Production Engineer - Tool Designer

Job Description

Job Description

Production Engineer - Tool Designer

About Electra:

At Electra, we're pioneering sustainable aviation by developing hybrid-electric Ultra Short Takeoff and Landing aircraft designed to transform regional air mobility, by making air travel more efficient, quieter, and environmentally friendly. Able to operate from soccer field-sized spaces, our Ultra Short unlocks a new era of aviation through what we call Direct Aviation - the next level of connectivity bringing air travel closer to where we live, work, and play. Headquartered in Northern Virginia, with additional locations in Switzerland, we're building a diverse team of global professionals passionate about redefining the future of aviation.

Position Overview:

Electra is seeking a Production Engineer - Tool Designer to support the design, fabrication, and deployment of tooling for aircraft structures and assemblies. This role will be instrumental in developing and maturing assembly jigs, fixtures, and other critical production tools for Electra's next-generation aircraft. The ideal candidate will combine strong CAD-based design skills with hands-on shop floor experience to ensure manufacturable, precise, and reliable tooling solutions that meet the highest standards of aerospace quality.

Key Responsibilities & Essential Functions:

• Generate tooling concepts for small, medium, and large assembly jigs in support of aircraft production.
• Collaborate with manufacturing engineering to refine, validate, and mature tool design concepts.
• Develop complete tooling designs and engineering data packages ready for fabrication.
• Partner with suppliers during fabrication and participate in final verification and acceptance of new tools.
• Support first article build activities and tool ring-out processes during initial production phases.
• Perform dimensional management studies to confirm tooling accuracy and conformance within tolerance bands.
• Participate in design reviews and configuration/change boards to ensure alignment with production and design requirements.
• Prepare and present design concepts, progress, and recommendations to senior engineers and leadership teams.

Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• 5+ years of experience in aerospace tooling design, manufacturing engineering, or related design disciplines.

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• Proven experience designing tooling for subassembly and large-scale assembly jigs.
• Minimum 2000 hours of tool design using CAD (NX, SolidWorks, or CATIA).
• Strong understanding of aerospace manufacturing processes, including hydroforming, metal-to-metal bonding, and composite vacuum tooling.
• Proficient with ANSI Y14.x GD&T standards and Model-Based Definition (MBD) practices.
• Familiarity with dimensional management (DM) and tolerance analysis.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with suppliers, fabricators, and cross-functional engineering teams.
• Excellent communication skills and proficiency in creating technical documentation and presentations.

Desired Skills and Qualifications:

• Experience with tooling verification, inspection, and acceptance processes.
• Familiarity with PLM systems and digital thread workflows.
• Experience supporting aircraft or aerospace component production environments.
• Knowledge of lean manufacturing principles and continuous improvement initiatives.

Location & Additional Information:

• Location: Headquarters in Manassas, VA . Strong preference for on-site presence to enable close collaboration with design and manufacturing teams.
• Travel: Occasional (<10%).
• Salary: $120,000-$140,000 Our salary ranges reflect the minimum and maximum range for the Company level overall across all locations & projects and does not necessarily reflect the budgeted amount for this position. Individual pay is based on additional factors, including project budgets, job-related skills, experience, relevant education and/or training, role, level, location, and project.