Laborup

Tool & Die Maker

Laborup  •  $43/hr  •  Illinois (Onsite)  •  27 days ago
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Job Description

We are seeking an experienced Tool & Die Maker to join our established tool room team. We are a premier metal stamping manufacturer producing critical, high-quality components for the automotive and defense industries. This is a hands-on manual shop environment, and we rely on the traditional, highly skilled craftsmanship of our toolmakers to keep our operations running smoothly.

In this role, your primary focus will be on the expert repair, maintenance, and troubleshooting of our extensive library of tooling. You will be responsible for ensuring that our lineup of small to large progressive and transfer dies (ranging from 150-ton to 1500-ton) and our robotic welding fixtures are in tip-top shape. If you take pride in manual machining, precision form grinding, and keeping heavy machinery running flawlessly, you will be a perfect fit for this team.

A Journeyman card is not required—we care about your practical skills and ability to get the job done right.

Compensation

  • $33 - $43 / hr
  • Hourly pay based on experience
  • Apprenticeship training available

Shifts

  • 1st Shift: 7:00 AM - 3:30 PM
  • 2nd Shift: 3:30 PM - 12:00 AM

Responsibilities:

  • Die Maintenance & Repair – Perform preventative maintenance and high-precision repairs on small to large progressive and transfer tooling (150-ton to 1500-ton presses) to ensure zero-defect production.
  • Manual Machining Expertise – Operate traditional manual equipment including mills, lathes, saws, and surface and Blanchard grinders. Sharpen and shim tooling components, with form grinding required.
  • Floor Troubleshooting – Respond to the production floor to diagnose and troubleshoot tooling issues under pressure, minimizing machine downtime.
  • Jig & Fixture Upkeep – Maintain, repair, and adjust robotic and spot welding fixtures to ensure accurate assemblies.
  • Blueprint Reading & Fabrication – Read and interpret complex blueprints to fabricate replacement tooling components directly from prints.
  • Quality & Safety Compliance – Work safely, wear required PPE, and report any unsafe conditions. Demonstrate awareness of and compliance with ISO 9001/14001 and IATF 16949 standards.

Requirements

Qualifications:

Required:

  • Tooling Experience: Proven experience maintaining and repairing progressive and transfer dies in a high-volume manufacturing environment (minimum 1 year within the automotive industry preferred).
  • Manual Machining Skills: High proficiency in operating manual mills, lathes, and grinders (surface/Blanchard).
  • Blueprint Literacy: Strong ability to read blueprints and create or modify tooling components based on print specifications.
  • Problem-Solving Mindset: Excellent troubleshooting skills with the ability to diagnose mechanical issues on the press.
  • Communication: Strong oral and written communication skills.

Preferred:

  • Welding Skills: Experience with welding is highly helpful for fixture repair.
  • Technical Knowledge: Familiarity with In-Die-Sensors and AutoCAD is a strong plus.
  • Language: Bilingual skills are preferred but not required.
  • Certification: Certified Journeyman Tool Maker is welcome, but strictly not required.

Benefits

  • Health, dental, and vision insurance
  • 401(k) retirement savings plan
  • Paid time off, holidays, and personal leave
Laborup

About Laborup

Laborup is the #1 AI powered talent platform for America’s industrial workforce. We use AI to create jobs, not take them away. We help HR and plant leaders hire and keep the skilled workers who keep plants running: machinists, welders, maintenance techs, operators, industrial electricians, and engineers. USA Today called us the “LinkedIn for blue collar workers,” and Forbes profiled our work in “How AI Is Solving America’s 1 Trillion Dollar Manufacturing Labor Crisis.”

Today we work with manufacturers from 50 person shops to large public companies with tens of thousands of employees, and the story is the same everywhere. It is hard to find talent, hard to keep good people, and staffing costs keep rising. In a market where filling critical industrial roles can take months and turnover is constant, Laborup helps teams move qualified workers from first contact to on site interview in days instead of weeks and keep them on the floor longer.

Most of the workers our customers need are not on LinkedIn or the usual job boards. Laborup uses AI to find this hidden workforce, call and text them, screen and qualify them, build real profiles, and match them directly to the plants and roles where they can succeed. For workers, that means real, permanent roles at serious manufacturers, not one off gigs. For companies, it is durable infrastructure for hiring and retention at scale in a labor market that will stay tight for years.

We work across nuclear, defense, and advanced manufacturing, as well as sectors like aerospace, automotive, and food production. Teams that use Laborup hire 5 to 10 times faster, see around 3 times better retention, and cut cost per hire by up to 50 to 70 percent. That turns into fewer empty shifts, fewer missed orders, more stable teams, and more capacity without more headache.

We are building the modern talent system for America’s industrial base with a simple long term goal: put a billion industrial workers to work in good jobs that matter.

Industry
Retail & Ecommerce
Company Size
11-50 employees
Headquarters
Knoxville
Year Founded
Unknown
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