Design Engineer - Tooling & Manufacturability
28 days ago
Minneapolis
Job Description Overview Now Hiring!!! Design Engineer – Tooling & Manufacturability Department: Manufacturing Operations Position Type: Salaried, Full-time Reports to: Manufacturing Manager Work Schedule: 6:00AM – 4:30PM, M-TH Location: Minneapolis, MN 55413 About Klesk Metal Stamping Klesk Metal Stamping Co. manufactures precision metal components for customers across aerospace, industrial, dental, medical, power sports, and telecommunications industries. Many of our customers are Fortune 500 global OEMs. We pride ourselves on high-quality products, dedicated customer service, and a culture grounded in safety, teamwork, and growth for every employee. The Opportunity: The Design Engineer – Tooling & Manufacturability serves as the technical bridge between customer intent and production reality. This role strengthens quoting accuracy, protects margin, and improves launch performance by: • Translating customer prints into practical manufacturing plans, • Defining tooling approaches aligned with our press and process capabilities, • Creating tooling layouts and design intent for in-house and outsourced tool builds Key Responsibilities: 1. Print Review & Quoting Support • Review customer drawings, tolerances, materials, and specifications for manufacturability and risk., • Identify critical features, tolerance stack-ups, material challenges, and forming complexity., • Define proposed manufacturing routings aligned with Klesk equipment and capabilities and outside processes., • Estimate tooling design/build effort and identify assumptions and constraints for quoting., • Flag unclear or high-risk requirements early and support technical clarification through Sales/Estimating. 2. Tooling Process Development & Layout • Develop layouts for progressive dies, blanking and secondary tooling operations. Evaluate press tonnage requirements, feed direction, material utilization, and strip constraints., • Create 2D/3D tooling layouts and communicate clear design intent to the toolroom., • Ensure tooling designs are buildable, serviceable, and aligned with production realities., • Incorporate inspection considerations and critical-to-quality checkpoints into tooling plans., • Design and develop inspection fixtures to check critical design requirements 3. Tooling Execution Support (Build Through Tryout) • Support tooling builds through review, assembly, and tryout., • Implement engineering changes to tooling by planning and executing design updates., • Collaborate with the toolroom and operations to resolve tooling and process issues., • Drive continuous improvement in tooling performance and manufacturability. 4. Cross-Functional Collaboration & Follow-Through • Partner closely with Estimating, Toolroom, Manufacturing, and Quality to align quote assumptions with execution., • Participate in quote-to-launch handoffs to ensure process intent is clearly communicated., • Support root cause analysis and corrective actions related to tooling and stamping performance., • Quotes reflect realistic tooling hours and manufacturing plans., • Fewer tooling rework hours due to clear layout and design intent., • Improved first-pass tool tryout performance., • Reduced post-launch engineering changes driven by manufacturability gaps. Must-Have • Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent practical experience in tool and die design., • 3+ years of experience in metal stamping tooling, die design, or closely related manufacturing engineering., • Working knowledge of GD&T and ability to interpret complex engineering drawings and tolerances., • Experience defining manufacturing steps and tooling approach from a customer print., • Proficiency in 3D CAD software (SolidWorks or similar)., • Strong understanding of stamping fundamentals (forming, blanking, piercing, bending, material behavior)., • Organized and responsive, able to manage multiple quotes and design priorities simultaneously., • Experience designing progressive or stage dies and evaluating press capacity requirements., • Familiarity with simulation tools or forming analysis (not required, but beneficial)., • Experience supporting tooling through build and tryout phases., • Target base salary range: $80,000 – $110,000 annually, • Final compensation based on experience, tooling depth, and demonstrated stamping expertise. As Klesk expands its in-house tooling and manufacturing capabilities, the front-end engineering decisions directly impact margin, delivery performance, and customer satisfaction. This role strengthens both the quoting process and tooling execution, reducing risk before production begins and improving stability once parts hit the press. What We Offer: • The opportunity to be a key player in a forward-thinking company with significant recent investments in modern technology., • A chance to influence and impact company results and teammates everyday., • A dynamic and collaborative environment where your contributions are valued., • Competitive salary and benefits package. Salary range from $80k-$110k annualized plus incentive. This position requires access to technical data subject to U.S. export control regulations under ITAR and EAR. In accordance with these regulations, only U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or lawful permanent residents (green card holders) are eligible for this role. Proof of status will be required prior to employment. EEO Statement: Klesk Metal Stamping Co. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, or any other status protected by law or regulation. It is our intention that all qualified applicants are given equal opportunity and that selection decisions be based on job-related factors. E-Verify Statement: Klesk Metal Stamping Co. participates in the federal government’s E-Verify program, which confirms employment authorization of all newly hired employees and most existing employees through an electronic database maintained by the Social Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security. For all new hires, the E-Verify process is completed in conjunction with the Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification on or before the first day of work. E-Verify is not used as a tool to pre-screen candidates. For up-to-date information on E-Verify, go to and click on 'E-Verify' located near the bottom of the page.