What are the responsibilities and job description for the Mold & Tooling Designer, Contractor position at Beehive Industries?
Beehive Industries is dedicated to Powering American Defense by revolutionizing the design, development, and delivery of jet propulsion systems to support the warfighter. Through the integration of additive manufacturing, the company aims to meet the growing and urgent needs for unmanned aerial defense by dramatically improving a jet engine’s speed to market, fuel efficiency, and cost.
Founded in 2020, the company is headquartered in Centennial, Colorado, with additional facilities in Knoxville, Tennessee, Loveland Ohio, and Mount Vernon, Ohio. Beehive is committed to grow and advance the defense industrial base while manufacturing exclusively in the USA. This role will be located at our Loveland, Ohio facility.
Role Overview
Investment Casting Mold Designer is responsible for the design, development, and optimization of complex tooling and mold systems for advanced investment casting applications. This role integrates traditional casting design principles with additive manufacturing technologies to enable rapid iteration, reduced lead times, and improved casting performance—particularly for aerospace and high-performance alloy components.
What You'll Do...
Beehive Industries offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes group Medical, Dental, Life, and Short and Long-Term disability coverage from day one. We also offer a generous 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan with a Company match. Every role at Beehive Industries is bonus eligible and will also receive equity in the company.
Beehive Industries is committed to full compliance with applicable anti-discrimination laws. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We strive to create an inclusive work environment and will not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
Founded in 2020, the company is headquartered in Centennial, Colorado, with additional facilities in Knoxville, Tennessee, Loveland Ohio, and Mount Vernon, Ohio. Beehive is committed to grow and advance the defense industrial base while manufacturing exclusively in the USA. This role will be located at our Loveland, Ohio facility.
Role Overview
Investment Casting Mold Designer is responsible for the design, development, and optimization of complex tooling and mold systems for advanced investment casting applications. This role integrates traditional casting design principles with additive manufacturing technologies to enable rapid iteration, reduced lead times, and improved casting performance—particularly for aerospace and high-performance alloy components.
What You'll Do...
- Lead the design of ceramic molds, cores, and gating systems for investment casting (EQ, DS, and SX where applicable)
- Develop DFM/DFA strategies to optimize yield, reduce defects, and improve producibility
- Integrate additive manufacturing (Binder jet, DLP, SLA, Wax, etc.) where applicable) into mold and tooling workflows
- Create and refine mold architectures for 3D printed ceramic systems, including:
- Wall thickness optimization
- Drainage/venting strategies
- Print orientation and segmentation
- Collaborate with process engineers to align mold design with:
- Pour strategy (including ladle-less / direct pour concepts)
- Thermal gradients and solidification behavior
- Furnace and preheat conditions
- Utilize casting simulation tools (MAGMA, ProCAST, etc.) to validate designs and predict defects
- Drive rapid iteration cycles by leveraging digital workflows and additive processes
- Support new product introduction (NPI) and prototype-to-production transitions
- Troubleshoot casting defects including:
- Shrinkage, porosity, hot tearing
- Misruns, inclusions, and ceramic-related defects
- Interface with manufacturing to ensure designs are compatible with:
- Automated or semi-automated production cells
- High-mix / low-volume environments
- Contribute to development of next-generation casting technologies
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, or related field
- 3-8 years of experience in investment casting tooling/mold design
- Deep understanding of:
- Gating and risering design
- Solidification principles
- Ceramic shell and core behavior
- Experience with Ni-based superalloys (IN718, MAR-M247, Rene alloys, etc.)
- Proficiency in CAD software (NX, SolidWorks, etc.)
- Proficiency in PLM, PDM workflows and revisioning/BOM control
- Experience with casting simulation software (MAGMA, ProCAST, Flow-3D, etc.)
- The ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government issued security clearance is required. U.S. Citizenship is required, as only U.S. Citizens are eligible for a security clearance
- Direct experience with additive manufacturing in casting applications, especially:
- Ceramic binder jet printing
- Printed molds/cores for investment casting
- Experience in aerospace or defense manufacturing (AS9100 environment)
- Familiarity with:
- DS/SX casting processes
- Vacuum casting furnaces
- Experience working in digitally integrated or “smart factory” environments
- Knowledge of automation and high-throughput casting systems
Beehive Industries offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes group Medical, Dental, Life, and Short and Long-Term disability coverage from day one. We also offer a generous 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan with a Company match. Every role at Beehive Industries is bonus eligible and will also receive equity in the company.
Beehive Industries is committed to full compliance with applicable anti-discrimination laws. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We strive to create an inclusive work environment and will not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.