Tool & Die Maker (2nd Shift)

Who We Are:
Challenge Manufacturing’s mission is to manufacture with operational excellence by empowering our employee-owners. As a leading tier 1 supplier of complex metal assemblies for the global automotive industry, we drive innovative solutions for future mobility. We believe the best ideas come from individual unique perspectives. These ideas combined with the teamwork of industry leaders allow us to accomplish any challenge. Our team members take pride in the work we do and embody our core values of safety, ownership, and teamwork every day; they are the true driving force in our operations.

Challenge is proud to be one of the largest employee-owned automotive companies in North America. One of the many benefits of joining the Challenge team is the ESOP program. This program allows Challenge to give shares of the Company to all employee-owners annually. These shares are an additional retirement benefit that will continue to grow during your time at Challenge. Being part of an ESOP means our employee-owners share in Challenge’s success!

Challenge is #QualityDriven and #PeoplePowered!

Who We Want: Challenge Manufacturing is looking for Tool & Die Repair, Tool & Die Makers (Journeyperson or non) Levels I-III for our Richmond, KY Location.

What You'll Do:

• Responsible for the maintenance of all production dies, assuring that they are in proper working condition and capable of producing quality parts.

• This includes applying tool making skills to the direct maintenance of dies in house as well as working with outside vendors to build and maintain dies.

• Repair and maintain forms and dies on a regular schedule and through work requests generated by the computerized maintenance management system.

• Schedule, negotiate timetables, monitor progress, and validate the quality of work with external mold/die vendors.

• Verify dimensions, alignments, and clearances of finished parts for conformance to specifications using measuring instruments such as calipers, gauge blocks, micrometers, and dial indicators.

• Studies specifications such as blueprints, sketches, models, or descriptions, and visualizes product to determine materials required and machines to be used to fabricate parts

• Troubleshoot, maintain, and repair dies, die components, and tooling used in the production process. Analyzes specifications, lays out metal stock, and sets up and operations machine tools to make and repair dies.

• Studies specifications such as blueprints, sketches, models, or descriptions, and visualizes product to determine materials required and machines to be used to
fabricate parts.

• Sets up and operates machine tools such as lathes, milling machine, shaper, and grinder, to machine parts, and verifies conformance of machined parts to
specifications.

• Lifts machined parts and positions and secures parts on surface plate or worktable.

• Smooths flat and contoured surfaces using power grinders and fits and assembles parts together and into assemblies and mechanisms.

• Heat treats tools or parts.

• Examines standard or previously used dies, tools, and jigs and fixtures, and recommends design modifications regarding construction and function of part.

• Utilize calipers, micrometers, gauge pins and blocks, various other types of measurement equipment.

• Set up and change dies on small and large (200 Ton to 2500 Ton) progressive, secondary and transfer presses according to prescribed Job Element Sheets (JES) and die set up sheets to ensure quality parts are produced per the company’s quality standards, production schedules and engineering specifications.

• Position and safely clamp dies/tools, feed guides, and guarding.

• Thread metal strip from coils through pinch rollers, and/or loads dies/tools with metal blanks.

• Installs part ejection, and air blasts/external oilers.

When and Where: This will be a 2nd shift / 2:30PM-11:00PM M-F position located at our plant in Richmond, KY.

Occasionally, this may require you to arrive early, stay late, or work on weekends, outside of our regular hours, to ensure we successfully meet customer needs, deadlines, or urgent requests.

What You Need to Have:

• The right candidate must be 18 years or older

• Proficient math skills

• Mechanical skills and basic computer skills

• Candidate must be able to work in manufacturing environment with loud machinery, oils and lubricants, cleaning supplies, power tools, overhead cranes and hi-lo traffic.

• Candidate must be able to do physical work which includes lifting to 50 lbs., using power tools, constant standing and walking, some bending and climbing, pushing and pulling.

• Ability to read, write, speak, and understand English at a level sufficient to safely and effectively perform job duties, including following work instructions, safety procedures, and company communications.

What We Offer:
We’re excited to offer a range of awesome benefits, including medical, dental, and vision insurance, a Health Savings Account with annual employer contributions, Flexible Spending Accounts, company-paid Short-Term Disability and Basic Life Insurance, Voluntary Life and Long-Term Disability options, an Employer 401k Match, ESOP shares, tuition reimbursement, a Referral Bonus Program, Challenge Incentive Program, and paid time off.

Please note, while these benefits are part of what we offer, they may not all apply to this specific role. The details shared in this job description are intended to give you a general idea, but duties and responsibilities may evolve over time, with or without notice. And of course, we’re happy to provide reasonable accommodations to help individuals with disabilities succeed in their role.