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Tool Development Engineer Jobs in Cambridge, MA (NOW HIRING)

As a Software Development Engineer, you will design and implement modern automation solutions ... Experience helping teams transition from manual testing or tool-specific automation to reusable ...

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Sr Manufacturing Development Engineer

Andover, MA · On-site

$92K - $126K/yr

Manufacturing Engineering provides technical expertise to numerous manufacturing and development ... Tool Development Experience (Jigs, Fixtures, Specialized Packaging) * Knowledge and ability to ...

Sr Manufacturing Development Engineer

Andover, MA · On-site

$92K - $126K/yr

Manufacturing Engineering provides technical expertise to numerous manufacturing and development ... Tool Development Experience (Jigs, Fixtures, Specialized Packaging) * Knowledge and ability to ...

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Showing results 1-20

Tool Development Engineer information

See Cambridge, MA salary details

$53.6K

$105.1K

$167.8K

How much do tool development engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 22, 2026, the average yearly pay for tool development engineer in Cambridge, MA is $105,095.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $86,900.00 and $116,400.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a tool development engineer?

Tool Development Engineers are professionals who design, develop, and maintain tools, software, or equipment used to optimize production processes or support engineering teams. Their responsibilities often include understanding user requirements, creating prototypes, testing tools, and improving existing solutions to enhance efficiency and quality. They work closely with manufacturing, software, or hardware teams, depending on the industry. Tool Development Engineers play a critical role in increasing productivity and ensuring the reliability of tools used in various technical environments.

What are some common challenges faced by tool development engineers when collaborating with cross-functional teams?

Tool Development Engineers often work closely with software developers, QA testers, and product managers to create and refine tools. A common challenge is balancing differing priorities, such as development speed versus tool robustness or user-friendliness. Effective communication and flexibility are key to understanding and addressing the unique needs of each team. Regular feedback sessions and clear documentation help ensure that the tools developed meet the evolving requirements of all stakeholders.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a tool development engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Tool Development Engineer, you need a solid background in engineering principles, programming languages (such as Python, C++, or Java), and a relevant degree in computer science, engineering, or a related field. Familiarity with CAD software, version control systems, and automation tools, as well as certifications in relevant frameworks, are typically expected. Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and effective communication enable collaboration and innovative tool design. These competencies are crucial for developing efficient, reliable tools that optimize engineering workflows and support organizational productivity.

What is the difference between Tool Development Engineer vs Manufacturing Engineer?

AspectTool Development EngineerManufacturing Engineer
Primary FocusDesigning, developing, and optimizing tools and equipment used in manufacturing processesPlanning, implementing, and improving manufacturing processes and workflows
Skills & CertificationsMechanical design, CAD, problem-solving, certifications like Six Sigma or LeanProcess engineering, project management, certifications like Six Sigma or Lean
Work EnvironmentDesign labs, manufacturing plants, R&D facilitiesFactories, production lines, plant floor
Industry UsageCommon in automotive, aerospace, electronics manufacturingWidely used across various manufacturing sectors including consumer goods and industrial equipment

While both roles support manufacturing operations, the Tool Development Engineer primarily focuses on creating and improving tools and equipment, whereas the Manufacturing Engineer concentrates on optimizing entire production processes. Understanding these distinctions helps in choosing the right career path or job search focus.

What are popular job titles related to Tool Development Engineer jobs in Cambridge, MA?

For Tool Development Engineer jobs in Cambridge, MA, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Tool Development Engineer jobs in Cambridge, MA look for?

The top searched job categories for Tool Development Engineer jobs in Cambridge, MA are:

Infographic showing various Tool Development Engineer job openings in Cambridge, MA as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 92% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $105,095 per year, or $50.5 per hour.

Software Development Engineer

UKG, Inc.

