Aerospace Tooling Engineering Manager

SAAB; West Lafayette (IN); On-site; USD 132,000 - 171,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

Dental insurance

Paid time off

401(k) plan

Tuition assistance

Employee stock purchase plan

Disability coverage

Wellness resources

Job summary

Saab, located in West Lafayette, IN, seeks a Manager, Tooling Engineering to lead a team of engineers and technicians ensuring tooling resources for production are available and compliant. You will own tooling lifecycle—from concept through retirement—and drive a master plan aligned with programs and rate changes.

You will review tool designs for manufacturability, oversee maintenance and calibration, mentor staff, and manage tooling budgets while partnering with Manufacturing and Design

Qualifications

• BS degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related field
• 7+ years of experience in tooling design, tool room operations, or manufacturing engineering, with at least 3 years in a supervisory or management role.
• Experience in aerospace, defense, or another highly regulated manufacturing environment strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Own the full lifecycle of production tooling, fixtures, jigs, gauges, molds, and dies — from design concept through qualification, in-service use, calibration, refurbishment, and retirement.
• Develop and maintain a tooling master plan aligned to production schedules, new program launches, and rate increases.
• Establish and enforce tool control procedures, including numbering, storage, traceability, and configuration management in line with AS9100 requirements.
• Direct the design or redesign of tooling to support new part introductions, engineering changes, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Review and approve tool designs for manufacturability, ergonomics, cycle time, and compliance with engineering drawings and specifications.
• Partner with Manufacturing and Design Engineering on make/buy decisions for tooling.
• Oversee preventive maintenance, repair, and calibration programs for all production and inspection tooling.
• Ensure all tooling and gauging remain within calibration and are audit-ready for customer, FAA, and AS9100/NADCAP audits.
• Maintain accurate tooling records, including MRB dispositions, tool history files, and change logs.
• Manage, mentor, and develop tool designers, toolmakers, tool room technicians, and tool crib staff.
• Set performance goals, conduct reviews, and manage staffing levels against production demand.
• Foster a safety-first culture in the tool room consistent with OSHA and site EHS requirements.
• Contribute to a people-culture in alignment with the core Company values: Trust, Drive, Expertise and Support.
• Source, qualify, and manage relationships with external tooling vendors and machine shops.
• Negotiate cost, lead time, and quality terms for outsourced tooling builds and repairs.
• Manage the tooling capital budget, including forecasting, purchase justification, and cost tracking.
• Ensure tooling availability meets production schedules; lead root cause analysis and corrective action for tooling-related downtime or nonconformances.
• Support first article inspections (FAI/AS9102) and production part approval processes tied to tooling qualification.
• Drive continuous improvement (Lean/Six Sigma) initiatives to reduce tool changeover time, improve durability, and lower cost per part.

Skills

Tooling design

Tool room ops

Manufacturing Eng

Leadership

Vendor negotiation

Education

BS in Mechanical/Manufacturing/Industrial Eng

Tools

CATIA

SolidWorks

NX

CNC tooling

Job description

Saab, located in West Lafayette, IN, seeks a Manager, Tooling Engineering to lead a team of engineers and technicians ensuring tooling resources for production are available and compliant. You will own tooling lifecycle—from concept through retirement—and drive a master plan aligned with programs and rate changes.

You will review tool designs for manufacturability, oversee maintenance and calibration, mentor staff, and manage tooling budgets while partnering with Manufacturing and Design