Tooling Manager (Group Leader)

Location: Elizabethtown, KY
Shift: 2nd Shift
Salary Range: $90,000 – $100,000

About the Role

Our client is seeking a hands-on Tooling Manager (Group Leader) to lead a skilled tool room team within a fast-paced automotive manufacturing environment. This role is ideal for a seasoned Class C Tool & Die professional who thrives in progressive and transfer die operations and has strong leadership experience within a unionized (UAW) setting.

This is not a desk job. You will be on the floor, in the press, and in the shop — driving performance, mentoring toolmakers, and ensuring tooling reliability that directly impacts production quality and uptime.

Success in this role means reducing scrap and downtime, optimizing die performance, and leading a team that consistently delivers on Quality, Delivery, and Cost (QDC).

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee toolmakers on 2nd shift to ensure efficient execution of preventive and corrective maintenance

• Maintain tooling KPIs and implement follow-up programs to reduce scrap, downtime, and overtime

• Manage progressive and transfer dies, including destacker processes, blanking, rollform, and progressive transfer systems

• Establish and execute die maintenance routines and tool improvement plans

• Coordinate manpower planning, die protection plans, and PM compliance to ensure 100% quality standards

• Implement and sustain 5S initiatives within the tooling department

• Ensure ISO TS compliance and maintain audit readiness

• Train and mentor toolmakers on maintenance processes and support engineering changes

• Coordinate with Tool Room Manager regarding updates, new projects, and urgent requisitions

• Identify critical spare parts and manage procurement through internal systems

• Collaborate cross-functionally to align tooling priorities with production schedules

• Drive lean initiatives, JIT processes, and structured problem-solving methodologies

Qualifications / Requirements

• Associate degree in Engineering or related field with 7+ years toolmaker experience OR 10+ years toolmaker experience

• Minimum 7+ years Tool & Die experience (Class C tooling required)

• 4+ years leadership experience in unionized automotive or industrial manufacturing (UAW experience required)

• Strong background in progressive and transfer die operations

• Experience with die maintenance systems, steel treatment/coatings, and gripper systems

• Working knowledge of lean manufacturing, JIT, KPI management, and structured problem-solving

• Strong organizational and communication skills

• Ability to prioritize, motivate a team, and drive accountability

What’s in It for You

• Competitive salary ($90K–$100K)

• Medical, Dental, Vision & Prescription coverage

• Paid vacation & holidays

• 401K

• Short- and Long-Term Disability coverage

• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

• Discounted gym membership

• Advancement and training opportunities