Develop and execute the company's weld fixture and tooling strategy. Establish long-term plans to improve fixture quality, lead time, cost, and standardization. Develop fixture design philosophies and best practices to support manufacturing excellence. Create and maintain standardized fixture specifications, requirements, and acceptance criteria. Drive continuous improvement in tooling processes across the organization. Program Management

Manage the development and implementation of 50-200 weld fixtures and tooling projects annually. Lead tooling activities from concept through production readiness. Establish project timelines, milestones, and readiness reviews. Ensure tooling availability aligns with prototype, pilot, and production schedules. Identify and mitigate tooling-related launch risks. Supplier Development & Strategic Sourcing

Identify, qualify, and develop domestic and international tooling suppliers. Establish strategic supplier partnerships that support quality, responsiveness, and cost objectives. Manage RFQ activities, supplier selection, contract negotiations, and commercial agreements. Develop supplier performance scorecards and improvement plans. Evaluate supplier capacity and capabilities to support future growth. Design & Engineering Collaboration

Partner closely with Product Engineering and Manufacturing Engineering to define fixture requirements. Ensure fixtures support safety, ergonomics, quality, manufacturability, and productivity objectives. Participate in design reviews and Design for Manufacturability (DFM) activities. Promote fixture standardization and reuse across product families when appropriate. Support implementation of new manufacturing technologies and tooling innovations. Quality & Launch Readiness

Establish tooling validation and approval processes.



Coordinate fixture try-outs, runoffs, and production readiness reviews. Develop acceptance criteria and quality standards for tooling suppliers. Resolve tooling-related quality issues through structured corrective action processes. Ensure tooling supports product quality and customer requirements. Operational Excellence

Lead initiatives to reduce tooling lead times, improve launch performance, and lower total tooling costs. Drive process improvements through standard work, metrics, and best practices. Establish tooling performance dashboards and KPI reporting. Create a culture of continuous improvement within tooling development and sourcing activities. Identify opportunities for automation, digital tools, and technology advancements. Leadership Responsibilities

Provide leadership for tooling-related activities across Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, and Quality. Influence cross-functional teams without direct authority. Facilitate decision-making and issue resolution during project execution. Build strong relationships with customers, suppliers, and internal stakeholders. Promote accountability for timelines, quality, and results. Cost

Tooling cost versus budget Annual cost reduction initiatives Tooling ROI and productivity improvements Quality

First-pass tooling acceptance rate Tooling-related production disruptions Tooling corrective actions Supplier quality performance Design reuse opportunities implemented Lead time reduction achievements Qualifications

Experience

Required

Project management within a manufacturing setting 5-8 years:

Manufacturing experience Equal Opportunity Employer This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.

📌 Tool & Fixture Manager (Winnipeg)
🏢 Amerequip
📍 Winnipeg