Manager, Tooling Engineering

Hadrian - Manufacturing the Future

Hadrian is building autonomous factories to reindustrialize America. By combining AI, advanced software, robotics, and full-stack manufacturing, we help aerospace and defense companies build rockets, satellites, aircraft, ships, and other mission-critical systems up to 10x faster and at significantly lower cost.

Following our $1.37B Series D at a $7.87B valuation, Hadrian is rapidly expanding our manufacturing footprint, launching new capabilities across welding, casting, forging, electronics, additive manufacturing, and more, while scaling our Factory-as-a-Service platform to transform how critical products are built.

Backed by leading investors including JPMorgan Chase, Valor Equity Partners, Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund, 137 Ventures, Lux Capital, T. Rowe Price, and Morgan Stanley, we’re building the future of American manufacturing-and looking for exceptional people to help make it happen.

If you’re ready to take on the most challenging and rewarding work of your career while helping create American manufacturing jobs for generations to come, you’re exactly who we’re looking for.

Role Summary

As Manager, Tooling Engineering, you will build and lead the team responsible for the design, development, and implementation of precision tooling systems that support efficient, high-quality, large-scale manufacturing. You will set technical direction for tooling solutions across large parts and assemblies, with a focus on performance, reliability, and scalability, while growing and developing the engineers who deliver that work.

You will own both the strategic roadmap for tooling and the outcomes of your team, balancing hands-on technical leadership with the people management, prioritization, and cross-functional coordination required to stand up new production capabilities at pace.

Key Responsibilities

• Build, lead, and develop a team of tooling engineers, including hiring, mentorship, performance management, and career growth.

• Set the technical strategy and roadmap for structural and mechanical tooling that supports large components and assemblies.

• Own delivery and quality of tooling programs across the production lifecycle, from concept through design, build, validation, and continuous improvement.

• Partner with engineering leadership, manufacturing, quality, automation, and program teams to align tooling priorities with production goals and new capability launches.

• Manage vendor and supplier relationships to build, source, and implement tooling systems on schedule and on budget.

• Establish standards, design reviews, and best practices for analysis, documentation, and validation across the team.

• Provide technical guidance and decision-making support on high-load, high-temperature, and other demanding tooling challenges.

• Serve as the tooling point of contact for internal and external stakeholders, including on new business opportunities.

Required Qualifications

• Experience leading or managing engineers, or a track record as a senior technical lead ready to take on a formal people leadership role.

• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes and how tooling supports quality and production efficiency.

• Deep experience designing and delivering tooling systems for complex or large-scale parts and assemblies, such as machining or welding.

• Ability to set direction across both prototyping and continuous improvement efforts while managing multiple concurrent programs.

• Working proficiency in FEA and static analysis to validate tooling under real-world conditions, and fluency in 3D modeling and simulation tools (e.g., SolidWorks, CATIA, NX, or ANSYS) sufficient to guide and review the team's work.

• Knowledge of material selection and fabrication techniques suitable for high-load or high-temperature environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Aerospace, Physics, or a related STEM field.

• Demonstrated success building or scaling an engineering team in a fast-paced manufacturing or hardware environment.

• Strong analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to influence across disciplines.

• Comfortable operating in fast-paced, multidisciplinary environments with evolving priorities.

• Experience partnering with cross-functional teams including design, quality, and automation.

Benefits for Full-time Employees

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans for employees 401k

• Relocation support may be provided for certain situations, based on business need.

• Flexible vacation policy

• Equity

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen or national, lawful permanent resident, protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

Use of AI in hiring

Hadrian uses AI-assisted tools in our recruiting and hiring processes to help our team work more efficiently. This may include tools that help organize and analyze recruiting data, as well as an AI-powered notetaker that can record and transcribe interviews and help coordinate feedback. These tools support our team and are not used to make hiring decisions. All candidate evaluations and hiring decisions are performed by humans. If an interview will be recorded, you will be notified in advance and may opt out at any time with no impact on your candidacy. Candidate data processed through these tools is subject to the same protections described in our Privacy Policy.

Consideration of Criminal History

Hadrian will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of all applicable laws. We do not ask about criminal history on our application, and we do not consider criminal history before making a conditional offer of employment.

Hadrian Is An Equal Opportunity Employer

Hadrian does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of rrace, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, marital status, mental status, physical disability or any other legally protected status. When necessary, the Company also makes reasonable accommodations for disabled candidates and employees, including for candidates or employees who are disabled by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.