Toolroom Lead

Lead Responsibility - Toolroom

The Toolroom Lead is a hands-on working leader responsible for coordinating daily Toolroom activities providing technical guidance to die makers and ensuring tooling readiness to support production. This role oversees work prioritization preventive maintenance execution tooling repairs inventory coordination and operational communication while actively performing toolroom work. This is a Working Lead role responsible for providing technical leadership work coordination training and coaching while continuing to perform hands-on toolroom duties. Formal employee management responsibilities remain with the Department Manager.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Coordination

• Coordinate and prioritize daily work assignments for die makers.
• Provide technical guidance troubleshooting support and training.
• Support a culture of safety quality accountability and continuous improvement.
• Communicate tooling issues priorities and risks to management.

Tooling & Preventive Maintenance

• Coordinate and monitor preventive maintenance activities for dies and tooling.
• Ensure maintenance activities are completed and documented.
• Support tooling repairs troubleshooting and production readiness.
• Manage spare tooling components and inventory requirements.

Operational Support

• Monitor tooling workflow to support production schedules and minimize downtime.
• Ensure dies are reviewed and ready for production startup.
• Escalate tooling quality capacity or resource concerns as needed.
• Partner with Operations Engineering and Quality to resolve tooling issues.

Reporting & Inventory

• Maintain daily toolroom and press room reports.
• Track die performance repair status and tooling availability.
• Coordinate toolroom supply replenishment and inventory controls.
• Maintain accurate tooling and maintenance records.

Scheduling Support

• Monitor daily staffing levels and planned absences to support departmental workflow requirements.
• Coordinate employee scheduling needs with department management.
• Assist with workforce planning to ensure adequate coverage of critical tooling activities.

**Note: The position does not have authority for:

• Hiring or termination decisions
• Discipline or corrective actions
• Performance evaluations
• Compensation or promotion decisions
• Payroll processing and approval responsibilities

Qualifications

Education: High school diploma or equivalent required. Tool & Die apprenticeship Journeyman certification or equivalent experience preferred.

Experience

• Extensive experience in tool and die making die maintenance tooling repair and punch press operations.
• Strong knowledge of preventive maintenance programs tooling troubleshooting and die setup.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings tooling prints and specifications.
• Proven ability to diagnose die issues and implement corrective actions.

Skills

• Strong leadership organizational and communication skills.
• Ability to coordinate multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Experience training and mentoring skilled trades employees.
• Proficient with Microsoft Outlook Teams Syteline and related business systems.

Success Measures

Success in this role is measured by:

• Preventive maintenance compliance.
• Reduction in die-related downtime.
• Tooling readiness and availability.
• Achievement of safety quality throughput and productivity goals.
• Timely completion of tooling priorities.
• Accurate reporting and communication.
• Effective training and development of die makers.
• Strong teamwork and accountability within the Toolroom.