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.