Machine Shop Manager

Machine Shop Manager

WillowWood Global is seeking an experienced CNC manufacturing leader with a passion for precision, productivity, and developing people. We are looking for a Machine Shop Manager to lead our high-performance machining operation.

The ideal candidate will have a strong technical background in CNC machining and programming, along with proven leadership experience in a production or job shop environment. Experience with HAAS equipment, UMC 5-axis mills, 3- and 4-axis milling, duel spindle CNC lathes with live tooling, Swiss/screw machines, robotic integration, SolidCAM, and SolidWorks is highly valued.

This is a hands-on leadership position responsible for managing day-to-day machine shop operations, developing employees, coordinating production schedules, maintaining quality standards, improving processes, and ensuring the department operates safely and efficiently.

Core Responsibilities

Shop Management & Leadership

• Manage the daily operations of the machine shop, including scheduling, personnel, equipment, production priorities, and workflow to achieve a high level of equipment utilization.
• Establish and maintain standardized process routing for efficiency, scheduling, and quality.
• Incorporate redundancy into operations through training, mentorship, and the development of CNC programmers, setup personnel, and operators.
• Set and monitor employee performance and provide coaching, feedback, and development opportunities.
• Work with company leadership to establish departmental goals and performance expectations.
• Promote a culture of accountability, teamwork, safety, quality, and continuous improvement.
• Assist with recruiting, interviewing, onboarding, and training machine shop personnel.
• Follow and enforce company policy for safety, conformance deviation and change control.

Production Planning & Scheduling

• Coordinate production schedules based on demand requirements and available resources.
• Monitor production progress and adjust priorities as needed to meet demand commitments.
• Coordinate scheduling of people, raw material, tooling, fixtures, programming and other resources required to maintain equipment uptime.
• Identify production bottlenecks and work with engineering and quality to implement solutions to improve throughput.
• Work closely with engineering and quality to resolve quality issues and improve processes.
• Monitor machine utilization, labor efficiency, scrap, rework, and production performance.
• Work with leadership to coordinate and prioritize the support of prototype and development, activities.

CNC Programming & Manufacturing

• Provide technical oversight and optimization of CNC programs and G-code to improve quality, cycle times, and machine efficiency.
• Support programming of CNC mills, lathes, and Swiss/screw machines using SolidCAM, SolidWorks, or comparable CAD/CAM platforms.
• Provide guidance on tooling, feeds, speeds, work holding, toolpaths, and machining strategies.
• Oversee development and implementation of fixtures, tooling, and machining processes.

Continuous Improvement

• Analyze production data and develop corrective actions as needed to meet performance goals.
• Promote proper 5S practices and maintain an organized, efficient, and professional work environment.
• Identify opportunities to improve productivity, quality, safety, and machine utilization.
• Identify new tooling, equipment, automation, and machining technologies.

Quality & Inspection

• Ensure all machining operations meet established quality standards, specifications, and tolerances.
• Ensure setup sheets, routings, work instructions, and other manufacturing documentation are accurate and maintained.
• Ensure all tools used for quality assurance are maintained under a defined calibration schedule.
• Work closely with engineering and quality to address any nonconformance parts and corrective actions.
• Ensure machinists and operators properly inspect their work and maintain appropriate inspection and process documentation.
• Ensure employees are properly trained in the use of micrometers, calipers, gauges, and other precision measuring equipment.

Safety & Equipment

• Maintain a safe working environment and enforce all company safety policies and procedures.
• Ensure employees are properly trained in machine operation, PPE, lockout/tagout, and other applicable safety procedures.
• Support preventive maintenance programs and ensure machine issues are addressed promptly.
• Coordinate with maintenance personnel to minimize equipment downtime.
• Monitor machine condition and recommend repairs, replacements, or upgrades when appropriate.
• Maintain proper housekeeping and 5S standards throughout the department.

Materials, Tooling & Inventory

• Coordinate purchasing and availability of cutting tools, workholding, raw materials, and other production supplies.
• Monitor tooling consumption and identify opportunities to reduce costs.
• Maintain appropriate inventory levels to support production requirements.
• Work with suppliers and purchasing personnel on tooling and material requirements.
• Evaluate new tooling and manufacturing products to improve performance and reduce operating costs.

Qualifications

Required

• 5+ years of CNC machining experience in a production, job shop, or manufacturing environment.
• Deep understanding of GD&T for print interpretation and precision measuring tools to ensure parts meet required specifications.
• Proven track record of operating within strict quality management systems (QMS), consistently executing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Work Instructions (WIs).
• Demonstrated experience in machine shop leadership or management.
• Strong knowledge of CNC mills, lathes, and Swiss/screw machines.
• Significant experience with 5-axis machining.
• Strong understanding of G-code, toolpaths, tooling, feeds, speeds, workholding, and machining processes.
• Experience with CAD/CAM software such as SolidCAM and SolidWorks, or comparable platforms.
• Experience with production scheduling, workflow coordination, and resource planning.
• Proven ability to lead, train, mentor, and develop manufacturing employees.
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
• Experience with precision measurement and inspection techniques.
• High school diploma or GED.

Preferred

• Experience with HAAS CNC equipment.
• Experience with HAAS UMC 5-axis machining centers.
• Experience with CNC lathes with live tooling.
• Experience with Swiss/screw machines.
• Experience with robotic machine tending or robotic programming.
• Experience designing and implementing custom fixtures.
• Experience with lean manufacturing, 5S, and continuous-improvement methodologies.
• Experience working with quality systems and corrective-action processes.
• Experience managing multiple shifts or a growing machine shop operation.

Leadership Expectations

The Machine Shop Manager is expected to lead by example and maintain a professional, accountable, and team-oriented environment. The successful candidate will:

• Develop and maintain redundancy into a highly skilled machining team.
• Hold employees accountable to established standards for safety, quality, productivity, and attendance.
• Communicate effectively with employees, engineering, quality, purchasing, and company leadership.
• Lead by example during high-pressure production challenges by providing team support, maintaining composure, communicating clearly, and driving solution-focused outcomes.
• Encourage employee ideas and participation in continuous improvement.

What We Offer

• Competitive compensation based on experience.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision benefits.
• 401(k) with company match.
• Paid time off and company holidays.
• Ongoing technical and leadership training.
• Opportunities for professional growth and advancement.
• A collaborative, supportive, and technology-driven work environment.
• Overtime opportunities.
• The opportunity to lead and grow a highly capable CNC manufacturing team.

Position Summary

The Machine Shop Manager will play a critical role in the success of our manufacturing operation. This position combines technical CNC expertise with strong leadership and business-minded decision-making. The successful candidate will be responsible for building a productive team, maintaining high-quality standards, improving manufacturing processes, and ensuring the machine shop consistently meets safety, quality, cost, and delivery objectives.