Tooling & Equipment Engineer

Role: Tooling & Equipment Engineer 
Location: New Bern, NC (3 days a week in office)

Let’s create our future together at The AES Group!

About The AES Group

The AES Group is a premier technology staffing and services company that has been bringing businesses and talent together for over 20 years to deliver innovative technology solutions that create meaningful impact. AES helps enterprises, including Fortune 500 organizations, engage customers, empower employees, and transform operations through cloud, data, AI, and emerging technologies.

Why Join This Opportunity?

• Work on innovative tooling and automation solutions supporting high-volume manufacturing environments.

• Play a critical role in new product introduction (NPI) and assembly optimization.

• Collaborate with cross-functional engineering, maintenance, and production teams.

• Opportunity to contribute to process improvements, automation, and equipment innovation.

• Hands-on involvement in design, fabrication, installation, and validation of manufacturing solutions.

Key Responsibilities

Tooling & Equipment Design

• Design and develop assembly fixtures, tooling, and manufacturing equipment, including manual, powered, semi-automated, and automated solutions.

• Manage the complete lifecycle of tooling design, from concept development through production release and implementation.

• Ensure all designs comply with engineering standards, safety requirements, and manufacturing best practices.

• Maintain adherence to CAD modeling standards and engineering data management practices.

New Product Development Support

• Collaborate with product development teams to provide Design for Assembly (DFA) guidance.

• Evaluate and recommend critical dimensions, tolerances, and assembly stack-ups to improve manufacturability.

• Support new product introductions (NPI) by developing tooling solutions aligned with production requirements.

Manufacturing Process Improvement

• Partner with plant engineering and maintenance teams to troubleshoot equipment issues and optimize assembly processes.

• Identify opportunities for process improvement, automation, and error-proofing (poka-yoke).

• Develop solutions that enhance production efficiency, product consistency, and operational reliability.

Equipment Development & Validation

• Develop devices and methods for in-process testing and validation of assemblies.

• Assist in the installation, commissioning, and validation of tooling and fixtures to ensure operational performance.

• Support production teams in ensuring equipment meets performance and quality specifications.

Vendor Coordination & Equipment Procurement

• Source components and coordinate the purchasing process for machine parts and tooling from external vendors.

• Work with suppliers to ensure quality, cost-effectiveness, and timely delivery of components.

• Prepare business cases and capital expenditure requests for replacement or upgraded machines and tooling.

Fabrication & Technical Support

• Provide guidance to maintenance and technical personnel in machining, fabrication, and assembly of tooling and equipment.

• Participate in hands-on fabrication, light machining, and installation of fixtures or equipment when required.

• Ensure project deliverables are completed within defined timelines and project schedules.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from an accredited four-year college or university.

• Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) preferred.

• Strong experience with CAD modeling and engineering design tools.

• Minimum 4+ years of experience in:

  • Work-holding fixture design

  • Machine and equipment design

  • New Product Introduction (NPI)

  • Process improvements and error-proofing

  • Process control in high-volume manufacturing or cellular manufacturing environments.

Preferred Skills & Competencies

• Expertise in mechanical design for manufacturing and assembly processes.

• Hands-on experience with machining, fabrication, and fixture installation.

• Strong problem-solving, analytical, and troubleshooting abilities.

• Ability to collaborate effectively across engineering, production, and maintenance teams.

• Experience supporting automation and semi-automated manufacturing systems.

Ready to make an impact? Apply now and join us on our journey!