Toolmaker

HR GO Recruitment; Kempston; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

HRGO Recruitment is seeking an experienced Toolmaker in Kempston, Bedfordshire to design, build, maintain and repair moulds and tooling for foam products. The role is permanent and full-time, with standard Monday-Thursday hours and a Friday half-day.

You will work from engineering drawings, use mills and lathes, and ensure safety and quality in a hands-on toolroom environment. The successful candidate will have proven toolmaking experience, strong fault-finding skills and the potential to

Qualifications

• Proven Toolmaker / Toolroom / Precision Engineering background.
• Ability to read and interpret technical drawings.
• Strong practical problem-solving and fault-finding skills.

Responsibilities

• Build, modify, maintain and repair moulds and tooling used for foam production.
• Work from engineering drawings/specs and produce tooling to required tolerances.
• Fault-find tooling-related production issues and implement effective fixes.
• Carry out tooling modifications to improve quality, repeatability and efficiency.
• Support production trials / new tooling introduction with Production & Engineering.
• Use machining processes as required (manual and/or CNC), including mills and lathes.
• Maintain safe working practices and good workshop standards.

Skills

Toolmaking

Read drawings

Fault finding

CNC machining

Milling

Turning

Leadership potential

Tools

Mills

Lathes

Job description

Toolmaker

Job Reference: FJ-f8w5v

Manufacturing and Production Kempston, Bedfordshire £35000 - £38000 per annum Permanent

Toolmaker (Foam Mould Tooling)

Location: Kempston, Bedford (MK42)

Salary: circa £35,000-£38,000 per annum (DOE)

Job Type: Permanent, Full-time

Hours: Monday-Thursday 07:00-16:00 | Friday 07:00-13:00 (40 hours/week)

The role

We're recruiting an experienced Toolmaker to design, build, maintain and repair moulds and tooling used to produce moulded foam products (e.g., seating, packaging/inserts, insulation, automotive components and protective pieces).

This is a hands‑on toolroom role with a genuine long‑term opportunity: the successful candidate may progress to Machine Shop Manager in the next couple of years due to planned retirement/succession.

Key responsibilities

• Build, modify, maintain and repair moulds and tooling used for foam production
• Work from engineering drawings/specs and produce tooling to required tolerances
• Fault‑find tooling‑related production issues and implement effective fixes
• Carry out tooling modifications to improve quality, repeatability and efficiency
• Support production trials / new tooling introduction with Production & Engineering
• Use machining processes as required (manual and/or CNC), including mills and lathes
• Maintain safe working practices and good workshop standards

Essential experience

• Proven Toolmaker / Toolroom / Precision Engineering background
• Ability to read and interpret technical drawings
• Strong practical problem‑solving and fault‑finding skills

Desirable

• CNC machining experience
• Milling and turning (lathe) experience
• Leadership potential (future supervisory/management pathway)

HRGO Recruitment offers permanent and temporary jobs across the UK. You must have current UK right to work to be considered. We aim to respond to all applications. HRGO is an equal opportunities employer.

Contact us:

• Email:[e-mail]
• Call:01233 722 401