Lead Engineer - Tooling Process
Howmet Aerospace · Whitehall, MI
- Level
- Manager
- Team
- Process
- Travel
- 30%
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 8+ years
- Certification
- Black Belt preferred
- Industry
- Aerospace & defense
- Posted
- 30+ days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A management process role at Howmet Aerospace (aerospace & defense) in Whitehall, MI. Develop, implement, and maintain standardized tooling requirements and specifications for the business unit, including die materials, tool steel specifications, heat treatment, design rules, tool manufacturing requirements, maintenance practices.
- They ask for
- 8+ years · degree required · Black Belt preferred
- Tools it names
- Six Sigma, Black Belt, Green Belt, Supplier quality, Machining, Casting
- Day to day
- about 30% travel
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026
Process Engineer roles in Michigan: typical posted base $74k–$123k.
Median of the low and high ends of 15 live postings that list pay, out of 41 process engineer openings in Michigan, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Michigan plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 40 other live process postings in Michigan.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- More than usual (8+ vs 3+)
Typical $74k–$123k, from 15 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 3+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ New product launch 49%
- ✓ Tooling 49%
- ✓ Six Sigma 46%
- Root cause 39%
- Lean 39%
- FMEA 37%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for Black Belt, Green Belt, Supplier quality, Painting / coating, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Process team at Howmet Aerospace
We found 2 people at this company and state: 2 in this kind of role. Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. See them ↓
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
Write to Tanya → (free) - 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Is the work mostly new product launches or sustaining existing lines?
- How much time do you spend on the floor versus at a desk?
- The posting says about 30% travel. Between which sites?
- The posting mentions a Black Belt. Does the company sponsor certification?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
This plant: Howmet Aerospace in Whitehall
38 other open roles at this site · 2 people we found in process roles at Howmet Aerospace.
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- Operations Manager · Production · Manager
- Facilities Engineer - Plant 4 - Thermatech · Reliability
- Tool & Die Maker / Moldmaker · Manufacturing · Technician
- Manufacturing Engineer - Plant 10 · Production
- Senior Controls Engineer · Controls · Senior
Full description from Howmet AerospaceAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Essential Functions
- ◆Serve as the Business Unit technical authority for wax injection tooling and ceramic core tooling across all manufacturing locations.
- ◆Develop, implement, and maintain standardized tooling
requirements
and specifications for the business unit, including die materials, tool steel specifications, heat treatment, design rules, tool manufacturing requirements, maintenance practices, inspection standards, and supplier quality requirements.
- ✓Author, maintain, and continuously improve the Business Unit Tooling Manual documenting tooling standards, engineering requirements, and best practices.
- ✓Lead cross-functional workshops with manufacturing, engineering, quality, operations, and tooling suppliers to establish consensus standards and drive enterprise adoption.
- ✓Develop standardized tooling design guidelines to improve manufacturability, tool life, dimensional capability, wax injection quality, and ceramic core quality.
- ✓Standardize tool steel specifications, heat treatment processes, hardness requirements, and metallurgical acceptance criteria to improve tooling durability and coating performance.
- ✓Partner with tooling manufacturers and heat treatment suppliers to improve tooling quality, consistency, and delivery performance.
- ✓Lead development and implementation of standardized die maintenance practices that maximize tool life while minimizing downtime and repair costs.
- ✓Evaluate and implement advanced tooling technologies, including machining methods, artificial intelligence, coatings, surface treatments, wear-resistant materials, and inspection technologies.
- ✓Partner with engineering teams and external suppliers to improve die coating technologies that enhance tool life, wax release, ceramic core quality, dimensional capability, and overall casting quality.
- ✓Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on reducing tooling defects, improving first-pass yield, extending tool life, and reducing tool costs.
- ✓Establish tooling-related KPIs and monitor business unit performance to identify opportunities for improvement.
- ✓Support new product introduction by ensuring tooling designs incorporate business unit standards and best practices.
- ✓Provide technical support and mentoring to manufacturing engineers, tooling engineers, and plant technical teams.
- ✓Benchmark internal and external best practices and identify emerging technologies applicable to investment casting tooling.
- ✓Travel to manufacturing facilities and suppliers as required to support tooling development, audits, training, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Basic
Qualifications
- ✓Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Materials Science, Metallurgical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- ✓Minimum of 8 years of engineering or manufacturing experience in tooling, manufacturing processes, or investment casting.
- ✓Demonstrated expertise in tooling design, manufacturing, maintenance, or process engineering.
- ✓Strong understanding of tool steels, heat treatment, machining processes, dimensional tolerancing, and tooling wear mechanisms.
- ✓Experience developing engineering standards, technical specifications, or manufacturing procedures.
- ✓Experience leading cross-functional technical projects across multiple manufacturing sites.
- ✓Strong technical writing, communication, and presentation skills.
- ✓Ability to influence technical direction and drive standardization without direct organizational authority.
- ✓Willingness to travel up to 30% to manufacturing facilities and suppliers.
- ✓Employees must be legally authorized to work in the United States, verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire, visa sponsorship is not available for this position
- ✓This position is subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) which requires U.S. person status. ITAR defines U.S. person as a U.S. Citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident (i.e. "Green Card Holder"), Political Asylee, or Refugee
Preferred Qualifications
- ✓Experience in aerospace investment casting manufacturing.
- ✓Extensive experience with wax injection tooling and/or ceramic core tooling.
- ✓Knowledge of tool steel metallurgy, vacuum heat treatment, tool coatings, and advanced surface engineering technologies.
- ✓Experience developing tooling standards for multi-site manufacturing organizations.
- ✓Familiarity with CAD, tooling simulation, mold flow analysis, and finite element analysis.
- ✓Experience qualifying tooling suppliers and developing supplier engineering specifications.
- ✓Knowledge of precision machining, EDM, and advanced tooling manufacturing technologies.
- ✓Experience implementing predictive maintenance or digital tooling management systems.
- ✓Experience leading enterprise best practice initiatives and technology roadmaps.
- ✓Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification.
- ✓Project management experience leading large, cross-functional technical initiatives.
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
The Howmet Engines Lead Tooling Process Owner may be located at any of the US Howmet Engines Business Unit facilities. He or she provides enterprise leadership for tooling technologies and standards supporting investment casting operations across Howmet Engine Products. This position is responsible for developing, implementing, and governing standardized tooling practices for wax injection dies and ceramic core dies to improve safety, quality, productivity, tooling longevity, and manufacturing consistency across all facilities.
