Contract Tooling Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Tooling Engineer

Job Description

The Tooling Engineer designs and develops injection molds, tooling, and fixtures that support high-quality, efficient manufacturing. This role collaborates closely with product development, manufacturing, and quality teams to ensure tools meet performance, safety, and regulatory requirements. The Tooling Engineer oversees the full tooling lifecycle, from concept and design through fabrication, validation, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement, with a strong focus on plastic injection molding and project management.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop new injection molds, tooling, and fixtures based on product and manufacturing requirements.
• Collaborate with product development, manufacturing, and quality teams to ensure tools meet specifications, production goals, and quality standards.
• Review and approve mold designs, material selections, and manufacturing methods to ensure robust and cost-effective solutions.
• Oversee tool fabrication, qualification, and validation activities with internal teams and external vendors.
• Troubleshoot mold and tooling issues on the production floor, identify root causes, implement corrective actions, and recommend design or process improvements.
• Manage and support mold trials, analyze trial results, and adjust tooling and process parameters to achieve optimal performance and part quality.
• Ensure tools comply with applicable safety, quality, and regulatory standards, including ISO requirements when supporting medical device products.
• Maintain accurate documentation of tool designs, engineering changes, revisions, and maintenance history.
• Support and lead continuous improvement initiatives to reduce cycle times, minimize scrap, and lower overall tooling costs.
• Provide technical support for tool maintenance, repair, and refurbishment programs to maximize tool life and reliability.
• Coordinate project timelines and deliverables related to tooling, ensuring projects stay on schedule and within scope.

Essential Skills

• At least 5 years of experience in tooling design using platforms such as Creo and SolidWorks.
• Minimum 3 years of project management experience, including planning, coordination, and execution of tooling-related projects.
• At least 3 years of hands-on experience with plastic injection molding processes.
• Strong expertise in tooling design for injection molds, including tool and die principles.
• Proficiency with 3D CAD software, including SolidWorks and Creo, for detailed mold and fixture design.
• Experience in process engineering related to injection molding and tooling performance optimization.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, specifications, and GD&T for tooling and molded components.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to troubleshoot and resolve tooling and mold issues.
• Solid organizational and documentation skills to maintain comprehensive records of designs and tooling history.
• Effective communication and collaboration skills to work with cross-functional teams and external vendors.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Associate or bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related technical field is preferred.
• Experience working with tool and die shops and external tooling vendors.
• Familiarity with ISO standards, particularly in environments that may support medical device manufacturing.
• Background in continuous improvement initiatives focused on reducing cycle time, scrap, and tooling costs.
• Experience supporting maintenance, repair, and refurbishment programs for molds and tooling.
• Ability to manage multiple tooling projects simultaneously in a growing manufacturing environment.

Work Environment

This is an onsite role within a growing, family-owned manufacturing company that is expanding its team due to increased demand. The Tooling Engineer works closely with product development, manufacturing, quality, and external tooling vendors in a hands-on production and engineering environment. The position involves regular interaction with injection molding equipment, tooling fabrication and maintenance areas, and CAD workstations using software such as SolidWorks and Creo. The work setting emphasizes collaboration, continuous improvement, and long-term tool reliability, offering the opportunity to influence tooling strategy and processes in a company experiencing significant growth.

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Saint Paul, MN.

The pay range for this position is $48.00 - $57.00/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:
• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

This is a fully onsite position in Saint Paul,MN.

This position is anticipated to close on May 29, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 30,000 consultants and more than 4,500 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.