Smith Brothers Tool Company is hiring a Manufacturing Project Manager to lead tooling, fixture, gauge, and precision manufacturing projects from kickoff through delivery.
This role is a good fit for someone who can manage customer requirements, timelines, budgets, engineering changes, vendors, and shop-floor execution in a technical manufacturing environment. Direct aerospace jig and fixture experience is a plus, but we’re also interested in candidates with strong project management, program management, manufacturing engineering, tooling, fixture, CNC machining, fabrication, or precision manufacturing backgrounds.
What you’ll do
- Lead tooling, fixture, gauge, and precision manufacturing projects from kickoff through completion.
- Review customer requirements, RFQs, prints, CAD models, timelines, and project scope.
- Build and maintain project plans, schedules, milestones, action items, and status updates.
- Coordinate work across engineering, machining, fabrication, welding, assembly, inspection, purchasing, vendors, and customers.
- Track project costs, material needs, outside processing, resource constraints, and delivery risks.
- Communicate project status, risks, open issues, and next steps to customers and internal teams.
- Help resolve technical, scheduling, quality, or production issues before they delay delivery.
- Support project handoff from estimating or sales into engineering and production.
- Keep documentation, customer communication, and project records organized and current.
What we’re looking for
- 3+ years of project management, program management, manufacturing engineering, production leadership, or technical coordination experience in a manufacturing environment.
- Experience working with tooling, fixtures, gauges, CNC machining, fabrication, welding, assembly, precision manufacturing, aerospace, defense, automotive tooling, or custom manufacturing.
- Ability to read and understand blueprints, CAD drawings, technical specifications, RFQs, or manufacturing work instructions.
- Strong communication, organization, follow-up, and problem-solving skills.
- Comfortable working directly with customers, engineers, vendors, and shop-floor teams.
- Able to manage multiple projects, deadlines, and priorities at the same time.
**Nice to have
**
- Experience with aerospace tooling, jigs, fixtures, gauges, or assembly tools.
- Knowledge of AS9100, aerospace quality requirements, GD&T, or inspection processes.
- Experience with project management tools, ERP/MRP systems, Microsoft Project, or similar scheduling tools.
- PMP, Lean, Six Sigma, or similar training is a plus, but not required.
- Background in automotive tooling, defense manufacturing, tool & die, fixture building, CNC machining, fabrication, or custom precision manufacturing.
Compensation and benefits
- Competitive pay based on experience.
- 401(k) with company match
- Health, dental, and vision insurance
- Health Savings Account
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Stable, hands-on manufacturing environment with long-term growth opportunities
Smith Brothers Tool Company is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status.
You should be proficient in: