Chief Tooling Officer

Overview

On Site
$120,000 - $200,000
Full Time
10% Travel

Skills

Tooling
CNC
Mazak
Mazatrol
Business Acumen
Implementation
Manufacturing

Job Details

#1869 Chief Tooling Officer

Location: On-Site | Industry Focus: Aerospace, Medical Devices, Precision Manufacturing

A cutting-edge Product Design for Manufacturing (DFM) firm is seeking a Chief Tooling Officer (CTO) to lead its tooling and machining strategy across product development, prototyping, and production. This is a high-impact leadership role for someone who combines deep technical machining knowledge with strong business acumen and knows how to scale precision manufacturing efficiently.

This individual will oversee the full tooling lifecycle, from concept and design through floor-level implementation and continuous improvement. The ideal candidate brings a proven background in complex CNC machining environments (Mazak / Mazatrol experience), preferably from industries like aerospace or medical devices.

Key Responsibilities

  • Own and drive the overall tooling strategy, including tool selection, fixturing innovation, and machining process design.
  • Lead a team responsible for implementing tooling solutions that support new product introduction and scalable manufacturing.
  • Develop and enforce best practices for tooling standards, machine utilization, and DFM integration across engineering and operations.
  • Oversee CNC programming architecture (Mazak) while setting the foundation for repeatable, cost-effective manufacturing processes.
  • Partner with Engineering, Quality, and Production teams to influence design decisions based on real-world manufacturability and cost reduction.
  • Create and institutionalize documentation such as Work Instructions, Tooling Standards, and Inspection Protocols.
  • Direct tooling operations on the floor including hands-on mentoring, troubleshooting, and process refinement.
  • Act as a strategic thought partner to the executive team for manufacturing innovation, capital investments, and production scaling.

Ideal Candidate Profile

  • Bachelor s Degree (Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related technical field) or equivalent
  • 7+ years in manufacturing, preferably with at least 2 years in a leadership capacity.
  • Strong background in tooling, machining, and CNC programming (Mazak/Mazatrol).
  • Experience in regulated, precision-driven industries such as aerospace, medical device, or automotive.
  • Skilled at translating design intent into manufacturable, cost-optimized solutions.
  • Business-minded engineer understands ROI, throughput, and strategic trade-offs in tooling and production.
  • Natural mentor and cross-functional collaborator who thrives in fast-paced, iterative product environments.
  • Passionate about execution and implementation can go from whiteboard to machine floor and back.
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