Position Summary
We are seeking an experienced Tool Room Supervisor to lead daily toolroom operations supporting precision metal-stamping production. This position oversees the maintenance, repair, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement of compound and progressive stamping dies while ensuring tooling is ready to meet production schedules, quality standards, and customer-delivery requirements.
The Tool Room Supervisor is also responsible for the reliability, maintenance, and operational readiness of all toolroom machinery, equipment, and support systems. This individual will work closely with Production, Engineering, Quality, Planning, Maintenance, and outside tooling suppliers to prioritize repairs, coordinate preventive maintenance, support new-tool development, manage critical spare components, and reduce production downtime.
The ideal candidate is a hands-on technical leader with extensive tool-and-die knowledge, proven supervisory experience, and a strong background in metal stamping. Experience with progressive and compound stamping dies is required.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Toolroom Leadership
- Supervise, train, coach, and develop tool and die makers, machinists, apprentices, and other toolroom personnel.
- Assign daily workloads according to production schedules, tooling priorities, employee capabilities, and repair requirements.
- Monitor employee productivity, workmanship, attendance, safety, and compliance with departmental procedures.
- Establish clear expectations and ensure tooling assignments are completed safely, accurately, and on schedule.
- Provide hands-on technical guidance when complex tooling or production problems arise.
- Support employee onboarding, training, performance evaluations, and skills development.
- Promote teamwork, accountability, urgency, quality, and continuous improvement throughout the toolroom.
- Maintain appropriate staffing and recommend additional labor or resources when required.
Die Maintenance and Production Support
- Oversee the maintenance, repair, troubleshooting, and modification of progressive and compound stamping dies.
- Coordinate die-maintenance priorities with Production Planning and the Master Scheduler.
- Ensure dies are production-ready and available according to manufacturing schedules.
- Respond to tooling breakdowns, part defects, misfeeds, excessive wear, dimensional problems, and other production concerns.
- Lead root-cause investigations involving tooling failures, production downtime, scrap, and quality issues.
- Establish corrective actions to prevent repeated tooling failures.
- Review tooling performance and recommend repairs, redesigns, component upgrades, or process improvements.
- Coordinate scheduled preventive maintenance based on run quantities, tooling condition, repair history, and production requirements.
- Verify completed repairs before tooling is released back to production.
- Maintain accurate die-repair, maintenance, modification, and service records.
- Support pressroom personnel during die setup, troubleshooting, tryouts, and production launches.
- Ensure tooling repairs meet engineering specifications, quality standards, and customer requirements.
New Tooling and External Supplier Coordination
- Support the development, construction, testing, and launch of new stamping dies.
- Review new-tool designs, strip layouts, specifications, and manufacturing requirements.
- Coordinate with Engineering, Quality, Production, and outside tool builders throughout the tooling-development process.
- Oversee tool runoffs, tryouts, capability evaluations, and validation activities at third-party tool-building facilities.
- Document tooling concerns and confirm required corrections are completed before final acceptance.
- Monitor supplier performance related to quality, cost, delivery, and technical capability.
- Obtain quotations and coordinate outsourced tooling repairs or specialized services when required.
Toolroom Equipment and Inventory Management
- Maintain the operational readiness of CNC machines, manual mills, lathes, surface grinders, saws, inspection equipment, and related toolroom machinery.
- Develop and manage preventive maintenance programs for toolroom equipment.
- Coordinate equipment repairs, service calls, calibration, upgrades, and replacement requirements.
- Evaluate toolroom equipment needs and assist with capital-equipment planning.
- Maintain adequate inventories of critical die components, replacement parts, tooling supplies, cutting tools, and consumable materials.
- Establish minimum and maximum inventory levels for frequently used or long-lead-time components.
- Order replacement die components, tooling materials, machine parts, and departmental supplies.
- Maintain an organized system for tooling, spare components, fixtures, gauges, and departmental assets.
- Assist with departmental budgets, purchase requests, cost tracking, and tooling-expense control.
Safety, Quality and Continuous Improvement
- Enforce all workplace-safety, machine-guarding, lockout/tagout, and personal protective equipment requirements.
- Conduct regular inspections of toolroom equipment, machinery, work areas, and safety devices.
