About this role
Rock West Composites is seeking a CNC Machining Manager to lead our CNC department.
Who We Are:
Rock West Composites designs and manufactures advanced composite solutions that power some of the most demanding aerospace, defense, space, and commercial applications. From concept through production, we help our customers turn complex ideas into high performance products.
As an employee-owned company, we believe our people are our greatest competitive advantage. If you're passionate about innovation, collaboration, and building products that matter, you'll feel right at home here.
Position Summary
The CNC Machine Shop Manager is responsible for the overall execution of CNC department production, including scheduling, capacity planning, work prioritization, staffing, tooling, inventory, and workflow. This role leads CNC personnel and coordinates closely with Production Planning, Engineering, Quality, Program Management, and other manufacturing teams to ensure work is completed safely, efficiently, and according to schedule.
The Manager monitors department performance, resolves production constraints, develops employees, and drives continuous improvement initiatives focused on productivity, quality, equipment utilization, and on-time delivery.
What You'll Own
- Daily CNC machine shop production and execution
- Production scheduling, planning, and work prioritization
- CNC staffing, assignments, training, and performance
- Machine capacity, utilization, and workflow
- Tooling, consumables, and department inventory
- Safety, quality, productivity, and on-time delivery
- Equipment preventive Maintenance
Essential Functions
Production Planning & Execution
- Manage daily CNC production activities, schedules, priorities, and work assignments to meet customer and manufacturing requirements.
- Review production demand, work orders, machine capacity, staffing, materials, tooling, and other requirements to establish achievable production plans.
- Monitor work in process and proactively adjust priorities, staffing, and machine assignments to address changing schedules, bottlenecks, and production constraints.
- Coordinate with Planning, Engineering, Quality, Program Management, and Manufacturing to resolve issues and maintain production flow.
- Ensure work orders, materials, programs, documentation, fixtures, and tooling are available to support scheduled production.
CNC Operations & Department Management
- Oversee CNC machining operations and provide leadership on manufacturing methods, machine utilization, setups, tooling, fixtures, and workflow.
- Manage department tooling, fixtures, consumables, and inventory to ensure appropriate resources are available while maintaining accountability and cost control.
- Monitor equipment utilization, downtime, productivity, and department capacity to identify opportunities for improved performance.
- Partner with Engineering and Maintenance to resolve equipment, programming, tooling, and process issues affecting production.
- Support implementation of improved machining methods, setup reduction, workflow optimization, and other continuous improvement initiatives.
Team Leadership
- Lead, coach, and develop CNC machinists, operators, programmers, and other assigned personnel while establishing clear performance and production expectations.
- Plan staffing and assign employees based on production requirements, machine capabilities, workload, and individual skill levels.
- Identify training and cross-training opportunities that improve workforce flexibility, technical capability, and department capacity.
- Manage employee performance, attendance, accountability, and development while promoting a safe, collaborative, and results-oriented work environment.
Quality, Safety & Performance
- Ensure machining activities comply with drawings, specifications, work instructions, quality requirements, and established manufacturing processes.
- Maintain accurate and timely production documentation, work order transactions, nonconformance documentation, and other required manufacturing records.
- Monitor department performance using production metrics such as schedule attainment, productivity, equipment utilization, quality, scrap/rework, and downtime.
- Ensure employees follow company safety requirements, quality procedures, and applicable AS9100 standards while driving corrective actions and continuous improvement.
- Ensure we maintain a clean organized work area. Utilizing tools and methods in support of a visual factory and 5’s daily routines.
Non-Essential Functions
- Perform other duties as assigned.
What You Bring
Experience
- 7+ years of CNC machining or precision manufacturing experience, including 3+ years in a supervisory or management role.
- Demonstrated experience managing daily machine shop production, including scheduling, work assignments, capacity, priorities, and production flow.
- Experience leading CNC machinists, operators, programmers, or similar skilled manufacturing teams.
- Aerospace, defense, space, or other high-precision manufacturing experience strongly preferred.
Technical Skills
- Strong understanding of CNC machining operations, setups, tooling, fixtures, cutting tools, feeds/speeds, and machining processes.
- Experience with multi-axis CNC equipment, including 3-, 4-, and 5-axis machining environments.
- Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, GD&T, specifications, work orders, and manufacturing documentation.
- Working knowledge of production planning, machine capacity, labor planning, tooling management, and manufacturing performance metrics.
- Familiarity with ERP/MRP systems, Microsoft Office, and manufacturing quality systems such as AS9100.
Professional Skills
- Strong production leadership with the ability to organize people, equipment, and priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
- Effective problem-solving and decision-making skills with the ability to quickly address production constraints and changing priorities.
- Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.
- Demonstrated ability to develop employees, establish accountability, and build a productive, safety- and quality-focused team.
Compensation & Benefits
- Salary Range: $100,000 - $130,000 (based on experience and skillset)
- 100% Employer-Paid Medical & Dental
- Annual Bonus Program
- 401(k) with 5% Match
- Employee Stock Option Program
- 9/80 Work Schedule (every other Friday off)
- Paid Holidays + Generous PTO
- $2,500 Tuition Reimbursement
Equal Opportunity Employer
Rock West Composites is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of the company to provide equal opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, religious creed, ancestry, gender, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, transitioning status, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, genetic information, military and veteran status, marital status, medical condition, mental disability, physical disability, or any other basis protected by local, state, or federal law. EEO is the law. We also prohibit compensation discrimination under all applicable laws. Certain positions require meeting the U.S. Person definition in 22 CFR 120.62.
ITAR Requirement
To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder) as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(20), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. 1158, Must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the company’s immigration sponsorship now or in the future. Rock West Composites will not offer immigration sponsorship for this position. Rock West Composites will not seek an export authorization for this role. Rock West Composites maintains a Drug and Alcohol-Free Workplace. Depending on state law and the nature of the position, candidates who receive a conditional offer of employment may be required to complete a drug screening. Rock West Composites may also conduct drug and alcohol testing based on reasonable suspicion, post-incident, or for safety-sensitive positions as permitted by law.
Accommodation Notice
If you are an individual with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process, or are limited in the ability or unable to access or use this online application process and need an alternative method for applying, you may contact 858-537-6260.