Tooling Engineer Lead - Albany International Corp.

The Tooling Engineering Lead coordinates and prioritizes the tooling group's activities for the facility while maintaining compliance to customer, industry, and Albany requirements. The lead maintains and improves Albany tooling processes and trains others in these and in tooling engineering best practices, while inspiring a culture of collaboration, teamwork, and a drive for cost effective tooling. In addition to leading the group, the lead has engineering responsibilities including creating and managing production tooling for advanced composite structures and complex aerospace assemblies. Tooling engineers work cooperatively with manufacturing engineering and operations to create, optimize, and maintain the tool string for quality, cost, and throughput. The engineer communicates the tool requirements to potential vendors through a Statement of Work and associated supporting data (e.g. CAD models, drawings, simulations, etc.) and participates in project tracking efforts. He or she applies theoretical knowledge and engineering techniques to the solution of engineering problems, including tooling, manufacturing, and supplier processes for existing tools.



Key Duties and Responsibilities:


* Lead, coordinate and prioritize tooling activity.
* Maintain, improve, and train to Albany, customer, and industry tooling processes.
* Create a culture of working cooperatively with operations, engineering, and leaders to create, optimize and maintain cost effective tool strings.
* Lead and support tooling related audits and metrics.
* Manage the technical lifecycle of production tooling - design, fabrication, procurement, inspection requirements, traceability, maintenance and repair for complex composite layup, RTM, machining, and assemblies using customer and Albany guidelines and requirements.
* Coordinate with tool suppliers or create associated tooling models, drawings, bills of materials, Inspection plans and preventative maintenance.
* Create Statements of Work and purchase requests for tooling suppliers and work with Supply Chain to procure tooling packages within schedule and budget. Travel to tool suppliers for tooling buy-off.
* Manage and coordinate production tooling discrepancies with the customer and internal/external repair houses.
* Work cooperatively and effectively with operations, manufacturing engineering, project engineers, quality engineers and suppliers to optimize tools for ease of product manufacturing, cost, and quality.
* Provides timely status to Program Team and Program Manager.
* Use of hand tools and power tools as required to support small tool fab, repairs/maintenance.
* Actively participates in initial production to prevent and/or solve any tooling issues.
* Applies theoretical knowledge and engineering techniques to solve complex engineering problems related to tooling.
* Analyzes root cause and recommends corrective actions.
* Primary point of contact for customer and supplier for tooling technical issues.



Required Experience:


* Demonstrated collaborative leadership of teams and co-workers and ability to motivate and engage others.
* Minimum 8 years of hands-on experience in design, procurement, and sustainment of production tooling for complex aerospace layup, RTM, machining, and assemblies in an aerospace team environment.
* Experience in tool design for manufacturing by engaging operations, manufacturing engineering and suppliers.
* GD&T for tooling.
* Managing, communicating, and working to provided schedules, budgets, and deadlines.
* Experience in clearly communicating project requirements, design concepts and project status both verbally and written (Microsoft Office).


* 5 years' experience with 3D CAD tools (CATIA V5/Solid works) for design and associated PDM systems.

Desired Skills:


* Technical skills, theories and concepts related to the design and development of tooling for high performance composites, complex assemblies, and structures.
* Prefer PTC Windchill, Enovia and LCA experience.
* Working knowledge of other related disciplines such as assembly, machining, welding, and composite processes.
* Willingness to perform “hands-on” work in a dynamic setting.
* Customer and operations focused.
* Results driven with attention to detail.
* Good written and oral communication.
* Self-motivated and engaged learner.
* Efficient and organized with task and team management.



Minimum Education Requirements:

BS/BA in Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering or Equivalent (AE/CE/IE)

Equal Opportunity Employer Minorities/Women/Protected Veterans/Disabled