Principal CNC Tooling & Fixturing Machinist
Location: Detroit, Michigan
Compensation: $24 – $32 hourly, experiencebased + overtime eligible
Partnering with Kintara, a top precision manufacturer is advancing its aerospace and industrial programs. They’re looking for a seasoned CNC professional who treats process ownership as a craftbalancing speed, accuracy, and documentation in a highmix, low to mediumvolume setting.
The challenge
Imagine you’re handed a complex print with demanding GD&T. You plan the setup, select tooling, and design a fixture that locks in repeatability. You validate on a multiaxis mill or lathe, complete the FAI, and monitor the run with inprocess CMM checks and surface plate verification. A chatter pattern appears; you adjust speeds, change an insert, and stabilize the processwhile capturing notes in the setup sheet so the next run is even better. Along the way, you coach a teammate through bore gauge technique and indicator best practices.
What you will do
- Lead setups and handson operation of multiaxis CNC turning and milling centers
- Engineer fixtures/workholding for intricate parts and validate their performance
- Optimize tooling, offsets, feeds, and speeds for tighttolerance results
- Own FAIs and the associated documentation trail
- Perform inprocess inspections using CMMs, micrometers, bore gauges, indicators, and surface plates
- Troubleshoot tool wear, dimensional variation, chatter, and process instability
- Interpret complex drawings and GD meet customer specifications
- Maintain accurate setup sheets, process documents, and production records
- Identify and implement improvements that raise quality and throughput
- Mentor machinists across the shop and serve as a technical authority
What you bring
- 10+ years of precision CNC machining experience
- Handson capability with multiaxis turning and milling (4axis and/or 5axis)
- Fixture design/workholding expertise for complex components
- Proven FAI execution and documentation
- Advanced GD&T comprehension
- Proficiency with CMMs and precision metrology: micrometers, bore gauges, indicators, surface plates
- Command of feeds/speeds and tooling for steel, stainless, and aluminum; titanium/advanced materials experience is beneficial
- Experience operating under AS9100, ISO 9001, or similar standards
- Ability to work independently and make sound machining decisions
- Preferred (not required): CAM programming with Mastercam and/or GibbsCAM
Environment & impact
Highmix, low to mediumvolume production for aerospace and advanced industrial applications, where your process rigor and mentorship directly elevate quality and reliability.
