Job Description
Lead Tooling Engineer Company Overview Steel Forgings is a leading manufacturer of precision steel pipe fittings (tees, reducers, elbows, caps, saddles) serving the oil and gas industry for over 75 years. We pride ourselves on our commitment to quality, continuous improvement, and innovative manufacturing processes that exceed industry standards. Position Summary The Lead Tooling Engineer owns and leads SFI's tooling function. This is a working leadership role: you will plan, prioritize, and manage tooling and engineering projects from concept through production, direct the work of the tool and die team, and set technical direction for how tooling is designed, built, and maintained. A large part of the job is managing the projects and the people behind them and coordinating across production, quality, maintenance, and outside vendors to keep work on schedule. It is also a hands-on role: you stay close to the design work and the forming floor and are the final technical authority on the tooling that runs our presses.
Tooling Design & CAD Engineering New Tool Design:
Design dies, punches, mandrels, and other types of tooling in CAD (Autodesk Inventor or Fusion 360) for buttweld fittings across SFI's full size range. Support new product development and custom or one-off large-diameter orders. Fixtures, Gauges & Inspection Tooling:
Design and maintain holding fixtures, handling rigs, inspection gauges, and other custom inspection tools. Reverse Engineering & 3D Scanning:
Reverse-engineer existing tooling from paper drawings, physical parts, and 3D scans. Own SFI's 3D scanning and photogrammetry workflow for reverse engineering, and legacy tooling digitization. Manufacturing Drawings:
Produce shop-ready detail drawings with complete GD&T for fabrication by SFI's internal machine shop and outside vendors. Material & Heat Treatment Specification:
Specify tool steels, heat treatment, and surface treatments appropriate for hot-forming at elevated service temperatures (1,600°F+). Production Support & Troubleshooting Die Repair & Refurbishment:
Troubleshoot tooling in production (wear, cracking, dimensional drift, forming defects) and redesign for longer tool life, better yield, and faster changeover. Shop-Floor Collaboration:
Walk the forming lines, review first-article parts, and work directly with operators and setup personnel on die fit and function. Process Feasibility for Custom Orders:
Support the quoting team with tooling feasibility assessments, press tonnage calculations, and forming process recommendations for custom, one-off, and large-diameter work. Machine Guarding & Mechanical Safety:
Design guards, pinch-point protection, and ergonomic aids for forming and handling equipment. Partner with Maintenance and Safety on LOTO and mechanical safety initiatives. Vendor Coordination:
Manage tooling fabrication, rework, and heat treatment with outside vendors; own critical-path timelines and quality acceptance. Root-Cause Analysis:
Partner with Quality, Production, and Maintenance on die-related dimensional, wear, and safety issues. Lead or support RCA investigations. Engineering Projects & Capital Support Capital Equipment Technical Evaluation:
Support the technical evaluation of new capital equipment purchases (presses, forming equipment, machine tools, ancillary systems): specification review, domestic and international vendor comparison, and installation or commissioning support. Tool Life Tracking & Asset Management:
Build and maintain SFI's tooling database: failure modes, cycle counts, wear patterns, and projected replacement timing. Forecast annual tooling capex needs and support purchasing decisions. Forming Simulation (If Applicable): For candidates with simulation experience, serve as SFI's subject-matter expert for forming simulation on new or difficult part geometries. CAM Programming (If Applicable): For candidates with CAM experience, program tooling fabrication operations on SFI's in-house CNC equipment. Documentation & Continuous Improvement ◦ Document and standardize tooling design practices; migrate legacy knowledge into SFI's digital engineering systems. ◦ Maintain tooling revision control, drawing archives, and digital tooling libraries. ◦ Contribute to continuous improvement in throughput, scrap rate, tool life, and changeover time. Cross-Functional Collaboration ◦ Work closely with Manufacturing Engineering, Quality, Production, and Maintenance on tooling-related initiatives. ◦ Support ISO 9001
documentation requirements for tooling design, control, and change management. Required Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, or Industrial Engineering (or related field), or equivalent hands-on experience (typically 10+ years in tool and die design). 5+ years designing tooling for metal forming, forging, stamping, or heavy manufacturing. Strong proficiency in 3D parametric CAD (Autodesk Inventor preferred). Working knowledge of tool steels (H13, 4140, D2, A2, S7), heat treatment, and hardness specifications for hot-work applications. Command of GD&T and the ability to produce complete, unambiguous, shop-ready manufacturing drawings. Comfortable reading legacy paper drawings and reverse-engineering from physical parts. Willing and able to spend meaningful time on the shop floor in a hot, loud, physical manufacturing environment. Must be extremely detail oriented. Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills. Ability to work independently, as well as collaboratively in a team environment. Preferred Qualifications Direct experience in pipe fittings, pressure vessels, forging, or hot-forming operations. Familiarity with ASME B16.9, MSS-SP75, ASME B16.28, ASTM A234
/ A403, or related fitting and forging standards. Forming simulation or FEA experience. 3D scanning or photogrammetry experience for reverse engineering. CNC programming exposure (G-code, CAM software such as Mastercam or Fusion). Experience building or maintaining engineering documentation systems, PDM, or PLM. Prior involvement in equipment commissioning, installation, or process improvement projects. Benefits & Compensation Competitive salary with eligibility for monthly and annual performance bonuses. Health, dental, and vision insurance. Retirement plan with profit-sharing opportunities. Paid time off and comprehensive leave policies. Professional development and training opportunities. Lead and own SFI's tooling function with real autonomy and decision authority. A dynamic work environment where innovation and quality are at the forefront. Benefits:
401(k) Dental insurance Health insurance Life insurance Paid time off Relocation assistance Vision insurance Work Location:
In person
