Senior Sales Engineering Manager - Tooling & Launch

United Employment Group, Inc.; Dayton (OH); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

United Employment Group, Inc. is seeking a Sales Application Engineering Manager to own technical and commercial evaluation of new business opportunities from inquiry through quoting, award, and production launch.

The role acts as the primary technical liaison among customers, engineering, tooling, and manufacturing to ensure feasible, accurately estimated programs transition into production. The position requires strong technical acumen in stamping and roll forming with commercial judgment and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, or Industrial Engineering or equivalent hands-on experience in metal stamping/roll forming.
• 5+ years of experience in application engineering, quoting/estimating, or program management within a metal stamping, roll forming, or precision metal fabrication environment.
• Strong working knowledge of progressive die stamping and/or roll forming processes, tooling design principles, and press operations.
• Demonstrated experience quoting tooling and production parts, including cost modeling and pricing strategy.
• Experience managing new program launches, including APQP, PPAP, and tryout processes.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering prints, GD&T, and 3D CAD models.
• Strong communication skills interfacing with customers, engineering, and shop floor personnel.

Responsibilities

• Lead the quoting process for new tooling, production parts, and prototype/sample requests, including cost modeling for tooling design/build, press tonnage and equipment selection, material utilization, secondary operations, and piece-part pricing.
• Develop detailed cost estimates and quotes for progressive dies, transfer dies, and roll form tooling, incorporating vendor/toolroom input where applicable.
• Analyze customer RFQs, prints, and 3D models to determine part feasibility, tooling approach, and process routing.
• Prepare and present formal quotations, proposals, and program pricing summaries to customers and internal stakeholders.
• Collaborate with purchasing and operations to validate raw material, outside processing, and packaging cost inputs.
• Develop preliminary part and strip layouts, die layout concepts, and roll form pass schedules to support feasibility studies and quotes.
• Partner with tool design/engineering to refine tooling concepts, station counts, and process sequences prior to program award.
• Identify design-for-manufacturability (DFM) opportunities and communicate recommendations to customers during the quoting stage.
• Evaluate press capacity, tonnage requirements, and equipment fit against current plant capabilities.
• Serve as program/project manager for awarded new business, coordinating timelines across tool design, tool build, tryout, sampling, and PPAP.
• Lead APQP activities and ensure launch milestones are met on schedule.
• Act as the primary point of contact for customers throughout the launch process, managing expectations, timelines, and open issues.
• Coordinate cross-functionally with quality, tooling, manufacturing engineering, and production to resolve tryout and launch issues.
• Track and report program status, risks, and open action items to internal leadership and customers.
• Work directly with outside sales and account managers to support customer visits, technical discussions, and program reviews.
• Build and maintain strong technical relationships with customer engineering and purchasing contacts.
• Support new business development efforts by identifying opportunities for additional part families or program expansion within existing accounts.

Skills

Cost modeling

Quoting/estimating

Program management

Communication skills

Analytical ability

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical/Manufacturing/Industrial Engineering

Tools

AutoCAD

SolidWorks

GD&T

Job description

United Employment Group, Inc. is seeking a Sales Application Engineering Manager to own technical and commercial evaluation of new business opportunities from inquiry through quoting, award, and production launch.

The role acts as the primary technical liaison among customers, engineering, tooling, and manufacturing to ensure feasible, accurately estimated programs transition into production. The position requires strong technical acumen in stamping and roll forming with commercial judgment and