Principal Tooling Engineer
Job Description
Travel: International travel to Denmark (1–2 weeks at a time during the first year; significantly reduced thereafter)
- Design and engineer complex tooling solutions for molds, jigs, and fixtures to meet product and regulatory specifications.
- Participate in design reviews and perform Design for Manufacturability (DFM) evaluations.
- Lead validation of molding tools and troubleshoot tooling or process-related issues.
- Implement cost-effective tooling improvements and engineering changes.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams on tool qualification, sampling, and final part approval.
- Develop and maintain tooling documentation, work instructions, and process standards.
- Provide technical coaching and guidance to tooling technicians and internal engineering staff.
- Deliver status updates aligned with project timelines and customer expectations.
- Support early-phase international collaboration, including travel to Denmark during initial program launch.
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related technical field.
- 15+ years of experience in injection molding tooling design, validation, and troubleshooting.
- Deep expertise in thermoplastics and/or thermosets, mold flow, and molding process optimization.
- Strong background in Design for Manufacturability and tooling qualification.
- Hands-on experience working in manufacturing or tool room environments.
- Proven ability to collaborate across engineering, production, and customer teams.
- Medical device or regulated manufacturing experience.
- Experience supporting global manufacturing transfers or new product launches.
- Familiarity with inspection, measurement tools, and electronic/mechanical test equipment.
- Opportunity to contribute to a high-impact medical manufacturing program.
- Visibility with global customers and leadership teams.
- Key role in bringing advanced production capability to the United States.
- Collaborative environment where senior technical expertise drives real outcomes.
Meet Your Recruiter
Max Francis
Technical Recruiter
Max Francis is a seasoned Engineering Recruiter specializing in the Automation Division at Sterling. With five years of invaluable experience in recruitment, Max is on a mission to help individuals find their perfect career move—one that aligns with their professional goals and supports their families.
As an Engineering Recruiter, Max excels in the Automation Division, leveraging his deep industry knowledge to connect candidates with opportunities tailor-made for their unique skill sets and aspirations. He understands that finding the right career move is a pivotal moment in people's lives, and he thrives on being a part of that journey.
What Max finds most exciting and rewarding about his work is the opportunity to guide individuals to their ideal career fit. He recognizes that this transition is an exhilarating time for most people, and he derives immense satisfaction from helping them navigate the path toward their next professional adventure.
Max's advice to job seekers is grounded in the value of connections. He believes that having a well-connected recruiter within the industry you aspire to be in can open doors to companies and positions that may not be readily available on job boards. In today's competitive job market, he encourages candidates to connect with a recruiter early in their job search journey. While he advocates for candidates to continue their independent job searches, he emphasizes the benefit of having an additional set of experienced eyes on the market.