooling validation and quality approval processes, including PPAP, FAI and capability studies.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and utilise 2D/3D CAD models.
• Strong understanding of tooling materials, wear mechanisms, manufacturing processes and tooling performance optimisation.
• Experience identifying and resolving technical issues through root cause analysis and structured problem‑solving.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work effectively across Engineering, Quality, Production and Supply Chain functions.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally to visit suppliers, potentially up to 40% of the time.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a 1–5 year tooling strategy.
• Oversee tooling validation, technical assessments and supplier development.
• Plan and manage tooling maintenance, refurbishment and replacement.
• Lead tooling projects from development through production readiness.
• Support investment decisions to maximise tooling reliability and efficiency.
• Collaborate with Supply Chain, Engineering, Production and external suppliers.
• Travel domestically and internationally up to 40% to visit suppliers.

Skills

Injection mould tooling

Tooling lifecycle management

Supplier development

Root cause analysis

Stakeholder management

Project management

Manufacturing processes

Technical problem solving

Communication across functions

Travel readiness

Tools

2D/3D CAD

Job description

A global leader in high quality, high volume safety‑critical electro‑mechanical products that are present in over 100 countries and looking for a Product Manager to join their strategic and technical product management team.

Info about what the Tooling Engineer role entails

An exciting opportunity for an experienced Tooling Engineer to join an established engineering and manufacturing business, taking responsibility for tooling performance, supplier capability and long‑term tooling optimisation across a diverse supply chain.

You will play a key role in developing and implementing a 1–5 year tooling strategy, ensuring tooling meets the required quality, capacity and operational standards. Working closely with Supply Chain, Engineering, Production and external suppliers, you will oversee tooling validation, technical assessments, maintenance planning and continuous improvement initiatives.

The position offers a varied mix of hands‑on technical engineering, supplier development and strategic planning, with opportunities for domestic and international travel. You will be instrumental in identifying tooling risks, improving supplier performance and supporting investment decisions to maximise tooling reliability and operational efficiency.

Essential Requirements of the Tooling Engineer

• Strong technical experience in injection mould tooling and/or metal stamping and press tooling, including design, manufacture, maintenance and validation.
• Experience working with external tooling suppliers, conducting technical assessments, tooling trials and supporting supplier development.
• Good understanding of tooling lifecycle management, including condition assessments, preventive maintenance, refurbishment and replacement planning.
• Experience managing tooling projects from initial development through validation and production readiness.
• Knowledge of tooling validation and quality approval processes, including PPAP, FAI and capability studies.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and utilise 2D/3D CAD models.
• Strong understanding of tooling materials, wear mechanisms, manufacturing processes and tooling performance optimisation.
• Experience identifying and resolving technical issues through root cause analysis and structured problem‑solving.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work effectively across Engineering, Quality, Production and Supply Chain functions.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally to visit suppliers, potentially up to 40% of the time.

Desirable Requirements of the Tooling Engineer

ce working across multi‑commodity manufacturing environments, including injection mouldings, press metalwork, PCBs, components and fasteners.

• Experience developing long‑term tooling strategies, including tooling investment, refurbishment and obsolescence planning.
• Knowledge of ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 management systems.
• Experience conducting formal supplier quality audits and supporting supplier performance improvement initiatives.
• Familiarity with material control documentation (MCD), engineering change control and technical approval processes.
• Experience using structured problem‑solving methodologies such as 8D, 5 Why and Fishbone analysis.
• Experience identifying tooling cost reductions, improving production efficiency and extending tooling life.