Lead CNC Programer

About Us

JKeys Fab is a growing precision manufacturing shop serving aerospace, defense, robotics, industrial, and technology customers. We specialize in high-mix CNC machining, CNC routing, laser cutting and press brake forming,

We operate out of a climate-controlled facility with equipment including a Brother Speedio U500-XD1 5-axis CNC, CNC router, 3 kW fiber laser, electric CNC press brake, and CMM inspection capability.

Role Overview

We are looking for a lead-level CNC programmer who can take customer models and drawings through programming, process planning, workholding strategy, setup documentation, prove-out, and operator handoff.

This is not an office-only CAM role. The right person should be comfortable working between CAD/CAM and the shop floor, supporting setups, troubleshooting issues, and helping turn difficult jobs into reliable manufacturing processes.

Responsibilities

• Program CNC mill and CNC router work using Fusion 360 or comparable CAM software.
• Plan setups, datum strategy, stock size, workholding, tooling, and inspection approach.
• Program 3-axis, 3 2, and appropriate 5-axis work.
• Support prove-outs, first articles, and process adjustments at the machine.
• Create clear setup sheets, tool lists, workholding notes, and operator instructions.
• Identify manufacturability issues, tolerance risks, fixture concerns, and drawing/model conflicts before jobs reach production.
• Improve existing programs, repeat jobs, tool libraries, feeds/speeds, fixtures, and setup standards.
• Work directly with operators to ensure jobs are set up and run correctly.
• Help improve machine and process capability while maintaining safety, quality, tolerances, and repeatability.

Qualifications

• 5 years of CNC programming and setup/process experience, or demonstrated ability at that level.
• Strong practical machining background, not just CAM experience.
• Ability to program and support CNC work from model/drawing through first article.
• Experience with 3-axis milling and multi-op parts.
• Ability to read technical drawings, tolerances, and GD&T.
• Strong understanding of workholding, datum selection, tooling, speeds/feeds, and setup planning.
• Comfortable working in a high-mix, low-volume job shop environment.
• Willing and able to support prove-outs and troubleshooting on the shop floor.
• Creative, practical problem solver who can work through challenging parts, setups, or machine constraints.
• Must be eligible to access ITAR-controlled technical data.

Preferred Experience

• Fusion 360 CAM.
• Brother, Fanuc-style, or similar CNC controls.
• 3 2 and/or 5-axis machining.
• Router programming, vacuum fixturing, plastics, and sheet-style machining.
• Aluminum, stainless steel, plastics, titanium, nickel alloys, or aerospace/industrial materials.
• Fixture design, soft jaws, fixture plates, and repeatable workholding.
• CMM-Manager, first article inspection, CMM inspection, or AS9100-style documentation.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a hands-on manufacturing problem solver who thinks beyond toolpaths. We want someone who can look at a part, determine how it should be made, understand the risks, and document the process so another person can run it correctly.

This role is a strong fit for someone who enjoys technical manufacturing challenges, continuous improvement, and helping a growing shop build better processes.

Schedule

Full-time, on-site position. Standard weekday schedule, with exact hours to be discussed.

Pay: $75,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Paid time off

Application Question(s):

• Walk us through the most challenging CNC part or job you personally programmed and helped prove out. Include the material, machine type, setup count, workholding strategy, tolerance challenges, what went wrong during prove-out, and what you changed to make the job successful.
• You receive a complex 5-axis or multi-op part where the obvious setup does not work because of machine travel, tool reach, or workholding limitations. How would you approach deciding whether the part can still be made? Describe the steps you would take before saying it cannot be done.
• Describe your process for turning a customer model and drawing into a job that an operator can run. What information do you include in your setup sheet, how do you choose datums/work offsets, and how do you decide which features need first article or in-process inspection?

Work Location: In person