Prototyping Technician

Key Responsibilities

• Operate and maintain laser engraving and printing equipment in a production environment
• Execute prototype builds within the Admin production system, following established workflows and quality standards
• Order required materials proactively; identify and resolve supply or inventory gaps before they impact timelines
• Track and report material costs per prototype build, maintaining accurate cost records to support budgeting and purchasing decisions
• Manage the end-to-end tooling build process, from specification and sourcing through fabrication and validation
• Develop and maintain tooling cost estimates and pricing models, factoring in materials, labor and vendor quotes
• Partner with vendor contacts to obtain competitive pricing and ensure tooling meets quality and production specifications
• Maintain a tooling inventory log and flag aging, worn, or obsolete tooling for replacement
• Serve as the primary technical contact for vendor-facing activities, including text and specification reviews on vendor-supplied equipment
• Collaborate with font designers and other internal stakeholders to ensure prototypes meet brand and design requirements
• Escalate vendor or supply issues promptly, prioritizing based on production impact
• Design, execute and document Design of Experiments (DOE) to optimize processes and product outcomes
• Conduct time studies on production and prototyping processes to establish accurate cycle times, identify bottlenecks, and support labor cost modeling
• Use time study data to recommend process improvements and validate gains after changes are implemented
• Identify process gaps and recommend improvements based on experimental data and hands-on observation
• Maintain accurate records of test parameters, results and findings
• Provide regular verbal and written project status updates to the production management team
• Communicate cross-functionally using email and Slack (internal messenger); ensure all stakeholders are informed of progress, blockers, and priority changes
• Escalate issues and re-prioritize workload based on impact, taking direction from the production management leadership chain
• Adapt quickly to shifting priorities while maintaining quality and throughput
• Absorb additional responsibilities and perform special projects as needed or directed

Qualifications

• Minimum 2-year technical degree (Engineering Technology, Manufacturing, Industrial Technology, or related field)
• Hands-on experience with laser equipment and/or industrial printing equipment
• Proficiency with or ability to quickly learn production management software (Admin system)
• Understanding of DOE methodology and structured problem-solving techniques
• Demonstrated ability to conduct time studies and apply findings to process improvement or labor costing
• Experience tracking material costs and building or interpreting cost estimates
• Experience with tooling builds, tooling pricing, or working with tooling vendors
• Strong verbal and written communication skills; comfortable with email and electronic messaging platforms
• Ability to manage competing priorities and escalate appropriately based on business impact
• Self-starter with flexibility to take direction and adapt to evolving project needs
• SOP creation and editing