Tooling Manager

Location: Bengaluru, India

Function: Manufacturing Engineering

Reports to: Engineering Manager

Role Summary

PennAero is recruiting a Tooling Manager for its Bengaluru operations to own tooling, fixtures, and gauging across aerospace machining, forming, and assembly processes. The role carries end-to-end accountability for tool design support, tool room operations, preventive maintenance and calibration, and continuous-improvement of tooling that keeps production lines running to takt while holding aerospace tolerance and traceability requirements.

This is a people-leadership role: the incumbent will build and run a team of 4-5 tool room engineers/technicians and act as the technical escalation point for tooling issues on the shop floor.

Key Responsibilities

- Lead and develop a team of 4-5 tooling engineers, toolmakers, and technicians, including workload planning, skills development, and performance management.
- Own the design review, fabrication, qualification, and lifecycle management of production tooling, jigs, fixtures, and gauges used in machining, forming, drilling, and assembly of aerospace components.
- Establish and run preventive maintenance, calibration, and re-certification schedules for all tooling and gauging, maintaining full traceability records to satisfy AS9100 and customer/OEM audits.
- Resolve tooling deviations and non-conformances through root-cause analysis, corrective/preventive action, and cross-functional coordination with Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, and Production.
- Manage the tool room's inventory, spares, and tooling procurement, including supplier qualification and cost/lead-time negotiation for outsourced tooling fabrication.
- Drive tooling standardization, cost-reduction, and lean initiatives (reduced changeover time, tool life improvement, low-cost automation) in support of production rate and margin targets.
- Review engineering drawings, GD&T; call-outs,



and process routings to specify or modify tooling for new part introductions and design changes.
- Own tooling-related documentation: work instructions, control plans, calibration certificates, and first-article inspection support for new/modified tooling.
- Ensure the tool room complies with EHS standards and supports a safe, 5S-organized work workplace.
- Report tooling KPIs (availability, calibration compliance, tool life, cost per part) to plant leadership and support monthly operating reviews.

Required Qualifications

Experience

- Minimum 10 to 12 years of progressive experience in tooling/tool room engineering or management within a precision manufacturing environment; aerospace, defense, or automotive Tier 1 experience strongly preferred.
- At least 3-5 years in a supervisory or managerial capacity, having directly led a team (this role: 4-5 direct reports).
- Demonstrated experience with fixture/jig design, press tooling, machining fixtures, gauge design, and tool calibration programs.
- Working knowledge of AS9100/Nadcap quality system requirements and aerospace traceability expectations.

Education & Technical Skills

- BE/B.Tech in Mechanical, Production, Tool & Die, or a related engineering discipline (ME/M.Tech is an advantage).
- Proficiency in CAD/CAM tools (CATIA, Unigraphics/NX, SolidWorks, or AutoCAD) and strong GD&T; interpretation skills.
- Familiarity with CNC machining, sheet metal forming, drilling/fastening processes, and associated tooling.
- Strong analytical, root-cause problem-solving, and project management capability.

What PennAero Offers

PennAero is a house-of-brands aerospace manufacturing platform (Allfast, Monogram, Briles, Mac Fasteners, TFI, Martinic, RSA, Weldmac, TAG, PMI, American Drilling, LubeCo, Structures) supplying structural fasteners, precision components, and assemblies to Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed Martin, Pratt & Whitney, Safran, and other major OEMs. Joining the Bengaluru team offers the opportunity to build tooling capability supporting new program ramps, with direct visibility to plant leadership.

📌 Tooling Manager (Bengaluru)
🏢 PennAero
📍 Bengaluru