Lowell, MA • On-site, Remote

Full-time

Posted 3 days ago

New


UKG rating

7.8

Company rating: 7.8 out of 10

Based on 42 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

139th of 246 rated software companies


Job description

Why UKG:
At UKG, the work you do matters. The code you ship, the decisions you make, and the care you show a customer all add up to real impact. Today, tens of millions of workers start and end their days with our workforce operating platform. Helping people get paid, grow in their careers, and shape the future of their industries. That's what we do.
We never stop learning. We never stop challenging the norm. We push for better, and we celebrate the wins along the way. Here, you'll get flexibility that's real, benefits you can count on, and a team that succeeds together. Because at UKG, your work matters-and so do you.
About the Team:
UKG is seeking a highly skilled Software Development Engineer to join our Shared Services team within Employee Solutions & Experience (ESE). This role is focused on advancing Quality Engineering through scalable test automation, strong software engineering practices, AI-enabled capabilities, and shared solutions that enable product teams to deliver high-quality software at speed.
About the Role:
As a Software Development Engineer, you will design and implement modern automation solutions, contribute to engineering and DevOps best practices, and partner closely with development teams across ESE to improve quality, test coverage, delivery efficiency, and release confidence. You will contribute to quality transformation through reusable automation frameworks, continuous testing, observability, AI-assisted development, and agentic approaches to software validation.
The ideal candidate combines strong technical expertise with a passion for improving engineering processes, supporting other engineers, and building reusable solutions that benefit multiple teams across UKG. They will bring the mindset of a software engineer, with practical experience applying modern development tools, AI coding assistants, Model Context Protocol, and AI agents to improve engineering productivity and quality outcomes.
Responsibilities:
  • Design, develop, and maintain scalable test automation frameworks, libraries, shared services, and developer tools.
  • Build reusable capabilities for browser, API, integration, contract, performance, accessibility, and end-to-end testing.
  • Establish engineering standards for automation architecture, code quality, testability, reliability, and maintainability.
  • Integrate automated quality checks, release validations, and quality gates into CI/CD pipelines while improving execution speed, parallelization, stability, diagnostics, and feedback time.
  • Implement automation observability through logging, metrics, traces, dashboards, and alerts; analyze test, build, deployment, application, and production telemetry to identify quality issues.
  • Partner with development, DevOps, SRE, security, architecture, and release teams to improve delivery quality and advance common platforms and reusable engineering patterns.
  • Mentor engineers and manual testers in automation, software development, DevOps, and AI-assisted engineering.

Basic Qualifications
  • 5+ years of experience in software engineering, quality engineering, DevOps, platform engineering, test automation, or a related field, with proficiency in TypeScript, JavaScript, Python, Java, C#, or a comparable language.
  • Experience designing and maintaining automation frameworks, internal engineering tools, and automated workflows.
  • Hands-on experience with Playwright, Selenium WebDriver, or similar browser automation technologies, as well as API, integration, contract, and end-to-end testing.
  • Proficiency with Git, pull requests, code reviews, build systems, deployment workflows, and CI/CD platforms such as Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, or Jenkins.
  • Working knowledge of Docker, Kubernetes, cloud services, modern application architectures, and observability practices, including logging, metrics, tracing, dashboards, and failure diagnostics.
  • Hands-on experience with Claude Code, Codex, or comparable AI coding assistants, with a working understanding of MCP, tool calling, and agentic application development.
  • Ability to review, validate, and safely apply AI-generated code and automated workflows.

Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience helping teams transition from manual testing or tool-specific automation to reusable, maintainable engineering solutions.
  • Knowledge of performance, security, accessibility, resiliency, and production validation practices.
  • Familiarity with retrieval-augmented generation, vector search, AI evaluation, and multi-agent systems.
  • Experience with observability platforms such as OpenTelemetry, Azure Monitor, Application Insights, Datadog, Grafana, or Splunk.

What Success Looks Like
  • Teams adopt shared automation capabilities and reusable engineering patterns, reducing flakiness, duplicated effort, and maintenance.
  • CI/CD feedback becomes faster, more reliable, actionable, and easier to diagnose.
  • Automation components are well designed, documented, observable, secure, and reusable.
  • AI-assisted development improves productivity and failure analysis while maintaining appropriate validation, governance, security, and human oversight.
  • Team members build stronger automation, programming, DevOps, and AI-engineering capabilities.

The strongest candidate will think like a software engineer who specializes in quality. They should be able to demonstrate meaningful systems, frameworks, or engineering capabilities they have designed and implemented-not only tools they have used.
Company Overview:
UKG is the Workforce Operating Platform that puts workforce understanding to work. With the world's largest collection of workforce insights, and people-first AI, our ability to reveal unseen ways to build trust, amplify productivity, and empower talent, is unmatched. It's this expertise that equips our customers with the intelligence to solve any challenge in any industry - because great organizations know their workforce is their competitive edge. Learn more at ukg.com.
Equal Opportunity Employer
UKG is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, disability, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, and other legally protected categories.
View The EEO Know Your Rights poster
UKG participates in E-Verify. View the E-Verify posters here.
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.
Disability Accommodation in the Application and Interview Process
For individuals with disabilities that need additional assistance at any point in the application and interview process, please email UKGCareers@ukg.com.
The pay range for this position is $90,900 to $130,700. The actual base pay offered may vary depending on skills, experience, job-related knowledge and work location. In addition to base pay, employees may be eligible to participate in a performance-based bonus plan and to receive restricted stock unit awards as part of total compensation. Learn more about UKG's benefits and rewards at https://www.ukg.com/about-us/careers/benefits

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