Advanced CNC Manufacturing Engineer

Location: Perkasie, PA • Full-time • $125,000–$150,000 per year, depending on demonstrated capability • Relocation assistance available for the right candidate

About the role

We are seeking an unusually capable CNC manufacturing professional to own the development of complex machining processes from engineering model through stable production. This is not a position limited to generating CAM toolpaths. The person in this role will determine how difficult components should actually be manufactured: datum strategy, operation sequence, workholding, fixture design, tooling, cutting methods, machine utilization, inspection, simulation, prove-out, and process documentation.

The successful candidate may have come through either of two paths: an exceptional machinist-programmer who developed engineering-level process-design capability, or a manufacturing or applications engineer with extensive hands-on CNC programming and machine prove-out experience. A four-year engineering degree is not required. Demonstrated technical ownership of difficult machining projects is more important than educational pedigree.

Given a model, drawing, material requirement, quantity, and available manufacturing resources, you must be able to develop a safe, economical, and repeatable manufacturing process. You will be expected to identify missing information, research unfamiliar technical issues, work directly with equipment and tooling suppliers, evaluate alternatives, and defend your decisions using sound manufacturing reasoning. The position includes both engineering work and practical shop-floor implementation. You will remain involved through first-piece prove-out and process stabilization rather than handing an untested program to production.

Responsibilities

• Review models, drawings, GD&T, material requirements, and production quantities for manufacturability.
• Develop complete machining strategies for complex aerospace components.
• Determine datum structures, operation sequences, setup quantities, and datum-transfer methods.
• Design or direct the design of custom fixtures, jaws, pallets, mandrels, supports, and other workholding.
• Evaluate workholding concepts for rigidity, accessibility, repeatability, distortion, clamping force, and tolerance accumulation.
• Program complex 3-axis, 3+2, simultaneous 5-axis, turning, and mill-turn operations.
• Develop processes for multichannel and multitasking machines, including spindle transfers and synchronized operations where applicable.
• Select cutting tools, inserts, holders, extensions, coolant strategies, and machining parameters.
• Consider machine kinematics, travel limits, singularities, tool reach, holder clearance, spindle limitations, and collision risk.
• Use machine simulation and verification to validate programs before physical prove-out.
• Work with postprocessor developers and equipment suppliers to identify and correct post, machine-definition, and control issues.
• Develop probing, in-process verification, and final inspection strategies in coordination with Quality.
• Plan for material movement, residual stress, thin-wall distortion, heat generation, tool deflection, and tolerance recovery.
• Lead or directly participate in first-piece setup and machine prove-out.
• Diagnose dimensional, finish, tool-life, chatter, collision-clearance, and process-stability problems.
• Optimize cycle time without compromising safety, tool life, dimensional control, or process robustness.
• Produce clear setup sheets, tool lists, fixture documentation, process plans, revision-controlled programs, and technical rationale.
• Establish reusable CAM, tooling, fixture, simulation, and process-development standards.
• Coordinate technical work with machine-tool, CAM, cutting-tool, workholding, probing, and metrology suppliers.
• Mentor machinists and programmers and transfer sufficient knowledge for production personnel to run and maintain released processes.
• Support equipment selection, capability analysis, estimating, and manufacturing planning for future work.

Equipment and software

• Machine tools: variety of machine tools including Mill-Turn, horizontal machining center, large bridge mills with a right angle head, live tool lathe, small vertical machining centers
• Controls: Fanuc
• CAM: SolidCAM, MasterCAM
• CAD and fixture design: Solidworks

Exact experience with every item above is preferred but not mandatory. Strong transferable process-development capability is more important than having used precisely the same software version or machine model.

Requirements

Candidates must be able to demonstrate most of the following:

• Advanced CNC programming experience involving genuinely complex components.
• Hands-on experience with simultaneous 5-axis machining, multitasking machines, or mill-turn equipment.
• Successful ownership of parts from initial planning through machine prove-out and production release.
• Strong fixture, workholding, setup, and datum-strategy capability.
• Practical understanding of cutting mechanics, rigidity, tool selection, speeds and feeds, tool life, and process stability.
• Ability to interpret complex engineering drawings and GD&T.
• Understanding of inspection planning, datum establishment, tolerance accumulation, and measurement limitations.
• Experience using machine simulation or equivalent verification methods.
• Ability to recognize when a CAM result is mathematically valid but physically unsafe or impractical.
• Ability to diagnose problems across the complete system: model, drawing, fixture, tooling, machine, control, and environment.

Pay

$125,000–$150,000 per year, depending on demonstrated capability