Manufacturing Engineer – Tooling & Fixtures

About the role

We’re standing up a new manufacturing facility and need a Manufacturing/Tooling Engineer to design the fixtures and workholding that make it run. You’ll own part-holding for our CNC mills and lathes from the ground up — designing, building, and qualifying the tooling that lets machinists hit tolerance and cycle time on every new part. This is a hands-on role with real design authority—your fixtures go straight onto the shop floor, and you’ll work directly with machinists and CNC programmers to solve problems as parts move from first article to production. If you want to design tooling that actually gets used the same week you build it, this is that role.

Responsibilities

• Design fixtures, jigs, and workholding for CNC milling and turning, from concept through detailed CAD models and drawings.
• Partner with machinists and CNC programmers to validate fit, rigidity, and cycle-time impact of new tooling before it goes into production.
• Specify, source, or coordinate fabrication of tooling and fixture components with outside vendors and machine shops.
• Own qualification of new fixtures and setups, including first-article inspection and fit-up on the machine.
• Maintain a tooling/fixture library and revision control so designs are documented, repeatable, and reusable across part families.
• Drive continuous improvement on part-holding methods to reduce setup time, scrap, and cycle time as production ramps.
• Support the design and layout of the new manufacturing facility from a tooling and workholding standpoint.

Requirements

• Evidence of exceptional ability (prior projects, portfolio of work, completed products, etc).
• Strong understanding of engineering fundamentals.
• Ability to perform trade studies and make clear recommendations using first principles and engineering fundamentals even with partial information.
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical or Manufacturing Engineering, or equivalent hands-on tooling/fixture design experience.
• 4+ years designing fixtures, jigs, or workholding for CNC machining, with parts you’ve designed running in production.
• Ability to work extended hours and weekends as necessary.

Skills

• Experience in a fast-paced engineering or highly technical environment, with a resourceful approach to delivering under tight timelines or budget constraints.
• Proficiency in SolidWorks or similar CAD for fixture and tooling design; GD&T fluency.
• Experience with modular workholding systems (e.g. 5th-axis vises, vacuum fixturing, quick-change tombstones).
• Direct experience supporting a new or growing CNC machine shop, including new part introduction.
• Working knowledge of CNC machining processes (milling and turning) and how fixture design affects cycle time and tolerance.
• Experience in a regulated manufacturing environment (aerospace, defense, or nuclear) is a plus.

Pay

The base salary range for this role is $130k - $195k annually. Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities, and internal equity. In addition to base salary, for full-time hires, you may also be eligible for long-term incentives in the form of stock options.

Benefits

• Medical, vision, and dental coverage.
• Access to a 401(k) retirement plan.