Guided Search Partners (GSP)
Guided Search Partners is an Executive Search firm built on Trust, Transparency, Specialization, and Long-term Relationships.
We connect high-performing professionals with organizations that value people, performance, and growth—helping leaders find roles where they can make an impact and build meaningful careers.

About the Opportunity
We’re partnering with a privately held plastics manufacturing company seeking a Tooling Engineer.

This is a strong opportunity for an experienced tooling professional who wants to join a growing organization with strong employee retention, internal promotion opportunities, and a highly collaborative culture. The company specializes primarily in medical molding, with additional work in consumer products, and continues to grow through major new projects.

The tooling group is well-established, with 13 current Tooling Engineers and a target of approximately 15. With several retirements expected over the next few years, this role offers long-term opportunity for someone who brings hands-on tooling knowledge, strong project management skills, and the ability to work closely with customers and tool shops.

What You’ll Do
You’ll support tooling programs from early design review through qualification, working closely with customers, internal teams, and tool shops.

Key areas of focus include:

• Review customer CAD files, drawings, and models
• Evaluate moldability of parts and assemblies
• Perform DFM analysis and provide tooling recommendations
• Advise customers on draft, gate locations, tolerances, and manufacturability
• Develop tooling RFQ packages for tool shops
• Create cavity stack mockups and tooling concepts
• Analyze and compare tooling quotes
• Manage tooling programs from award through qualification
• Coordinate with internal and external tool shops
• Review mold designs and provide DFM feedback
• Track tooling progress and support debugging and qualification
• Support IQ, OQ, and PQ validation activities
• Support lifecycle tooling projects, PMs, CI initiatives, and scrap reduction

Who You Are
You are a hands-on tooling professional who understands molds beyond theory. You can look at a part, understand how it will run, and help guide the best path forward before problems reach the floor.

You may have started as a Toolmaker and moved into Tooling or Project Engineering, or you may have come through Process Engineering with strong tooling exposure. Either way, you bring practical experience, strong technical judgment, and the ability to communicate clearly with customers and internal teams.

You would do well here if you enjoy solving complex tooling challenges, managing projects, and being part of a highly experienced team with strong long-term stability.

Preferred Experience & Attributes
• Approximately 7+ years of relevant tooling experience
• Former Toolmaker transitioned into Tooling or Project Engineering preferred
• Process Engineer with strong tooling experience also considered
• Strong hands-on tooling background
• Solid modeling, mold simulation, and DFM experience
• Experience reviewing CAD files, drawings, models, and mold designs
• Strong understanding of moldability, manufacturability, tolerances, gates, and draft
• Customer-facing communication skills
• Strong project management ability
• Experience coordinating with internal and external tool shops
• Medical molding experience helpful
• College degree not required with strong practical tooling experience

Why This Role Matters
This role matters because tooling is central to the company’s ability to support growth, launch new programs, and maintain high-quality production.

The right person will help customers make better design decisions, keep tooling projects moving, and support programs from concept through qualification. With upcoming retirements in the tooling group, this is also a long-term opportunity to step into a team where experienced tooling knowledge will be highly valued.

For someone who wants stability, technical challenge, and a strong culture, this is a role with real staying power.