Toolmaker

Polypipe Limited; Doncaster; Hybrid; GBP 38,000 - 47,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Sharesave scheme

Life assurance

25 days annual leave

Matched pension contributions up to 8%

Job summary

Polypipe Building Products, part of Genuit Group, is seeking a skilled Toolmaker to maximise department productivity by maintaining and repairing tooling to high mechanical and electrical standards. You will work on moulds and extrusion tooling, perform tool changes, and support quality through accurate setups.

The role requires hands-on experience with lathes, milling machines, grinders, micrometers and inspection tools, plus the ability to read drawings and plan complex operations.

Qualifications

• Ability to understand and use conventional machines such as lathes, milling machines, surface grinders, cylindrical grinders and band saws.
• Capable of measuring and inspecting parts and reading engineering drawings.
• Metallurgical knowledge and understanding of material strength.
• Experience of preventative maintenance on production tooling.
• Familiar with high-precision tolerances using micrometers, dial indicators, height gauges and related gauges.
• Plan and lay out complex machine and bench operations for tooling, jigs and fixtures.
• Ability to work from samples, sketches or instructions to plan tooling work.
• Experience with in situ injection moulds or extrusion tooling.
• Apprentice trained toolmaker.

Responsibilities

• Maximise department productivity by ensuring tooling is maintained and repaired to high mechanical and electrical standards.
• Cover press breakdowns to minimise downtime and repair or replace worn parts to runnable state.
• Perform tool changes, insert changes and assembly of cores, shells and inserts for specific parts.
• Disassemble, strip and rebuild tooling, replacing worn parts and checking last-off samples for defects.
• Log and review tool issues (red tag) for repair where possible.
• Turn new parts like angle pins and locking blocks; assess work required to meet quality standards.
• Engage in dating and engraving pad changes; change damaged hot runner parts and rebuild tooling as needed.
• Strip, repair, polish, machine and rebuild extrusion tooling to meet production standards.

Skills

Conventional machines

Measuring & inspection

Micrometre

Dial test indicators

Height gauges

Bore micrometer

Preventive maintenance

Close tolerances

Apprentice trained toolmaker

Job description

Closing Date for Application: Monday 14/09/2026

At Polypipe Building Products, our people and values sit at the centre of everything we do. We design and manufacture plumbing, drainage, ventilation and water management solutions used in homes and buildings across the UK. Part of the Genuit Group, we combine long-term stability with a culture built on teamwork, accountability and continuous improvement. We encourage fresh ideas, invest in development and are committed to creating a safe, inclusive and supportive workplace where everyone feels like they belong.

About the role

You will be responsible for maximising the productivity of the department by ensuring that all tooling is maintained and repaired to the highest standards, both mechanically and electrically.

Your day to day

• Carrying out tool checks in accordance with the plan making sure the tool is on the correct inserts, date stamps and to a good production standard such as cavity finish and any other issues from it being stored.
• Covering press breakdowns highlighted on Mattec to minimise machine downtime. This could be breakdowns such as stuck, fittings, cavity and core polishing, seized ejection or other parts basically repairing or replacing such as an angle pin or wear plate, getting the tool to a runnable state making quality approved parts.
• Insert changes some are done prior to tool going in and some swapped in the press. This can consist of removing cores, shells and inserts to create for example a socket /spigot part.
• Tool servicing full strip down and rebuild checking the tool for worn parts. Replacing or repairing what is required and checking the last off sample that may highlight any defects.
• Red tag log tools that have any issues to review and repair were possible.
• Turning new parts such as an angle pin, core pin milling a locking block or other small tooling parts.
• Accessing a tool and the moulded or extruded fitting and deciding on what work is required to improve it if the part is not to the quality standard.
• Date and engraving pad changes.
• Change damaged or faulty hot runner parts and rebuild Water test tooling checking hydraulics and repairing cylinder seals if parts are not available arranging for this work to be captured with M&p.
• Strip, repair, polish, machine and rebuild extrusion tooling to the required production standard.

Skills & Experience we require

• Must be able to understand and use conventional machines such as lathes, milling machines, surface grinders, cylindrical grinder band saws and be competent with bench work and the use of hand grinders.
• Knowledge and ability to measure and inspect parts and read engineering drawings.
• Possess metallurgical skills, knowledge of strength of materials.
• Experience of preventative maintenance on production tooling.
• Familiar with close tolerances utilising a micrometre, dial test indicators, Height gauges bore micrometre and gauges.
• Plan and lay out a variety of complicated machine and bench operations connected with the construction, alteration, fitting, assembly, installation, maintenance and repair of all types of specialised tooling, jigs, fixtures, moulds, parts, gauges and company designated or purchased machines and equipment.
• Work from sample pieces, rough sketches, drawings or verbal instructions to plan.
• Ability to work on in situ injection moulds or extrusion tooling.
• Apprentice trained toolmaker.

What we can offer you

• Annual salary of £42,742
• Monday - Friday 3 shift rotational - Day, Afters & Nights
• 25 days of annual leave plus the bank holidays
• Matched pension contributions up to 8%
• Sharesave scheme
• Team days and events
• Life assurance

Here at the Genuit Group we recognise and develop the contribution our people make to the Group’s success and are committed to attracting talent from the widest pool. We have a role to play in making the built environment more sustainable, building a low carbon business ourselves as well as delivering sustainable solutions at scale. Here at Genuit we recognise and develop the contribution our people make to the Group’s success and are committed to attracting talent from the widest pool. Our people are central to us which is why we’re passionate about building a culture of trust and innovation. We operate a decentralised business model where each Genuit Business attracts, nurtures, and retains local talent, becoming experts in their field. It is our people who will ensure that our success is sustainable, supporting each other and being flexible and responsive to the demands of our customers and the marketplace.