Senior Cnc Machine Setup Jobs in Iowa (NOW HIRING)

JOB SUMMARY & MISSION:

We are launching a brand-new, state-of-the-art CNC machining centre as part of a premier national franchise network. While we have the "Playbook" and the corporate backing, we need the Master Machinist to turn that blueprint into a high-output reality.

As our Founding Shop Lead, you will be the bridge between the Franchisor’s technical standards and our local shop’s success. You will manage the initial equipment install, implement standardized workflows, and serve as the technical authority for our customers. This is a "player-coach" role: you’ll be hands-on with the machines while managing the business-critical relationships that make the shop thrive.

At first, you will be programming, setting and operating CNC machines. A key part of your role is expanding the technical team allowing individuals to specialise in their areas of expertise. This role is designed to evolve into a production manager role as the factory expands and the technical team grows.

You have elite machining skills, but you also value the power of a "Standard Operating Procedure." You’d rather build a repeatable system than a one-time miracle. You understand the commitment to quality required to be operating in defense and aerospace industries and are keen to implement and follow the AS9100 standard.

OVERVIEW OF KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Responsibilities and essential job functions include but are not limited to the following:

Launch and expansion:

Work alongside the factory owners to:

• Choose and install CNC machinery and associated technology
• Maintain and calibrate factory equipment
• Interview and assess future technical hires
• Oversee tool and fixturing procurement and inventory management

Technical execution:

• Work with Isembard CORE’s technical team to implement the franchise’s standard operating procedures
• Use your deep machining intuition to solve shop-floor issues that the manual might not cover, then document those solutions for the team
• Turn customer issued engineering drawings and STEP files into G code using CAM Programs such as Hypermill or MasterCAM
• Prove-out programs on a range of CNC machine’s including mills and lathes
• Implement best practices for surrounding manufacturing procedures such as inspection, part cleaning and post processing
• Provide feedback on design for manufacturing to customers. Identify and raise any concerns surrounding customer files
• Identify and raise non-conformances from the shop floor or suppliers

Technical Management:

• Communicates clearly, concisely, accurately and professionally at all times.
• Constantly monitors and manages the technical operations of the shop floor – ensures no non-conforming parts are sent to the customer
• Attends all meetings and other business functions as mandated by the Company.
• Regularly inspects equipment and fixtures, inside and outside the factory, to ensure they are in proper working order and good condition.
• Uses all operational tools to plan for and achieve operational excellence in the factory.
• Ensures and is responsible for adherence to Isembard compliance standards, with particular focus on those standards relating to part quality.
• Ensures staff members adhere to all established Subway operational standards.
• Develops and maintains positive relationships with factory team. Actively manages factory staff members by regularly conducting performance assessments, providing feedback, and setting challenging goals to improve staff member’s performance. Manages ongoing staff performance.

SUMMARY OF REQUIRED EXPERIENCE

Education:

Engineering or Manufacturing studied at College or University degree preferred.

Experience:

• A minimum of four (4) years in a CNC machining environment, experience in supervising and training staff is preferred.
• Excellent understanding of engineering drawings, GD&T tolerances
• Highly proficient in CAM software and the ability to adapt to franchise-specific tech stacks
• Proven track record of Setup and Programming—you should be able to take a part from a STEP file to a finished product without hand-holding
• CNC machining on a range of machines (Multi-axis preferred)

ROLE OVERVIEW

Own CAM programming and machining standards for Isembard's Des Moines factory — from toolpath creation and first article prove-out to cycle time optimisation and production handover. This is a high-ownership, hands-on role in a founding team of two to three people. There are no departments and no handovers. You programm it, you prove it, you run it.

Key Responsibilities

• Program, simulate and optimize CNC toolpaths (3-axis and 5-axis milling)
• Set, prove-out and run jobs to aerospace and defense standards
• Reduce cycle times and improve machine utilization from day one
• Select tooling, cutting parameters and work-holding strategies for challenging materials (e.g. aluminum, steels, titanium, Inconel)
• Design and improve fixturing strategies
• Read and interpret complex engineering drawings and GD&T
• Build toolpath libraries, programming templates and documentation from scratch
• Support new part introduction (NPI) from drawing to stable production
• Contribute to DFM feedback for customers
• Train machinists on programming standards as the team grows
• Help build the factory — install machines, commission equipment, define workflows

Required Skills

• Strong CAM programming experience (e.g. Hypermill, Mastercam, Siemens NX or equivalent)
• Proven ability to machine tight tolerances (±0.01 mm and below where required)
• Experience setting and running high-end CNC machines (e.g. Hermle, DMG Mori or similar)
• Deep understanding of feeds, speeds, tooling strategy and workholding
• Hands-on — you can program AND run the machine yourself
• Ability to read and interpret complex engineering drawings and GD&T
• Clean documentation and revision control discipline
• Comfortable working in a fast-moving, high-ownership environment with no established structure

Nice To Haves

• Aerospace or defence manufacturing background
• 5-axis simultaneous machining experience
• Experience with titanium, Inconel and high-strength alloys
• NC simulation tools (e.g. Vericut)
• Experience with probing, automation or pallet systems
• Knowledge of EN 9100 / AS9100 quality systems

What We Offer

• Technical authority over programming standards for the expanding factory
• Work on mission-critical aerospace and defence components
• Access to advanced 5-axis machine tools and evolving automation
• Founding team role — you build a factory from zero
• Opportunity to shape tooling libraries and best practices replicated across sites
• High-performance culture focused on continuous improvement

ABOUT ISEMBARD

Isembard is on a mission to forge industrial acceleration. We enable faster and cheaper products to be made for critical industries by combining advanced machine tools, robotics and our proprietary software, MasonOS. The components we manufacture are used in aerospace, defence, energy and other strategically important sectors. We are building a distributed network of high-performance factories across the UK, US and now Germany.