Machine Shop Manager

Job description

We are seeking an experienced Machine Shop Manager to own and operate the rapid prototyping shop at our Boston Development Center. As the leader for precision fabrication and additive manufacturing, you own end-to-end execution of machined and 3D-printed components that drive our hardware development.

This is a prototype shop

short-run, high-mix. Most jobs are unique, every setup matters, and the engineering team's development velocity depends on what leaves the shop each week.

You will manage the full scope of shop operations, multi-axis CNC milling and turning, manual/conventional machining, and industrial 3D printing (metal and polymer). You will hire and develop a team of CNC programmers, precision machinists, and additive manufacturing technicians, set the schedule, and work directly with design and manufacturing engineers to keep first-piece quality high and turnaround tight. The ideal candidate is a hands-on technical leader who came up through programming and machining and is still credible at the CAM seat and on the shop floor.

Key job responsibilities

- Own day-to-day machine shop operations end-to-end: job scheduling, work prioritization, resource allocation, and throughput management across CNC machining and additive manufacturing equipment.

- Hire, develop, and manage a team of CNC machinists, CNC programmers, and additive manufacturing technicians. Set performance expectations, coach development, and hold the team accountable for safety, quality, and delivery.

- Manage job queues across multiple concurrent engineering programs, prioritize work to maximize throughput and minimize lead time, balancing urgent R&D prototype requests with operational tooling and fixture needs. Implement job routing and tracking workflows to manage the high-mix, rapid-turnaround queue.

- Work directly with product design and manufacturing engineers to review part designs, advise on manufacturability (DFM), select machining strategies, and ensure first-piece quality meets drawing requirements.

- Oversee CNC programming (CAM), setup verification, first-piece inspection, in-process checks, tool offsets, and changeovers. Troubleshoot machining issues related to programming, tooling, workholding, dimensional variation, and surface finish.

- Manage 3D printing / additive manufacturing operations, job scheduling, material management, build parameter optimization, and post-processing for both metal and polymer systems.

- Drive performance metrics: on-time delivery, first-piece quality, throughput, machine utilization, scrap rate. Use data to identify improvement opportunities and report shop performance to leadership.

- Ensure safety and housekeeping standards are maintained, 5S, PPE compliance, machine guarding, and EHS requirements for a machining and additive manufacturing environment.

- Own equipment maintenance, calibration, and uptime. Evaluate and recommend capital expenditure for new machines, tooling, fixtures, and measurement equipment as the shop scales.