Tool Room Supervisor

I. Purpose of the Job

The Tool Room Supervisor is responsible for driving process excellence across the BBU manufacturing operation, enhancing efficiency, quality, and cost performance through structured continuous improvement initiatives.

The role also has leadership accountability for the Tooling Department, ensuring robust tooling design, availability, and performance, alongside ownership and governance of process recipes, tooling Bills of Materials (BOMs), and associated technical documentation.

II. Roles & Responsibilities

Process Improvement & Technical Leadership
• Define, lead, and execute continuous improvement and process development initiatives aligned with operational and strategic objectives.
• Apply structured root cause analysis and problem-solving methodologies to resolve production and engineering issues, delivering sustainable, long-term solutions.
• Establish and maintain robust process controls and rolling parameters across all manufacturing lines.
• Own and continuously improve process standards, recipes, and documentation to ensure consistency and best practice adoption.
• Use analytic skills to make data-driven decisions

Tooling Strategy & Execution
• Lead the tooling function, ensuring the timely manufacture of tooling to the required specification and quality standards.
• Design and develop tooling and process routes for new product enquiries, ensuring technical feasibility and cost efficiency.
• Continuously optimise existing tooling solutions to improve performance, lifespan, and cost effectiveness.
• Maintain tooling BOMs, drawings, and technical documentation to a high standard.
• Ensure tooling stock levels are maintained in line with agreed targets to support uninterrupted production.

Cross-functional Collaboration
• Review new orders and contracts from a technical perspective and provide timely feedback to Supply Chain and relevant stakeholders.
• Collaborate closely with Production, Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain teams to ensure alignment and operational excellence.
• Work with Quality to ensure all measuring equipment is calibrated within required timescales.

Supplier & Cost Management
• Partner with tool steel and tooling suppliers to optimise cost, quality, and performance.
• Lead tooling trials and validation activities to ensure technical and commercial effectiveness.
• Align toolroom budgets and costs with Operational Finance, ensuring accurate reporting and P&L accountability.

People Leadership & Development
• Lead, coach, and develop the tooling team to ensure high levels of technical competence and performance.
• Manage staffing levels in line with business requirements, ensuring flexibility and appropriate shift coverage.
• Conduct performance reviews, appraisals, and regular development discussions with team members.
• Support and lead the development of apprentices within the tooling function.
• Ensure full compliance with company policies, procedures, and relevant agreements.

Operational Excellence & Compliance
• Ensure planned maintenance activities on tooling equipment are completed on schedule.
• Lead 5S and visual management standards within the toolroom, maintaining a safe, organised, and efficient working environment.
• Actively participate in daily operational meetings, contributing to plant efficiency and performance improvements.

III. Skills & Competencies

• Proven experience in a manufacturing environment, ideally within wire or metals industry 
• Demonstrated experience in tooling, process engineering or technical leadership roles
• Strong background in process improvement methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma, or equivalent)
• Qualification in Engineering (Mechanical, Materials or Industrial) Degree or HNC level desired