# Senior Manufacturing Engineer (Machining)

**Company:** [Northwood Space](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/northwood-space)
**Location:** Los Angeles, CA
**Role:** Hardware Engineering
**Salary:** $100k – $175k/yr
**Experience:** 4+ years
**Skills:** Cnc Machining, Cam Programming, Fusion, Mastercam, Nx Cam, Fixture Design, Workholding, Siemens Nx, GD&T, Cmm, Metrology, DFM, Feeds/Speeds, Tooling
**Posted:** 2026-04-02

> Establishes and scales in-house machine shop for satellite communications hardware, owning CNC equipment procurement, shop layout, fixture design, CAM programming, operator training, and continuous improvement processes. Requires 4-6+ years in machining engineering with strong hands-on CAM and fixturing experience.

## Job Description

## Responsibilities
- Own the roadmap to establish and scale an internal machine shop: capability definition, machine selection, procurement, and commissioning.
- Source, evaluate, and purchase CNC machines and supporting equipment (workholding, tooling, metrology, material handling), balancing floor space, budget, throughput, and scalability.
- Coordinate machine delivery, rigging, utilities, installation, acceptance testing, and ongoing maintenance strategy.
- Design the machine shop layout, workflows, and safety/operational standards (material flow, tool control, inspection flow, chip/coolant management).
- Design and validate machining fixtures and workholding for repeatability, speed, and part quality.
- Create, own, and maintain CAM programs and machining documentation: setups, tool lists, inspection plans, and standardized work.
- Run machines as needed to unblock development/production and to prove out new processes and programs.
- Train operators and establish operator-facing work instructions, troubleshooting guides, and escalation paths.
- Drive continuous improvement (yield, cycle time, scrap reduction, process capability), including root-cause investigations and corrective actions.
- Partner closely with design engineering on DFM, tolerancing strategy, inspection strategy, and make/buy decisions for machined components.

## Basic Qualifications
- 4–6+ years of experience working with machined components in a manufacturing engineering, CNC programming, CNC machining, or closely related role.
- Demonstrated experience with fixture/workholding design and bringing repeatable machining processes into production.
- Strong CAM programming experience (e.g., Fusion, Mastercam, NX CAM, etc.) and practical understanding of feeds/speeds, tooling, and setup strategy.
- Comfortable operating in a hands-on environment: proving out programs on the floor, debugging issues, and iterating quickly.
- Strong communication skills and ability to coordinate vendors/contractors and cross-functional stakeholders.

## Preferred Skills
- Experience selecting and commissioning CNC equipment (mills/lathes; 3/4/5-axis), including acceptance criteria and ramp plans.
- Proficiency in CAD for fixturing and tooling design (e.g., Siemens NX or similar).
- Experience with GD&T, tolerance stack-ups, and inspection/metrology planning (CMM, probing, etc.).
- Experience developing standardized work, work instructions, and training programs.

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