Job DescriptionJob Description A day in this role
You start your morning reviewing a new model for an NPI part, translating customer drawings into a clean toolpath strategy. By mid-morning, you've designed a quick-change fixture to reduce setup time and created setup documentation that makes the process repeatable. After lunch, you're on the floor proving out a first article, dialing in speeds and feeds, validating dimensions, and coaching a machinist on a new program handoff. You wrap up by capturing lessons learned, updating programs for throughput, and planning tomorrow's trials with a tooling vendor.
What you will own
- Author CNC programs directly from engineering drawings, solid models, and specifications for production and NPI work.
- Design and develop fixtures that enable efficient CNC setups and rapid changeovers.
- Collaborate across engineering, manufacturing engineering, quality, and operations to ensure accurate handoffs that meet customer and organizational requirements.
- Choose tooling based on material, cutter geometry, speeds/feeds, and machining strategy to balance quality and cycle time.
- Create and maintain setup sheets, work instructions, and other documentation for consistent, repeatable processes.
- Run and validate first-article parts to confirm programs produce conforming components.
- Continuously refine programs, tooling, and methods to elevate quality, efficiency, and throughput.
- Train machinists on new components, processes, and programs to ensure smooth transitions into production.
- Partner with engineering and manufacturing engineering to optimize toolpaths and resolve process or quality issues.
- Engage with tooling suppliers and technical consultants to pilot new tools, methods, and technologies.
- Contribute to workforce development through on-the-job training and knowledge sharing.
- Advance the CNC programming team by exploring new programming techniques, tools, and training opportunities.
- Complete required paperwork and production reporting (time, attendance, inventory).
- Maintain a clean, orderly, and safe workspace aligned to 6S and safety standards.
- Follow all safety policies, regulations, and best practices.
- Perform other related duties as assigned.
Qualifications
- 5+ years of CNC programming experience, or 3+ years with a technical diploma.
- Hands-on CAM proficiency (Mastercam, GibbsCAM, Fusion 360, or comparable tools).
- Demonstrated experience programming 3-, 4-, and/or 5-axis CNC equipment.
- Deep knowledge of tooling selection, tool wear behavior, and machining strategies across common metals.
- Proven ability to lead programming from first-article through capability runs and production handoff.
- Skilled at root-cause analysis and corrective action for dimensional, surface finish, and machining issues.
- Advanced blueprint interpretation with expert-level GD familiarity with appropriate inspection methods and military specifications.
- Solid understanding of manufacturing processes and end-to-end workflow.
- Preferred: experience with lean principles and quality systems (ISO 9001:2015, ISO 13485, AS9100D).
Core proficiencies
- GD&T
- Troubleshooting Skills
- CNC Programming
- G-Code
- M-Code
- Machine Setups for Production Runs
Machines & technologies you'll work with
- CNC Mill (3-4 axis VMC)
- CNC Lathe (2-4 axis)
- CNC Swiss Lathe
- CAM Software (Mastercam, GibbsCAM, Autodesk Fusion 360)
- CNC Mill (5+ axis VMC)
- CNC Lathe (5+ axis)