How to hire a tooling manager

How to hire a tooling manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step tooling manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a tooling manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new tooling manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a tooling manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The tooling manager hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect tooling manager also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of tooling managers.

   Type of Tooling Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Tooling Manager		$42-75
   Operations Team Leader	An operations team leader is an individual who manages teams, encouraging cooperation, productivity, and teamwork. Operations team leaders foster team unity and enhance the daily efficiency of the companies or any business establishment... Show more	$13-51
   Operation Supervisor	Operations supervisors manage a specific operations-related team or department. They ensure that all the agreed-upon key performance indicators are being met... Show more	$17-41

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Project Management
   • Continuous Improvement
   • CNC
   • CAD
   • Preventative Maintenance
   • Process Improvement
   • Java
   • Machine Shop
   • Management System
   • Sigma
   • Direct Reports
   • R
   • Quality Standards
   • Plastic Injection Molds

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage fastener development and prototyping, and work to reduce cost across large part of fastener commodities.
   • Lead JSA prior to picking up tools to run in wellbore and to pulling out wellbore and laying down tools.
   • Supervise fishing operations and manage rig controls and risk analyses.
   • Manage daily operations of precision machining facility that produces components for the medical and aerospace industry.
   • Manage workflow and oversee strict cleanroom operations, assuring compliance with FDA specifications including labeling and packaging traceability.
   • Perform many duties including, manual machining, operation of CNC mills, lathes, sinker and wire EDM's.

   More tooling manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your tooling manager job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A tooling manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a tooling manager in Virginia may be lower than in Wyoming, and an entry-level tooling manager usually earns less than a senior-level tooling manager. Additionally, a tooling manager with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average tooling manager salary

   $118,897yearly

   $57.16 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level tooling manager salary

   $89,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average tooling manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Wyoming	$176,321	$85
   2	South Carolina	$159,192	$77
   3	California	$155,468	$75
   4	Arizona	$153,403	$74
   5	Massachusetts	$151,429	$73
   6	District of Columbia	$149,032	$72
   7	New York	$145,776	$70
   8	Louisiana	$143,368	$69
   9	North Dakota	$143,221	$69
   10	Colorado	$132,501	$64
   11	New Jersey	$131,890	$63
   12	Texas	$131,846	$63
   13	Georgia	$128,736	$62
   14	Nevada	$127,725	$61
   15	Florida	$126,664	$61
   16	Indiana	$126,354	$61
   17	Illinois	$125,928	$61
   18	Maryland	$123,211	$59
   19	Washington	$122,797	$59
   20	Michigan	$122,784	$59

   Average tooling manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$180,797	$86.92	21
   2	Apple	$162,409	$78.08	20
   3	Zoox	$152,485	$73.31
   4	RingCentral	$136,613	$65.68
   5	Amazon	$135,885	$65.33	10
   6	Blue Nile	$134,270	$64.55
   7	Rehrig Pacific	$131,825	$63.38	5
   8	Tesla	$128,838	$61.94	1
   9	Nuance Communications	$128,808	$61.93
   10	Altice USA	$128,103	$61.59
   11	Woodbridge Corporation	$127,855	$61.47
   12	Samsung Electronics Device Solutions (Semiconductor & Display)	$125,511	$60.34
   13	Nokia	$124,874	$60.04
   14	Qorvo	$124,817	$60.01
   15	Inline Plastics	$124,210	$59.72
   16	Philips	$123,666	$59.45
   17	Allison Transmission	$123,532	$59.39
   18	Rexam Closure Systems Inc	$121,441	$58.39
   19	Pokémon	$120,751	$58.05
   20	Hilton	$119,245	$57.33

4. Writing a tooling manager job description

   A job description for a tooling manager role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a tooling manager job description:

   Tooling manager job description example

   Zoox is looking for a technical manager to join our Firmware Tools team, with a focus on infrastructure. As a manager on the Firmware Tools team, you will technically lead, hire, train and retain a team of software developers focused on developing and integrating internal and external tools for automated firmware prototyping, development, testing and integration. This role requires someone passionate about automation infrastructure using both existing test frameworks, as well as developing new ones. The ideal candidate has proven experience in developing cross-platform software with continuous integration and deployment techniques in a team environment.
   This role is flexible to work onsite in our Bay Area office or San Diego office
   
   About the Team
   The Firmware Tools team designs and develops automated processes, tools and infrastructure to support on-vehicle firmware development and testing. Many projects are short term, allowing each developer to follow projects through their full life cycles while still jumping into a multitude of opportunities. On the Firmware Tools team, we utilize a variety of Python libraries. Many of our tools utilize multiprocessing and multithreading to provide performant software to test firmware using HIL and SIL test frameworks. Additionally, we support testing of on-vehicle communications, including CAN, LIN and pub/sub protocols.
   
   Some examples of tools we've developed include:Controller Area Network (CAN) client and data logger CAN over Ethernet Transport LibraryPython Library for the extraction, manipulation and analysis of vehicle data Python DAQ interface library for use in HIL testing Command and control for a variety of programmable power supply units (PSUs) UDS client
   ResponsibilitiesLead and contribute to test infrastructure design and development activities Work cross functionally with firmware developers, validation engineers and other experts to ensure a robust and reliable test infrastructure Create opportunities to automate testing and to optimize development and test processes Construct technical plans, manage priorities and schedules Assist with sprint planning and retrospectives Perform code reviews and enforce coding practices Hire, mentor and assist with the professional development of Tools engineers
   QualificationsBS in computer science, computer engineering, or a similar discipline 8+ years of relevant work experience Experience developing automation frameworks/toolchains for automated test execution Technical and team leadership skills Object-oriented programming experience (Python preferred) Experience building cross-platform software with source control (Git) Strong organizational, interpersonal and communication skills Positive attitude, team player and ability to quickly adapt to changes
   Bonus Qualifications CI and build systems (e.g. Bamboo, Jenkins, etc.) Python libraries (e.g. pybind, pytest, pandas, python-can, plotly, matplotlib, etc.) HIL and/or SIL Test Frameworks Multiprocessing and multithreading Databases (e.g. MongoDB, PostgreSQL, etc.)
   Vaccine Mandate
   
   Employees working in this position will be required to have received a single dose of the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine OR have completed the two-dose Pfizer or Moderna vaccine series. In addition, employees will be required to receive a COVID-19 booster vaccine by the earlier of (1) April 15 or (2) within two months of becoming eligible for the booster vaccine.
   
   Employees will be required to show proof of vaccination status upon receipt of a conditional offer of employment. That offer of employment will be conditioned upon, among other things, an Applicant's ability to show proof of vaccination status. Please note the Company provides reasonable accommodations in accordance with applicable state, federal, and local laws.
   
   About Zoox
   
   Zoox is developing the first ground-up, fully autonomous vehicle fleet and the supporting ecosystem required to bring this technology to market. Sitting at the intersection of robotics, machine learning, and design, Zoox aims to provide the next generation of mobility-as-a-service in urban environments. We're looking for top talent that shares our passion and wants to be part of a fast-moving and highly execution-oriented team.
   
   Follow us on LinkedIn
   
   A Final Note:
   You do not need to match every listed expectation to apply for this position. Here at Zoox, we know that diverse perspectives foster the innovation we need to be successful, and we are committed to building a team that encompasses a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and skills.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find tooling managers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your tooling manager job on Zippia to find and recruit tooling manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit tooling managers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new tooling manager

   Once you've decided on a perfect tooling manager candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new tooling manager. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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