Job Description

Tool Designer, Lead

Date: Apr 22, 2026

Location:Garden Grove, CA, US

Company: GKN Aerospace Careers

Fantastic challenges. Amazing opportunities.

GKN Aerospace is reimagining air travel: going further, faster and greener! Fuelled by great people whose expertise and creativity sets the standards in our industry, we’re inspired by the opportunities to innovate and break boundaries. We’re proud to play a part in protecting the world’s democracies. And we’re committed to putting sustainability at the centre of everything we do, opening up and protecting our planet. With over 16,000 employees across 33 manufacturing sites in 12 countries we serve over 90% of the world’s aircraft and engine manufacturers and achieved sales of £3.35 bn.in 2023. There are no limits to where you can take your career.

Job Summary

The Tool Design Team Lead is responsible for technical leadership and execution of special tooling design, development, and production support within an aerospace manufacturing environment. This role emphasizes hands-on tooling ownership, ensuring tools meet design intent, production rate requirements, and quality system standards. The position leads a team of tooling engineers while driving manufacturability, tool performance, and continuous improvement across the tooling lifecycle.

Job Responsibilities

• Lead design, development, validation, and implementation of aerospace tooling including assembly jigs, fixtures, molds, and production support equipment.
• Ensure all tooling meets design intent, GD&T requirements, and production readiness prior to release.
• Oversee tooling lifecycle including fabrication, first article validation (FAI), configuration control, and maintenance/repair.
• Enforce compliance with AS9100 quality standards, internal procedures, and tooling certification requirements.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions for tooling-related nonconformances.
• Partner with Manufacturing, Quality, and Operations to ensure tooling supports rate production and process capability.
• Support robust bid proposals pre LG3 and creation of the bid response requirements up to LG7 including all Non-Recurring Costs (NRC) and Recurring Costs (RC) estimates.
• Drive continuous improvement using SPC, Lean principles, and design standardization.
• Review and approve tooling designs, change orders, and engineering releases.
• Manage tooling cost estimates, supplier engagements, and fabrication oversight.
• Define tooling work scopes and manage external suppliers where applicable.
• Establish and improve tooling standards, best practices, and engineering processes.
• Provide day-to-day leadership to a team of tooling engineers including task assignment, technical guidance, and performance feedback.
• Directly leads a team of tooling/design engineers (typically 4–10 engineers).
• Responsible for task prioritization, workload balancing, and technical oversight.
• Provides input to hiring, performance evaluations, and employee development.
• Operates within a matrixed organization, influencing cross-functional stakeholders without direct authority.
• Acts as primary technical authority for tooling decisions within assigned programs or value streams.

Job Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, or Tooling Engineering (or equivalent experience).
• 8+ years of engineering experience with at least 5 years in tooling design and/or manufacturing engineering within aerospace industry.
• Strong expertise in NX and Teamcenter PLM. Experience with Catia and/or Solidworks may be considered in lieu for NX.
• Deep understanding of GD&T, tooling design principles, and configuration management.
• Experience with rapid prototype tooling and shop aids.
• Experience supporting First Article Inspection (AS9102) and production tool validation.
• Familiarity with AS9100 quality systems and aerospace manufacturing standards.
• Demonstrated experience leading engineering teams in a production environment.
• Ability to obtain security clearance (ITAR/EAR compliance).

We’ll offer you fantastic challenges and amazing opportunities. This is your chance to be part of an organisation that has proven itself to be at the cutting edge of our industry; and is committed to pushing the boundaries even further.  And with some of the best training on offer in the industry, who knows how far you can go?

A Great Place to work needs a Great Way of Working

Everyone is welcome to apply to GKN.  We believe that we can only achieve our ambitions through a coming together of diverse minds who enjoy collaborating in an inspirational environment. Through our commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging and by living our five powerful principles we’ve created a culture where everyone feels welcome to contribute.  It’s a culture that won us ‘The Best Workplace Culture Award’.  By embracing and celebrating what makes us unique we encourage everyone to bring their full self to work.

We’re also committed to providing an accessible recruitment process, so if you require reasonable adjustments at any stage during our recruitment process please get in touch and let us know.

We are the place where human dreams, plus human endeavour, shape the future of aerospace innovation and technology.​
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Nearest Major Market: Orange County
Nearest Secondary Market: Los Angeles

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