Advanced CNC Manufacturing Engineer

Advanced CNC Manufacturing Engineer - 5-Axis & Mill-Turn

Location: Perkasie, PA Employment type: Full-time Compensation: $125,000-$150,000 per year, depending on demonstrated capability Relocation assistance: Available for the right candidate

The position

We are seeking an unusually capable CNC manufacturing professional to own the development of complex machining processes from engineering model through stable production.

This is not a position limited to generating CAM toolpaths. The person in this role will determine how difficult components should actually be manufactured: datum strategy, operation sequence, workholding, fixture design, tooling, cutting methods, machine utilization, inspection, simulation, prove-out, and process documentation.

The successful candidate may have come through either of two paths:

• An exceptional machinist-programmer who developed engineering-level process-design capability; or
• A manufacturing or applications engineer with extensive hands-on CNC programming and machine prove-out experience.

A four-year engineering degree is not required. Demonstrated technical ownership of difficult machining projects is more important than educational pedigree.

Your mandate

Given a model, drawing, material requirement, quantity, and available manufacturing resources, you must be able to develop a safe, economical, and repeatable manufacturing process.

You will be expected to identify missing information, research unfamiliar technical issues, work directly with equipment and tooling suppliers, evaluate alternatives, and defend your decisions using sound manufacturing reasoning.

The position includes both engineering work and practical shop-floor implementation. You will remain involved through first-piece prove-out and process stabilization rather than handing an untested program to production.

Principal responsibilities

• Review models, drawings, GD&T, material requirements, and production quantities for manufacturability.
• Develop complete machining strategies for complex aerospace components.
• Determine datum structures, operation sequences, setup quantities, and datum-transfer methods.
• Design or direct the design of custom fixtures, jaws, pallets, mandrels, supports, and other workholding.
• Evaluate workholding concepts for rigidity, accessibility, repeatability, distortion, clamping force, and tolerance accumulation.
• Program complex 3-axis, 3+2, simultaneous 5-axis, turning, and mill-turn operations.
• Develop processes for multichannel and multitasking machines, including spindle transfers and synchronized operations where applicable.
• Select cutting tools, inserts, holders, extensions, coolant strategies, and machining parameters.
• Consider machine kinematics, travel limits, singularities, tool reach, holder clearance, spindle limitations, and collision risk.
• Use machine simulation and verification to validate programs before physical prove-out.
• Work with postprocessor developers and equipment suppliers to identify and correct post, machine-definition, and control issues.
• Develop probing, in-process verification, and final inspection strategies in coordination with Quality.
• Plan for material movement, residual stress, thin-wall distortion, heat generation, tool deflection, and tolerance recovery.
• Lead or directly participate in first-piece setup and machine prove-out.
• Diagnose dimensional, finish, tool-life, chatter, collision-clearance, and process-stability problems.
• Optimize cycle time without compromising safety, tool life, dimensional control, or process robustness.
• Produce clear setup sheets, tool lists, fixture documentation, process plans, revision-controlled programs, and technical rationale.
• Establish reusable CAM, tooling, fixture, simulation, and process-development standards.
• Coordinate technical work with machine-tool, CAM, cutting-tool, workholding, probing, and metrology suppliers.
• Mentor machinists and programmers and transfer sufficient knowledge for production personnel to run and maintain released processes.
• Support equipment selection, capability analysis, estimating, and manufacturing planning for future work.

Equipment and software

The current environment includes:

• Machine tools: variety of machine tools including, Mill-Turn, horizontal machining center, large bridge mills with a right angle head, live tool lathe, small vertical machining centers
• Controls: Fanuc
• CAM: SolidCAM, MasterCAM
• CAD and fixture design: Solidworks

Exact experience with every item above is preferred but not mandatory. Strong transferable process-development capability is more important than having used precisely the same software version or machine model.

Required capability

Candidates must be able to demonstrate most of the following:

• Advanced CNC programming experience involving genuinely complex components.
• Hands-on experience with simultaneous 5-axis machining, multitasking machines, or mill-turn equipment.
• Successful ownership of parts from initial planning through machine prove-out and production release.
• Strong fixture, workholding, setup, and datum-strategy capability.
• Practical understanding of cutting mechanics, rigidity, tool selection, speeds and feeds, tool life, and process stability.
• Ability to interpret complex engineering drawings and GD&T.
• Understanding of inspection planning, datum establishment, tolerance accumulation, and measurement limitations.
• Experience using machine simulation or equivalent verification methods.
• Ability to recognize when a CAM result is mathematically valid but physically unsafe or impractical.
• Ability to diagnose problems across the complete system: model, drawing, CAM, postprocessor, machine, control, tooling, workholding, material, and inspection.
• Independent research ability and willingness to consult technical manuals, supplier data, applications engineers, and subject-matter experts.
• Clear written and verbal technical communication.
• Sound judgment when working with expensive machines, high-value materials, and airworthiness-sensitive components.

Particularly valuable experience

The following experience would be advantageous:

• Aerospace, rotorcraft, defense, medical, turbomachinery, motorsports, mold-and-die, or similarly demanding manufacturing.
• Complex forgings, castings, thin-wall components, or difficult-to-machine alloys.
• Dual-spindle, B-axis, multiturret, or multichannel mill-turn machines.
• Custom fixture design using solid modeling and engineering calculations.
• In-process probing and closed-loop process control.
• Postprocessor development, modification, or technical coordination.
• Machine acceptance testing or turnkey applications engineering.
• First-article planning and aerospace-quality-system documentation.
• Process-capability studies, control plans, and production stabilization.
• Technical leadership or mentorship of other programmers and machinists.

What will distinguish the strongest candidates

The strongest candidate will not merely describe which CAM commands were used. They will be able to explain:

• Why a particular datum and setup sequence was selected.
• How the workholding controlled the part without distorting it.
• Which manufacturing risks were identified before cutting material.
• What failed during prove-out and how the root cause was isolated.
• How machine, tooling, fixture, material, programming, and inspection decisions interacted.
• What information had to be researched and how the answer was validated.
• How the final process was documented and transferred to production.
• What tradeoffs were made among cycle time, risk, tooling cost, repeatability, and quality.

Education and experience

There is no rigid degree requirement.

Relevant backgrounds may include:

• Senior or lead CNC programmer
• CNC process-development specialist
• Manufacturing engineer
• Machine-tool applications engineer
• CAM applications engineer
• Tooling or workholding applications engineer
• Journeyman or master machinist with advanced programming and process-development experience

Candidates will typically have substantial progressive machining experience, but demonstrated results matter more than a specific number of years.

Selection process

Qualified candidates should be prepared to discuss one or more difficult machining projects in technical detail. Sanitized photographs, fixture concepts, process plans, simulation images, setup documentation, or other non-confidential portfolio materials are encouraged.

Finalists will be invited to complete a paid technical case exercise based on a representative, non-proprietary component. The exercise will focus on manufacturing strategy, workholding, tooling, risk identification, inspection, and technical reasoning. It will not require candidates to provide free production work.

How to apply

Please submit:

1. A résumé or detailed summary of relevant experience.
2. The specific machines, controls, and CAM systems you have used.
3. A short description of the most technically difficult machining process you personally developed.
4. A clear explanation of which portions of that project you personally owned.
5. Any non-confidential portfolio material that demonstrates fixture design, process planning, multiaxis programming, prove-out, or manufacturing problem-solving.

Applications that explain actual technical ownership will receive greater consideration than résumés containing only machine and software lists.