Director, Advanced Tooling, Advanced Manufacturing & Automation

CSP is the industry leader in the formulation and molding of lightweight, advanced composite components for the transportation industries. As an innovative, full-service Tier One supplier, we offer an entrepreneurial environment where you’re only limited by your own imagination. In addition to our team-focused environment, we provide industry-leading benefits, called BENEfits4U. Our comprehensive offering includes: affordable medical, dental, and vision care; flexible spending accounts; life insurance; 401k with company match and much, much more.

Job Description

1. Department Standards & Governance

• Establish and own the enterprise-wide standards framework for the Advanced Tooling and Automation department, including equipment standards, design standards, build standards, and maintenance standards.
• Develop, document, and enforce Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all core department functions, including:

• Tooling quote scope-of-work development
• Tooling lineup planning and structuring
• Cost breakdown methodology and templates
• Vendor selection and evaluation criteria
• Tooling and equipment acceptance/runoff criteria

• Create and maintain a performance governance model — defining how standards are audited, how compliance is measured, and how deviations are escalated and corrected.
• Serve as the final authority on tooling and equipment standards across all sites, ensuring consistency, cost control, and quality.

2. Tooling Quoting & Cost Standards

• Define the standard format and process for tooling quote scope of work, ensuring quotes are complete, comparable across suppliers, and aligned to program requirements.
• Establish standardized tooling lineup structures (e.g., mold sets, fixtures, secondary equipment, automation cells) for consistent program planning.
• Develop standardized cost breakdown structures (material, labor, engineering, controls, freight, contingency, etc.) to improve quote accuracy, cost transparency, and negotiation leverage.
• Own the RFQ process for tooling and capital equipment, ensuring apples-to-apples supplier comparisons.

3. Advanced Tooling Design & Development

• Lead design, development, and validation of advanced tooling for composite molds, secondary equipment, and automation systems.
• Oversee tooling readiness for new program launches, ensuring durability, repeatability, and on-time delivery.
• Drive innovation into the tooling portfolio — evaluating new materials, processes, and design methodologies (e.g., additive manufacturing, simulation-driven design, modular/reconfigurable tooling) to improve cost, speed, and performance.

4. Advanced Manufacturing & Automation Development

• Develop and implement advanced manufacturing technologies, including automation, robotics, predictive maintenance, and Industry 4.0 tools.
• Lead automation development end-to-end: concept, business case, design, integration, validation, and scale-up to full production.
• Validate new processes and automated systems through pilot lines, ensuring scalability and reliability prior to full deployment.
• Identify and prioritize automation opportunities based on labor efficiency, ergonomics, throughput, and ROI.

5. Controls Standardization

• Establish enterprise-wide controls standards (PLC platforms, HMI design, safety architecture, network/communication protocols, naming conventions, documentation standards) to ensure consistency, maintainability, and reduced spare-parts complexity across sites.
• Partner with controls engineering and IT/OT teams to ensure new automation and tooling projects comply with controls standards from concept through commissioning.
• Drive standardization of controls documentation, change management, and cybersecurity practices across all automated systems.

6. Supplier & Vendor Management

• Partner with suppliers to deliver best-in-class tooling and automation solutions within budget and timing requirements.
• Develop and administer a formal vendor evaluation program — scoring suppliers on quality, cost, delivery, engineering capability, and responsiveness — to guide sourcing decisions and build a preferred supplier base.
• Lead supplier performance reviews and drive corrective action when standards are not met.

7. Continuous Improvement & Manufacturing Standards

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on throughput, scrap reduction, labor efficiency, and ergonomics.
• Define and deploy enterprise standards for manufacturing layouts, material flow, ergonomics, and process optimization.
• Benchmark industry trends and em