Machine Shop Manager

Key job responsibilities

• Own day-to-day machine shop operations end-to-end: job scheduling, work prioritization, resource allocation, and throughput management across CNC machining and additive manufacturing equipment.
• Hire, develop, and manage a team of CNC machinists, CNC programmers, and additive manufacturing technicians. Set performance expectations, coach development, and hold the team accountable for safety, quality, and delivery.
• Manage job queues across multiple concurrent engineering programs, prioritize work to maximize throughput and minimize lead time, balancing urgent R&D prototype requests with operational tooling and fixture needs. Implement job routing and tracking workflows to manage the high-mix, rapid-turnaround queue.
• Work directly with product design and manufacturing engineers to review part designs, advise on manufacturability (DFM), select machining strategies, and ensure first-piece quality meets drawing requirements.
• Oversee CNC programming (CAM), setup verification, first-piece inspection, in-process checks, tool offsets, and changeovers. Troubleshoot machining issues related to programming, tooling, workholding, dimensional variation, and surface finish.
• Manage 3D printing / additive manufacturing operations, job scheduling, material management, build parameter optimization, and post-processing for both metal and polymer systems.
• Drive performance metrics: on-time delivery, first-piece quality, throughput, machine utilization, scrap rate. Use data to identify improvement opportunities and report shop performance to leadership.
• Ensure safety and housekeeping standards are maintained, 5S, PPE compliance, machine guarding, and EHS requirements for a machining and additive manufacturing environment.
• Own equipment maintenance, calibration, and uptime. Evaluate and recommend capital expenditure for new machines, tooling, fixtures, and measurement equipment as the shop scales.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field; OR equivalent practical experience with Journeyman Machinist certification or relevant technical/trade degree.
• 7+ years of CNC machining experience, with at least 3 years leading or managing a machine shop team (machinists and/or programmers).
• Hands-on background as a CNC programmer or machinist who moved into management — still credible on the floor and at the CAM seat.
• Proficiency with CAM software (Mastercam, Fusion 360, NX CAM, or equivalent) and CNC controls (Fanuc, Siemens, Haas).
• Direct experience with 5-axis machining strategy, workholding design, and complex setup troubleshooting.
• Experience in prototype, high-mix, or short-run machining environments where turnaround time and first-piece quality are critical.
• Strong knowledge of GD&T, blueprint interpretation, and precision measuring tools (micrometers, calipers, indicators, CMM).
• Experience with additive manufacturing / 3D printing operations (metal and/or polymer systems).

Preferred Qualifications

• 12+ years of machining experience with progressive leadership responsibilities in advanced hardware, aerospace, robotics, or R&D prototype environments.
• Experience managing both CNC machining and additive manufacturing operations under one roof.
• Experience setting up a machine shop from the ground up — including equipment selection, facility layout, rigging, installation, and building the team in a startup or scale-up environment.
• Capital equipment management experience — building business cases for new machine tools, tooling, and shop infrastructure.
• Experience with metal additive manufacturing (DMLS/SLM) and post-processing workflows.
• Strong understanding of material properties including advanced alloys, tool steels, titanium, stainless steel, aluminum, and engineering polymers commonly used in robotics and electromechanical assemblies.
• Leverage of lean manufacturing or continuous improvement experience applied to job-shop environments.