Director, Advanced Tooling, Advanced Manufacturing & Automation

CSP Innovations, Inc.; Auburn Hills (MI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

CSP Innovations, Inc. is seeking a senior leader to establish and govern the enterprise-wide standards framework for the Advanced Tooling and Automation department, guiding SOPs, tooling quotes, and cost protocols across sites.

You will drive design and development of tooling for composite molds and automation systems, lead Industry 4.0 initiatives, manage CapEx budgets, and partner with Quality, Finance, and IT to ensure compliant, cost-efficient production readiness.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Industrial, Manufacturing, or Electrical Engineering required; or equivalent work experience.
• 10+ years in tooling design, advanced manufacturing, automation, or industrial engineering; 5+ years in a leadership role.
• Experience developing standards, SOPs, and governance frameworks across multi-site enterprises.
• Experience managing capital budgets and evaluating ROI on equipment/automation investments.
• Experience with controls platforms (e.g., Allen-Bradley/Rockwell, Siemens).

Responsibilities

• Establish and own enterprise standards and SOPs for the department.
• Lead tooling design, development, and validation for composite molds and automation.
• Oversee automation projects from concept through production launch.
• Manage capital budgets, ROI analysis, and supplier performance.
• Define KPIs and report program readiness to leadership.

Skills

Tooling design

Robotics

Automation integration

Controls architecture

Vendor management

Cost analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Industrial, Manufacturing, or Electrical Engineering

Tools

Allen-Bradley

Siemens

Job description

1. Department Standards & Governance

Establish and own the enterprise-wide standards framework for the Advanced Tooling and Automation department, including equipment standards, design standards, build standards, and maintenance standards. Develop, document, and enforce Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all core department functions, including: Tooling quote scope-of-work development Tooling lineup planning and structuring Cost breakdown methodology and templates Vendor selection and evaluation criteria Tooling and equipment acceptance/runoff criteria Create and maintain a performance governance model — defining how standards are audited, how compliance is measured, and how deviations are escalated and corrected. Serve as the final authority on tooling and equipment standards across all sites, ensuring consistency, cost control, and quality.

2. Tooling Quoting & Cost Standards

Define the standard format and process for tooling quote scope of work, ensuring quotes are complete, comparable across suppliers, and aligned to program requirements. Establish standardized tooling lineup structures (e.g., mold sets, fixtures, secondary equipment, automation cells) for consistent program planning. Develop standardized cost breakdown structures (material, labor, engineering, controls, freight, contingency, etc.) to improve quote accuracy, cost transparency, and negotiation leverage. Own the RFQ process for tooling and capital equipment, ensuring apples-to-apples supplier comparisons.

3. Advanced Tooling Design & Development

Lead design, development, and validation of advanced tooling for composite molds, secondary equipment, and automation systems. Oversee tooling readiness for new program launches, ensuring durability, repeatability, and on-time delivery. Drive innovation into the tooling portfolio — evaluating new materials, processes, and design methodologies (e.g., additive manufacturing, simulation-driven design, modular/reconfigurable tooling) to improve cost, speed, and performance.

4. Advanced Manufacturing & Automation Development

Develop and implement advanced manufacturing technologies, including automation, robotics, predictive maintenance, and Industry 4.0 tools. Lead automation development end-to-end: concept, business case, design, integration, validation, and scale-up to full production. Validate new processes and automated systems through pilot lines, ensuring scalability and reliability prior to full deployment. Identify and prioritize automation opportunities based on labor efficiency, ergonomics, throughput, and ROI.

5. Controls Standardization

Establish enterprise-wide controls standards (PLC platforms, HMI design, safety architecture, network/communication protocols, naming conventions, documentation standards) to ensure consistency, maintainability, and reduced spare-parts complexity across sites. Partner with controls engineering and IT/OT teams to ensure new automation and tooling projects comply with controls standards from concept through commissioning. Drive standardization of controls documentation, change management, and cybersecurity practices across all automated systems.

6. Supplier & Vendor Management

Partner with suppliers to deliver best-in-class tooling and automation solutions within budget and timing requirements. Develop and administer a formal vendor evaluation program — scoring suppliers on quality, cost, delivery, engineering capability, and responsiveness — to guide sourcing decisions and build a preferred supplier base. Lead supplier performance reviews and drive corrective action when standards are not met.

7. Continuous Improvement & Manufacturing Standards

Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on throughput, scrap reduction, labor efficiency, and ergonomics. Define and deploy enterprise standards for manufacturing layouts, material flow, ergonomics, and process optimization. Benchmark industry trends and emerging technologies to keep the enterprise at the forefront of composite manufacturing and automation.

8. Cross-Functional Partnership

Work closely with Product Development, Facilities, and Asset Management to align tooling and equipment strategy with long-term business objectives. Partner with Finance to validate ROI and payback for capital equipment, tooling, and process investments. Collaborate with Quality to ensure advanced manufacturing processes meet customer standards and regulatory requirements.

9. Financial & Program Management

Manage budgets for tooling, equipment, and process engineering, including capital expenditures (CapEx). Track project spend against budget and forecast, and report variances to leadership.

10. Performance Metrics & Reporting

Define and monitor department and program KPIs, including: Tooling readiness (on-time, first-pass acceptance) Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) Scrap and quality escape reduction ROI on capital projects Vendor performance scores Controls standardization compliance Report regularly to executive leadership on program readiness, risks, and performance against standards.

11. Team Leadership & Personnel Management

Build, lead, and develop the Advanced Tooling and Automation team, setting clear expectations and standards for individual performance. Conduct structured personnel evaluations, including performance reviews, development planning, and succession planning for key roles. Coach and mentor engineers and program leads to build technical depth in tooling, automation, and controls. Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement within the department.

Qualifications

Education Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Industrial, Manufacturing, or Electrical Engineering required; or equivalent work experience. Experience 10+ years of progressive experience in tooling design, advanced manufacturing, automation, or industrial engineering, including 5+ years in a leadership role. Proven track record of leading tooling and automation programs from concept through production launch. Experience with composite manufacturing tooling strongly preferred. Demonstrated experience developing standards, SOPs, and governance frameworks at an enterprise or multi-site level. Experience managing capital budgets and evaluating ROI on equipment/automation investments. Experience with controls platforms (e.g., Allen-Bradley/Rockwell, Siemens) and Industry 4.0/data integration tools preferred. Skills & Competencies Strong technical knowledge of tooling design, robotics, automation integration, and controls architecture. Skilled in supplier negotiation, vendor management, and cost analysis. Strong leadership, coaching, and organizational development skills. Excellent communication skills, with ability to present to executive leadership. Strategic thinker with hands-on execution capability. If you enjoy innovation, and an opportunity to learn and contribute to a growing organization, CSP is the place for you! Being a CSP employee means having the opportunity to see your impact every day. Our work experience is the combination of everything that’s unique about our culture, our core values, our commitment to your success, and most importantly, our people. We are a team of self-disciplined, hardworking, curious, trustworthy and humble people who make choices according to what is best for the team. We live to collaborate and make a difference.