Tools Design Engineer

Job Description:

Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Milford, New Hampshire (USA), Hitchiner Manufacturing Co., Inc. is the premier supplier of complete-to-print, high-volume, complex thin-wall investment castings and fully-finished casting-based subassemblies and components to industry. The company leads the industry in volume production, reduced lead-times and just-in-time manufacturing. Hitchiner produces castings in hundreds of different alloys for a broad spectrum of global markets and customers that include the leaders in the automotive, aerospace, and other industries.

We offer an enriching environment where learning and growing become part of your career. Hitchiner is dedicated to fostering the professional growth and development of our employees. We offer upward mobility and internal promotions.

Benefits:

Hitchiner offers highly competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Onsite Primary Care at the Hitchiner Health and Resource Center for convenient and no cost preventative, acute and chronic medical and behavioral health services for employees and their dependents.
• Onsite state of the art Gym/Fitness Center, open 24/7 for all employees
• Medical and Dental Insurance
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Basic and Accidental Life Insurance (company paid)
• Short-term and Long-term Disability Insurance (company paid)
• 401K (pre-tax and ROTH) with Excellent Company Match and Immediate Vesting
• Company Profit Sharing Plan
• 3 weeks’ Vacation to start; 4 weeks’ Vacation at 5 Years; 5 weeks’ Vacation at 10 years seniority
• We set you up for success with our “Center for Excellence” onsite training center for new hires and existing employees to improve new learning and continuous growth
• Training and Educational Assistance Programs

Position Summary:

The Tooling Manager will manage the design team, process tool orders in the Hitchiner enterprise system (IQMS), and ensure the timely completion of tooling designs, builds, reworks, and cleanings. By attending daily plant GEMBA and planning meetings, the Tooling Manager will prioritize organizational needs and maintain tool room equipment with a focus on safety and operational efficiency.

Major Responsibilities and Relevant Factors in Evaluating Performance:

1. Coordinate and manage the personnel of the US Operations main tool room and satellite tool room locations in the plants to support manufacturing operations.
2. Manage the design team personnel, design schedule, insource verses out source, approving and assigning PLM tool orders in the Hitchiner enterprise system IQMS.
3. Provide tooling designs, builds, rework and cleanings in support of operations in order to help meet Hitchiner customer commitments for on-time delivery.
4. Meet the needs of multiple plants by understanding the needs of the organization most critical to least critical by attending the daily plant GEMBA meetings and other planning meetings
5. Manage and maintain tool room equipment, with focus on safety. Understand equipment capacity, capabilities and constraints and add equipment and personnel as needed to meet increased demand
6. Manage the design and build PLM tool work order process in the Hitchiner enterprise system by approving and or assigning the work orders with due dates and following up to include outside vendors
7. Provide technical support for efficient troubleshooting / problem solving activities and tooling repair to maximize efficiencies and minimize downtime.
8. Align outside vendors to support tooling needs with weekly schedule follow up calls resolving technical issues timely so on time delivery is satisfied.
9. Do annual performance reviews and assign goals and objectives that align the needs of the organization and growth of the employees.
10. Maintains department costs to the budget.
11. Manages the effectiveness of the tooling department by streamlining flow, balancing insource verses outsource to include updating monthly metrics to performance.

Additional Responsibilities:

1. Performs other duties as assigned.
2. Ensures compliance with Company policies, safety standards, and good housekeeping practices.
3. Ensures that all activities and operations are performed in compliance with the Company’s Code of Conduct.

Minimum Acceptable Qualifications:

1. Candidate must have an Associate’s degree in a technical or business-related discipline and 5-7 years of related tooling experience. A Bachelor’s Degree will further enhance ability to achieve requirements.
2. Previous experience with tool design and management of outside vendors is required.
3. Previous experience working in the investment castings industry is required.
4. Previous experience working in a supervisory or management role is also required.
5. Previous experience working with design software (Solidworks) is preferred.