- Ensure employees follow approved machining, lifting, grinding, welding, and tool-repair practices.
- Maintain a clean, organized, and safe toolroom.
- Support internal and customer quality requirements.
- Identify opportunities to reduce tooling downtime, improve die life, minimize scrap, and increase production efficiency.
- Participate in Lean Manufacturing, 5S, root-cause analysis, and continuous-improvement initiatives.
- Monitor toolroom performance through downtime, repair, preventive-maintenance, quality, and cost metrics.
- Perform additional leadership and technical duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications
- High school diploma or GED is required.
- Minimum of five to seven years of toolroom, tool-and-die, machining, or related manufacturing experience.
- Minimum of two to three years of supervisory, lead, or team-leadership experience.
- Strong metal-stamping background is required.
- Hands-on experience with progressive and compound stamping dies is required.
- Advanced knowledge of tool-and-die construction, maintenance, repair, and troubleshooting.
- Experience operating or supporting CNC machines, manual mills, lathes, surface grinders, and related toolroom equipment.
- Ability to interpret blueprints, strip layouts, engineering drawings, specifications, tolerances, and work instructions.
- Working knowledge of GD&T and precision manufacturing requirements.
- Experience troubleshooting tooling problems to minimize production downtime.
- Proficiency with calipers, micrometers, height gauges, indicators, gauge blocks, and other precision measuring instruments.
- Knowledge of preventive maintenance practices for dies, tooling, and machine-shop equipment.
- Working knowledge of machine guarding, lockout/tagout, and manufacturing-safety requirements.
- Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office and manufacturing or maintenance systems.
- Ability to organize multiple projects and adjust priorities according to changing production needs.
- Strong leadership, communication, coaching, decision-making, and employee-development skills.
- Ability to collaborate effectively with Production, Engineering, Quality, Planning, Maintenance, Purchasing, and external suppliers.
- Availability to work a flexible schedule and respond to urgent tooling or production needs.
Preferred Qualifications
- Journeyman Tool and Die Maker certification.
- Completion of a recognized tool-and-die apprenticeship program.
- Technical degree or certificate in Tool and Die, Machining, Manufacturing Technology, or a related field.
- Supervisory experience within a high-volume precision metal-stamping operation.
- Experience supporting new progressive or compound die development and runoff.
- Experience with CAD/CAM software.
- Knowledge of wire EDM, sinker EDM, welding, CNC programming, or related tooling processes.
- Experience managing departmental budgets, capital equipment, and critical tooling inventories.
- Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, 5S, or continuous-improvement experience.
Skills and Competencies
- Toolroom leadership and team development
- Progressive and compound stamping dies
- Tool-and-die repair and maintenance
- Metal-stamping production support
- Blueprint, strip-layout, and GD&T interpretation
- CNC and manual machining
- Precision measurement and inspection
- Preventive maintenance
- Root-cause analysis
- Troubleshooting and urgent response
- Supplier and project coordination
- Inventory and budget management
- Safety and quality compliance
- Planning and prioritization
- Cross-functional communication
Physical Requirements
- Ability to stand and walk for extended periods.
- Ability to frequently use hand tools, machinery, measuring instruments, and computer equipment.
- Ability to lift, carry, push, or pull up to 50 pounds without assistance; heavier items may require team lifting or mechanical assistance.
- Ability to bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, twist, and reach while inspecting or repairing tooling and equipment.
- Ability to climb ladders and access elevated work areas when necessary.
- Ability to perform repetitive motions involving the hands, wrists, and arms.
- Visual ability to inspect fine tooling details and accurately read drawings, gauges, and measuring instruments.
- Ability to hear and communicate effectively in a manufacturing environment.
- Ability to work near machinery and moving mechanical components.
- Ability to respond to tooling emergencies that may require extended periods of physical activity.
- Ability to wear required personal protective equipment, including safety glasses, hearing protection, and steel-toed footwear.
Work Environment
This position works in a manufacturing and toolroom environment with regular exposure to machine-shop equipment, cutting tools, industrial noise, dust, oils, coolants, and varying temperatures. Frequent interaction with Production, Engineering, Maintenance, Planning, and Quality personnel is required.
Pay: $80,000.00 - $100,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Retirement plan
Work Location: In person
