Tooling Design Engineer - Aluminum Casting

ACTalent; Pleasant Valley Township (IA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

401(k) with match

EAP

Disability Insurance

Life Insurance

Profit-sharing

Job summary

Actalent is seeking a Design Engineer to support aluminum casting and machining by designing permanent molds, foundry patterns, and production tooling. You will take projects from concept through production launch, creating detailed 3D models, drawings, and documentation, and collaborating with cross-functional teams on the shop floor.

The role emphasizes practical manufacturability, GD&T, and design for manufacturing.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience with 3D CAD modeling and mechanical design using Solidworks.
• Experience designing tooling, fixtures, molds, or similar manufacturing equipment.
• Ability to read, create, and develop engineering drawings with strong knowledge of GD&T.
• Practical understanding of how parts and tooling are manufactured within a production environment.
• Strong troubleshooting skills and comfort working directly on the manufacturing floor.
• Solid foundation in mechanical design and design for manufacturing principles.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with foundry, machining, quality, and production teams.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to produce accurate, production‑ready documentation.

Responsibilities

• Design and modify permanent molds, foundry patterns, machining fixtures, and production tooling to support aluminum casting and machining operations.
• Create accurate 3D models, detailed drawings, and supporting documentation, taking projects from concept through production launch.
• Collaborate directly with foundry, machining, quality, and production teams to troubleshoot tooling, casting, and dimensional issues on the manufacturing floor.
• Improve existing tooling to enhance quality, repeatability, productivity, and tool life, while supporting new product launches and cost-reduction initiatives.
• Apply design for manufacturing principles to ensure that parts and tooling are practical, manufacturable, and aligned with production capabilities.
• Use GD&T and tolerance analysis to develop and interpret engineering drawings that ensure dimensional accuracy and functional performance.
• Support continuous improvement activities by identifying opportunities to optimize tooling designs and manufacturing processes.
• Provide technical input and hands‑on support during tooling build, tryout, and production ramp‑up.
• Maintain organized design files, revision histories, and documentation to support traceability and effective communication with production teams.

Skills

3D CAD Modeling

Tooling Design

GD&T & Tolerancing

Manufacturing Knowledge

Documentation & Drawings

Cross-functional Collaboration

Education

ME/Engineering Degree

Tools

SolidWorks

Job description

Actalent is seeking a Design Engineer to support aluminum casting and machining by designing permanent molds, foundry patterns, and production tooling. You will take projects from concept through production launch, creating detailed 3D models, drawings, and documentation, and collaborating with cross-functional teams on the shop floor.

The role emphasizes practical manufacturability, GD&T, and design for manufacturing.