Toolmaker (Foam Mould Tooling)
Location: Kempston, Bedford (MK42)
Salary: circa £35,000-£38,000 per annum (DOE)
Job Type: Permanent, Full-time
Hours: Monday-Thursday 07:00-16:00 | Friday 07:00-13:00 (40 hours/week)
The role
We're recruiting an experienced Toolmaker to design, build, maintain and repair moulds and tooling used to produce moulded foam products (e.g., seating, packaging/inserts, insulation, automotive components and protective pieces).
This is a hands-on toolroom role with a genuine long-term opportunity: the successful candidate may progress to Machine Shop Manager in the next couple of years due to planned retirement/succession.
Key responsibilities
- Build, modify, maintain and repair moulds and tooling used for foam production
- Work from engineering drawings/specs and produce tooling to required tolerances
- Fault-find tooling-related production issues and implement effective fixes
- Carry out tooling modifications to improve quality, repeatability and efficiency
- Support production trials / new tooling introduction with Production & Engineering
- Use machining processes as required (manual and/or CNC), including mills and lathes
- Maintain safe working practices and good workshop standards
Essential experience
- Proven Toolmaker / Toolroom / Precision Engineering background
- Ability to read and interpret technical drawings
- Strong practical problem-solving and fault-finding skills
Desirable
- CNC machining experience
- Milling and turning (lathe) experience
- Leadership potential (future supervisory/management pathway)
HRGO Recruitment offers permanent and temporary jobs across the UK. You must have current UK right to work to be considered. We aim to respond to all applications. HRGO is an equal opportunities employer.
