Associate Machine Shop Lead Jobs (NOW HIRING)

The #1 job of this lead is to keep machined parts moving through the CNC shop after first shift goes home. On second shift there is no supervisor, no engineer, and no manager in the building — this lead is the machine shop. They must be able to do everything the Machine Shop Supervisor can do at the machines: set up any job, prove it out, edit a program, troubleshoot a problem, and make the call on whether a part is good.

The Machine Shop Supervisor owns the department across both shifts — the master schedule, staffing, personnel decisions, and cross-department coordination. The Second Shift Lead executes the released plan after 2:30 PM with full authority to make technical decisions at the machines and re-sequence work within the shift when machines go down or jobs stall. People issues, pay, and discipline route to the Supervisor.

This role carries the full technical authority of the Machine Shop Supervisor — anything the Supervisor is qualified to do at a machine, this lead must be able to do without help, because after 2:30 PM there is no help. What it does not carry is the Supervisor's management scope: hiring, discipline, pay, and cross-department priority calls stay with the Supervisor.

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  Overlap with the Machine Shop Supervisor at shift start — review the day's status, tonight's priorities, problem jobs, and what must finish before close
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  Leave a written end-of-shift pass-down every night: what ran, what finished, what's still in a machine, what broke, what deviated from the plan and why, and what QC or the Supervisor needs to see first thing in the morning
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  Escalate by phone when it can't wait until morning — know the difference between a note and a call (a crashed spindle is a call; a dull tool is a note)
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  Document quality escapes, scrap events, tool failures, and near-misses to the same standard as first shift
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  Give direct, honest feedback to second-shift operators in real time; report performance and attendance issues to the Supervisor

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  Own the shift. Execute the second-shift queue set by the Supervisor and own machine utilization from 2:30 PM to close — if a spindle is idle, this lead owns why
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  Re-sequence work within the shift when a machine goes down or a setup stalls — keep spindles turning, then note the deviation in the pass-down
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  Assign second-shift operators across all Haas machines (VF2-SS, VF2, VF3-SSYT, VF3, GR-510), balancing cycle time, setup complexity, and operator skill level
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  Stage tooling, fixtures, and material for tonight's jobs and tomorrow morning's first jobs so first shift starts cutting, not searching
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  Track cycle times and flag deviations from programmed values
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  Fill gaps without hesitation. When operators are absent, run any machine in the department to keep production moving. The schedule comes first.

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  Set up and prove out CNC jobs — verify work-holding, tooling, offsets, and first-piece dimensions before releasing to production
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  Read, interpret, and when necessary edit G-code on the floor to correct issues or optimize cycle time — with no engineer in the building
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  Troubleshoot machining issues independently: chatter, tool deflection, dimensional drift, surface finish problems — resolve them or safely park the job with a clear write-up
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  Keep setup sheets, tool lists, and work instructions current — flag gaps and errors back through the Supervisor
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  Maintain tooling availability on shift and manage tool wear proactively — flag reorder needs before stock-outs
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  Feed fixture issues, DFM feedback, and program problems to manufacturing engineering through the Supervisor pass-down

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  Enforce AS9100D / ISO 9001:2015 work instructions for every CNC operation on shift
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  Ensure first article inspections (per AS9102) are completed and documented before production runs — including making the first-piece call per work instructions when QC is not on shift
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  Verify in-process and final dimensions meet drawing tolerances — especially for high-risk programs:

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  When in doubt, quarantine. Hold suspect parts and material for morning QC review with a written description of the concern — never pass a question mark downstream
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  Ensure operators use calibrated inspection equipment correctly and follow FOD prevention practices

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  Be the senior person in the shop — set the tone for safety, quality, and accountability on second shift
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  Train and coach second-shift operators on machine operation, setup procedures, in-process inspection, and shop safety
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  Be the first point of contact for operator questions on tooling, offsets, and setup issues
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  Track attendance on shift and report issues to the Supervisor — this role does not own discipline or pay decisions
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  Maintain a safe work environment — enforce PPE requirements, machine guarding, chip management, and housekeeping standards
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  Secure the shop at close — machines in a safe state, work areas clean, and building secured per closing procedure. This lead is the last one out.

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  5–7 years hands-on CNC machining experience, including 3- and 4-axis VMC setup and operation — the same technical bar as the Machine Shop Supervisor
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  Proven ability to work without technical backup — can set up, prove out, and troubleshoot jobs with no engineer or supervisor in the building
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  Able to read AND edit G-code; familiarity with Haas CNC controls strongly preferred
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  Ability to read and interpret GD&T on engineering drawings
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  Strong knowledge of cutting tools, work-holding, speeds and feeds for composites, aluminum, and plastics
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  Experience in an AS9100 or ISO 9001 certified shop
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  Strong written communication — the nightly pass-down is a core deliverable of this job, not paperwork
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  Comfortable directing peers while running a machine of their own
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  Must be on the floor, not in an office — this is a working lead role
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  Willing and able to run any machine in the department when needed to maintain schedule

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  Prior lead, senior machinist, or off-shift experience in a manufacturing environment
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  Experience machining carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) and composite sandwich structures
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  Background in medical device or aerospace manufacturing
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  Bilingual English/Spanish (strong plus given team composition)
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  CAM programming experience (Fusion 360, Mastercam, or equivalent) for program verification
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  Experience with CMM operation

Machines only make money when spindles are turning, and one shift caps the shop's output at eight hours a day. Second shift extends CNC capacity on the same machines — Haas VMCs running medical, defense, and aerospace parts that demand tight tolerances and zero-defect quality — but only if someone in the building can handle everything those machines and parts throw at them. That is why this lead has to match the Supervisor technically: at night, there is no one else.

The bottom line: this role exists to keep machined parts moving after first shift goes home — set it up, prove it out, fix it, run it, and hand it off clean in the morning.