Tooling Apprentice

Masco•Vista, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Watkins Wellness is hiring a Tooling Technician to join our Vista Tooling team! This role is ideal for individuals who enjoy building things with their hands, thrive in a fast-paced manufacturing environment, and can transform ideas into precision tooling. As a Tooling Technician, you will be responsible for creating and maintaining the molds, patterns, fixtures, and tooling essential for our manufacturing operations. You will work in a hands-on composite shop, where craftsmanship, accuracy, and problem-solving are key. This position offers a chance to enhance your technical skills while collaborating with experienced tooling professionals. Your contributions will include fabricating tooling components, supporting quality and safety goals, and ensuring tools meet specifications for production. The ideal candidate possesses the ability to work with full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), is eager to learn new skills, and can accurately translate drawings and concepts into precise molds, patterns, and tooling.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED required.
Manufacturing, fabrication, tooling, machining, or production experience.
Strong hands-on mechanical aptitude and experience working with hand tools and shop equipment.
Ability to read and interpret drawings, specifications, and work instructions.
Understanding of dimensional tolerances, measurements, layout, squareness, and angular relationships.
Ability to visualize and work with three-dimensional forms and structures.
Strong problem-solving, teamwork, and communication skills.
Ability to work in a fast-paced manufacturing environment while maintaining attention to detail.
Willingness to learn new skills and continue technical development.
Ability to obtain forklift certification.
Comfortable working in a composite shop environment with PPE requirements, hearing protection, and respirator compliance as required.
Must be able to frequently lift and move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, peripheral vision and depth perception.

Nice To Haves

Experience with shaping, bodywork, fabrication, pattern-making, or similar craft-based work preferred.

Responsibilities

Fabricate, modify, repair, and maintain molds, patterns, fixtures, tooling, and related equipment used in manufacturing operations.
Create tooling components that meet dimensional requirements, maintain angular and perpendicular relationships, and support precision manufacturing processes.
Apply hands-on craftsmanship and fabrication techniques to produce and repair tooling and mold surfaces.
Support tooling activities involving hand lay-up processes, fiberglass materials, resins, molds, and pattern construction while following established work instructions.
Participate in troubleshooting, continuous improvement initiatives, and day-to-day problem-solving activities that enhance tooling performance.
Read and apply drawings, specifications, work instructions, and measurement requirements to ensure quality results.
Maintain housekeeping, quality, and safety standards while working in a manufacturing environment that requires PPE and adherence to established procedures.
Support skill development within the team by demonstrating techniques, sharing best practices, and assisting less experienced team members when appropriate.