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Program Manager - Automotive & Aerospace Tooling at TEC Group, Inc. Program Manager - Automotive & Aerospace Tooling at TEC Group, Inc. in Birmingham, Michigan Posted in about 14 hours ago.

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full-time Program Manager - Automotive & Aerospace Tooling Direct Hire We are seeking an experienced Program Manager to lead complex custom tooling and fixture programs for a precision manufacturing organization supporting the automotive, aerospace, defense, and industrial markets. This is not a traditional product-development or administrative PM role. We need a hands-on manufacturing professional who understands how custom tooling moves from customer kickoff through design, machining, fabrication, assembly, dimensional inspection, final buyoff, and delivery. The Program Manager will serve as the primary link between the customer and internal engineering, machining, welding, tool-build, quality, and operational teams. You will be responsible for keeping programs on schedule, controlling costs, identifying risks, managing changes, and ensuring tooling is completed according to customer requirements. What You'll Do Lead automotive and aerospace tooling programs from kickoff through completion, delivery, and installation. Develop and maintain program schedules, milestones, budgets, resource plans, and customer deliverables. Coordinate the complete tool-build process, including engineering and design, material procurement, CNC machining, welding and fabrication, fixture assembly, CMM inspection, tryout, and customer buyoff. Monitor program expenses, labor hours, material costs, outside services, profitability, and overall performance. Identify technical, financial, resource, and schedule risks before they affect customer timing. Create and implement mitigation and recovery plans when programs fall behind schedule or encounter technical challenges. Communicate program status, risks, design changes, and action items directly to customers and internal leadership. Facilitate internal program reviews and ensure open items are assigned, tracked, and completed. Manage customer-requested changes, scope growth, timing adjustments, and related documentation. Support estimating, quotations, and change orders when needed. Balance multiple tooling programs and shifting manufacturing priorities in a fast-paced, engineered-to-order environment. Partner with manufacturing teams on the shop floor to resolve issues affecting machining, fabrication, assembly, inspection, or delivery. Travel to customer or supplier locations as required. Support additional hours during critical build, runoff, and delivery milestones. What We're Looking For At least two years of direct experience managing automotive and/or aerospace fixture or tooling programs. Practical knowledge of custom tooling, jigs, assembly fixtures, welding fixtures, checking fixtures, layup tooling, drill jigs, or related manufacturing equipment. Experience leading manufacturing projects from customer kickoff through build, inspection, buyoff, and delivery. Working knowledge of machining, CNC operations, tool build, welding, fabrication, and CMM inspection processes. Demonstrated responsibility for program cost, timing, quality, performance, and risk management. Experience coordinating engineering, purchasing, manufacturing, quality, suppliers, and customers. Ability to read and understand technical drawings, tooling layouts, specifications, and customer requirements. Strong leadership, negotiation, problem-solving, and customer communication skills. Knowledge of project and program management methods and scheduling techniques. Understanding of budgeting, resource allocation, and manufacturing capacity planning. Ability to manage multiple priorities and adapt to fluctuating workloads. Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications. Willingness to work onsite in Troy, travel as needed, and support overtime during critical program milestones. Preferred Qualifications Five or more years of tooling, fixture, custom automation, or engineered-to-order manufacturing experience. Experience preparing estimates, quotations, budgets, or customer change orders. Experience with Microsoft Project or another formal scheduling system. Background in aerospace assembly or composite tooling, automotive BIW tooling, checking fixtures, weld fixtures, or custom assembly equipment. Previous experience with customer runoff, tooling certification, CMM reports, installation, and final acceptance. Ideal Candidate Background You may currently work as a Tooling Program Manager, Fixture Program Manager, Manufacturing Project Manager, Tooling Project Manager, Program Lead, Tooling Engineer, Tooling Estimator, or Operations Lead within an automotive, aerospace, defense, fixture-build, or custom automation organization. The strongest candidates will be comfortable discussing both the commercial and technical sides of a tooling program and will know how to recognize problems before they affect customer timing, cost, or final acceptance. Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without current or future employer sponsorship.