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.