The ideal candidate must possess the following abilities and skills:

• Verify dimensions, alignments, and clearances of finished parts for conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments such as calipers, gauge blocks, micrometers, and dial indicators. Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
• Study blueprints, sketches, models, or specifications to plan sequences of operations for fabricating tools, dies, or assemblies. Review blueprints or other instructions to determine operational methods or sequences.
• Set up and operate conventional or computer numerically controlled machine tools such as lathes, milling machines, and grinders to cut, bore, grind, or otherwise shape parts to prescribed dimensions and finishes. Operate metal or plastic forming equipment and operate grinding equipment.
• Visualize and compute dimensions, sizes, shapes, and tolerances of assemblies, based on specifications. Calculate dimensions of workpieces, products, or equipment.
• Inspect finished dies for smoothness, contour conformity, and defects. Inspect metal, plastic, or composite products.
• Fit and assemble parts to make, repair or modify jigs, gauges, and tools using machine tools and hand tools. Assemble machine tools, parts or fixtures.
• Conduct test runs with completed tools or dies to ensure that parts meet specifications, making adjustments as necessary. Inspect metal, plastic, or composite products.
• File, grind, shim and adjust different parts to properly fit them together. Smooth metal surfaces or edges and operate grinding equipment. 
• Select metals to be used from a range of metals and alloys, based on properties such as hardness and heat tolerance.
• Lift, position and secure machined parts on surface plates or worktables using hoists, vises, v-blocks or angle plates. 
• Develop and design new tools and dies using computer-aided design software.
• Set up and operate drill presses to drill and tap holes in parts for assembly.