| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Production |
| Level | Manager |
| Reports to | Works Manager |
| Direct reports | Tool Room Engineer, Tool Design Engineer, Tool Room Operator |
| Experience | 12 to 18 years in tool rooms, with 4+ years leading toolmakers |
Tool Room Manager job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Tool Room Manager
Department: Production
Reports to: Works Manager
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Tool Room Manager runs the tool room that designs, makes, maintains and repairs the dies, moulds, jigs, fixtures and gauges the shop floor depends on. They plan tool manufacture and maintenance, manage toolmakers and machinists, control tool cost and tool life, and support new product development with tooling on time. A good tool room manager keeps production free of tool-related stoppages and delivers new tools that pass trials quickly.
Key responsibilities
- Plan tool room work for new tools, modifications and repairs, putting jobs that affect production or launches first.
- Review tool designs with the design team for manufacturability, cost and ease of maintenance before approving manufacture.
- Load jobs across CNC, VMC, wire EDM, EDM, grinding and conventional machines, and check job status every day.
- Run preventive maintenance of dies and moulds on stroke or shot counts, and keep a history card for every tool.
- Lead tool trials with production and quality, and close trial issues until parts are approved.
- Hold tool and gauge inventory, spares and consumables such as inserts, electrodes and EDM wire at set reorder levels.
- Estimate cost and lead time for new tools, and decide between in-house manufacture and outsourcing to tool makers.
- Analyse tool breakdowns and repeat failures, and change design, material or heat treatment to extend tool life.
- Train toolmakers, operators and apprentices, and keep a skill matrix for every machine and process.
- Enforce safe practice on grinding, EDM and the lifting of heavy dies, including crane and sling checks.
Requirements
- Diploma or BE in Tool and Die Making, Mechanical or Production Engineering
- A diploma from NTTF, CITD, a Central Tool Room or an MSME Tool Room is valued
- Training in die design or mould flow software is an advantage
- 12 to 18 years in tool rooms, with 4+ years leading toolmakers
KRAs and KPIs for a Tool Room Manager
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Tool availability | Production stoppages due to tool failure below the monthly limit agreed with production |
| New tool delivery | New tools ready for trial on or before the agreed date for 90 percent of projects |
| Trial success | New tools approved within two trial rounds for most projects in the year |
| Tool life | Average die and mould life between major repairs improved by the yearly target |
| Tool room cost | Spend on outsourced tooling and consumables within the monthly budget |
| Preventive maintenance | 95 percent of tools maintained within their planned stroke or shot count |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Wire EDM and EDM machines, CNC and VMC machines, Surface and cylindrical grinders, Height gauge, micrometers and CMM, NX or Mastercam, Tool history cards.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Works Manager, Plant Manager, Head of Tooling
Interview questions for a Tool Room Manager
- A progressive die cracks halfway through a production run. How do you respond, and how do you prevent it next time?
- How do you decide whether to make a new mould in-house or outsource it?
- What information do you keep on a tool history card?
- Your new tool has failed three trials. How do you find the root cause?
- How do you plan preventive maintenance for 200 dies with different stroke counts?
- How do you train a young toolmaker to your standard?
Managing a Tool Room Manager in ZeniaHR
Hire and manage your production team in one place
Post the role, onboard the new hire, and track attendance, leave and KRAs in ZeniaHR. Free for your first 50 employees.
Book a free demoSee pricingFrequently asked questions
What does a tool room manager do?
A tool room manager leads the team that makes and maintains dies, moulds, jigs, fixtures and gauges for production. They plan tool manufacture and repairs, load machines, run tool trials, keep tool history and control tool cost. Success is measured by tool-related downtime, on time delivery of new tools and tool life.
What qualifications are needed for a tool room manager?
Most tool room managers hold a diploma or degree in tool and die making or mechanical engineering, often from institutes such as NTTF, CITD or an MSME tool room. Around 12 or more years of toolmaking, strong knowledge of EDM, CNC and grinding, and the ability to read and challenge tool designs are expected.
Who does the tool room manager report to?
In most plants the tool room manager reports to the works manager, production head or plant manager. Where tooling mainly supports new product development, the role may report to the engineering head instead. Tool room engineers, toolmakers and tool room operators report to the tool room manager.