Job Description

Overview

Howmet Fastening Systems is seeking a Tooling Specialist III for the Machine Build on the 1st Shift at their aerospace manufacturing facility in Fullerton, CA. This role involves designing and manufacturing specialized custom automation solutions for aerospace fastener manufacturing, utilizing advanced technologies.

Responsibilities

  • Produce machine parts and tooling prints from sketches using CNC mills, lathes, and surface grinders.
  • Make drawings and sketches as needed for critical tools or components.
  • Work accurately to meet precise tolerances of (+ .0005).
  • Independently perform precision assembly of new mechanical systems with limited supervision.
  • Disassemble existing mechanical systems for inspection and recommend repairs or replacements.
  • Machine, assemble, and install machine guarding using aluminum extrusions and polycarbonate sheets.
  • Assemble and install sensors, pneumatics, and electro-mechanical devices.
  • Collaborate with design team and engineers to develop parts and processes for efficient manufacturing.
  • Generate material and supply requests to support assigned work.
  • Provide guidance and support for installed systems at sister sites, requiring occasional local travel.
  • Perform basic preventive maintenance on operated equipment.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of manufacturing quality processes and principles.
  • Maintain a clean, organized, and safe work area, adhering to 5S standards.
  • Engage in conversations for improvements in efficiency, 5S, and productivity.

Requirements

  • 2+ years of machine building or tool-room experience preferred.
  • Demonstrable knowledge of operating principles of common tool room equipment.
  • Ability to convert dimensional prints into CNC positional data using mathematics.
  • Thorough knowledge of precision measuring equipment, shop math, and trigonometry.
  • Experience with Trak machine tools and Siemens Sinumerik or equivalent.
  • Experience assembling and troubleshooting mechanical assemblies, pneumatics, and hydraulics.
  • Willingness to train if the candidate possesses strong adjacent skills or mechanical knowledge.
  • Ability to read and interpret documents in English and complete routine documentation.
  • Legally authorized to work in the United States.

Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • 401k
  • PTO

Additional Information

  • 1st Shift position
  • Location: Fullerton, CA

Benefits

Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
401k
PTO

How this job compares in Fullerton, CA

Pay in context

At roughly $30/hr, this posting comes in about 15% below the $35/hr median for welding jobs across California, where the middle half runs $27–$43/hr across 486 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 32% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. That gap is worth raising directly — in a market this size there is normally room to negotiate toward the median, particularly if you already hold the certifications the posting asks for.

The local market in Fullerton, CA

Fullerton, CA currently has 4 other active welding openings besides this one, spread across 3 employers. 1 of them was added in the last week. Across California as a whole we're tracking 636 other active welding openings from 310 employers. That's enough local activity to be worth comparing two or three offers before committing. Browse every welding job in Fullerton, or widen the search to California.

Howmet Aerospace currently has 4 other openings live in California, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.

The most active employers in California at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are SpaceX (34), Honeywell Aerospace (16), and Valar Atomics (13). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within California, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Redondo Beach at $51/hr, Long Beach at $42/hr, and Los Angeles at $42/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

Similar openings near Fullerton, CA

Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Tooling Specialist III, Machine Build- 1st Shift figures were last recalculated when this page was built.