Tool and Fixture Designer I

AeroVironment, Inc.; West Valley City (UT); On-site; USD 61,000 - 93,000; Full time

Job summary

AeroVironment, Inc. in Utah is seeking a Tool & Fixture Designer I to provide complete engineering design services for production tooling and fixtures used in the manufacture of small unmanned aerial vehicles.

You will design and manage assembly fixtures, molds, hand tools, ensure calibration traceability, and contribute to GD&T compliant drawings per ASME Y14.5.0 and related standards. This role offers hands-on development in a fast-paced aerospace environment with opportunities to mentor

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Electrical design or equivalent
• 0-2 years of relevant experience with bachelors; 1+ years hands-on in tool/electrical fixture design
• Ability to calculate material weights and perform stress/pressure analysis during design
• CAD software certification
• Strong computer skills including Excel and Word
• Experience using computerized MRP/ERP systems

Responsibilities

• Designs, develops, implements, monitors, orders and distributes tooling including assembly fixtures, fabrication fixtures, molds, hand tools and equipment
• Ensure all tooling and items requiring calibration are identified and accounted for within and outside of the facility
• Liaison to the Property Management group
• Perform inspection of tools and equipment for wear, defects, or damage
• Documents/releases assembly & fabrication drawings per GD&T and ASME Y14.5 and related standards

Skills

Tool design

Fixture design

GD&T

CAD

ASME Y14.5

MRP/ERP

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Electrical design

Tools

MS Excel

MS Word

CAD software certification

Job description

Worker Type Regular Job Description Summary

The Tool & Fixture Designer I provides complete engineering designing services of tools and equipment used in production line assembly and fabrication of composite components for the manufacture of Small Unmanned Air Vehicles.

Position Responsibilities

• Designs, develops, implements, monitors, orders and distributes tooling including assembly fixtures, fabrication fixtures, molds, hand tools and equipment
• Ensure all tooling and items requiring calibration are identified and accounted for within and outside of the facility.
• Liaison to the Property Management group
• Perform inspection of tools and equipment for wear, defects, or damage
• Responsible for the Engineering tool inventory cage
• Documents/releases assembly & fabrication drawings per GD&T and industry standard drafting practices in compliance with ASME Y14.5 & Y14.100
• Provides technical expertise in mechanical & composite manufacturing processes, assembly processes
• Provides input to machine shop for tool path generation programming for machining of tools, fixtures, molds
• Supports tooling activities in areas of airframe design, structural analysis, suppliers, manufacturing, production, quality assurance, testing and tool fabrication
• Ergonomic considerations in design to ensure safe, effective, and improved productivity in use of tools
• Respond to audits on the conformance to established practices for all tools and fixtures, document findings, develop and deploy necessary corrective actions
• Create metrics for the tooling system and maintain version control over all tools and fixtures
• Resolves a wide range of issues in creative ways, receiving little instruction on day-to-day work
• Provide guidance to junior level associates
• Other duties as assigned

Basic Qualifications (Required Skills & Experience)

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Electrical design is required or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience
• Minimum of 0-2 years of relevant experience with bachelors 1+ years of hands-on experience in tool, electrical fixture design with proven results, in lieu of Bachelor's degree
• Ability to calculate material weights, perform stress and pressure analysis of tooling in design phase
• CAD software certification
• Strong computer skills are required, including proficiency in Excel and Word
• Experience using computerized MRP/ERP systems

Other Qualifications & Desired Competencies

• Manage tasks and projects effectively
• Implement cost effective designs and fabrication of tooling
• Uses professional concepts and company objectives to resolve complex issues in creative and effective ways
• Able to excel in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment, where small teams share a broad variety of duties
• Displays strong initiative and drive to accomplish goals and meet company objectives
• Takes ownership and responsibility for current and past work products
• Is committed to learning from mistakes and driven to improve and enhance performance of oneself, others, and the company
• Has effective problem-solving, analytical, interpersonal and communication skills. Demonstrates teamwork, collaboration and puts the success of the team above one's own interests
• Lean/Six Sigma manufacturing tools implementation is desired
• Familiarity with electromechanical manufacturing is desired
• Experience in Test and Calibration equipment software and hardware is preferred
• Strong analytical skills and effective communication skills
• Strong organizational skills with attention to detail and ability to multi-task

Physical Demands

• Ability to work in an office and manufacturing environment (Constant)
• Required to sit and stand for long periods; talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone keyboard (Frequent)
• Training Travel Requirement This position requires initial travel to Simi Valley, CA for training. Travel, lodging, meals, and ground transportation will be provided.
• Special Requirements: U.S. Citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident (Green Card holder) or asylee/refugee status as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) required. Occasionally may be required to travel within the Continental U.S.
• Clearance Level No Clearance

Salary

The salary range for this role is: $60,500 - $92,500

AeroVironment considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the location, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, and key skills.

ITAR Requirement

This position requires access to information that is subject to compliance with the International Traffic Arms Regulations (“ITAR”) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”). In order to comply with the requirements of the ITAR and/or the EAR, applicants must qualify as a U.S. person under the ITAR and the EAR, or a person to be approved for an export license by the governing agency whose technology comes under its jurisdiction. Please understand that any job offer that requires approval of an export license will be conditional on AeroVironment’s determination that it will be able to obtain an export license in a time frame consistent with AeroVironment’s business requirements. A “U.S. person” according to the ITAR definition is a U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or protected individual such as a refugee or asylee. See 22 CFR § 120.15. Some positions will require current U.S. Citizenship due to contract requirements.

Benefits

AV offers an excellent benefits package including medical, dental vision, 401K with company matching, a 9/80 work schedule and a paid holiday shutdown.

For more information about our company benefit offerings please visit: http://www.avinc.com/myavbenefits.

We also encourage you to review our company website at http://www.avinc.com to learn more about us.

About AV

AV isn’t for everyone. We hire the curious, the relentless, the mission‑obsessed. The best of the best. We don’t just build defense technology—we redefine what’s possible. As the premier autonomous systems company in the U.S., AV delivers breakthrough capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. From AI-powered drones and loitering munitions to integrated autonomy and space resilience, our technologies shape the future of warfare and protect those who serve. Founded by legendary innovator Dr. Paul MacCready, AV has spent over 50 years pushing the boundaries of what unmanned systems can do. Our heritage includes seven platforms in the Smithsonian—but we’re not building history, we’re building what’s next. If you're ready to build technology that matters—with speed, scale, and purpose—there’s no better place to do it than AV.

We are proud to be an EEO/AA Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/veterans. AeroVironment, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and welcomes all qualified applicants. Qualified applicants will receive fair and impartial consideration without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic data, sexual orientation, gender identity or other legally protected status.

ITAR U.S. Citizenship required

AV isn’t for everyone. We hire the curious, the relentless, the mission‑obsessed. The best of the best. We don’t just build defense technology—we redefine what’s possible. As the premier autonomous systems company in the U.S., AV delivers breakthrough capabilities across air, land, sea, space, and cyber. From AI-powered drones and loitering munitions to integrated autonomy and space resilience, our technologies shape the future of warfare and protect those who serve. Founded by legendary innovator Dr. Paul MacCready, AV has spent over 50 years pushing the boundaries of what unmanned systems can do. Our heritage includes seven platforms in the Smithsonian—but we’re not building history, we’re building what’s next. If you're ready to build technology that matters—with speed, scale, and purpose—there’s no better place to do it than AV.

Career Opportunities

Careers at AeroVironment