TekPro is hiring for specialized gear manufacturing roles

Location: Addison, IL

Industry: Precision Gear Manufacturing

Employment Type: Full-Time | Direct Hire

A day in the life

Step onto a shop floor where precision isn’t a promise—it’s the norm. As our partners take on intricate gear work for demanding customers, three roles shape every successful delivery: the programmer who turns concepts into code, the estimator who gives the quote its backbone, and the process engineer who ensures everything runs like clockwork.

Open roles

• CNC Programmer / Applications Engineer (Turning Focus) — $80,000–$90,000/year
• Estimator (Gear Manufacturing) — $80,000–$95,000/year
• Process Engineer (Gear Manufacturing) — $80,000–$110,000/year

TekPro is a direct-hire recruitment firm partnering with leading manufacturers. We’re building a team of professionals who thrive on complex gear work and want to own outcomes from concept through production.

Role spotlights

CNC Programmer / Applications Engineer (Turning-Centric)

You’ll write and refine CNC programs with an emphasis on lathes and turning centers, shaping strategies for highly exacting gear-related components.

• Create efficient programs for CNC lathes/turning centers
• Develop tooling and machining tactics for complex gear geometries
• Support technical feasibility and quoting from an applications perspective
• Reduce cycle times and enhance throughput
• Collaborate closely with engineering and production teams

This seat favors hands-on programming prowess—more doing than theorizing.

Estimator (Gear Manufacturing)

Bring clarity to cost. You’ll translate prints and specifications into solid cost models grounded in how gears are actually made.

• Interpret drawings, tolerances, and customer requirements
• Build accurate estimates for gear machining and associated processes
• Define process steps, material usage, and time standards
• Partner with engineering and sales to shape quotes and margins
• Anchor pricing in real production methods—not just templates

Process Engineer (Gear Manufacturing)

Own the flow. You’ll architect robust processes that deliver repeatability, quality, and speed.

• Design and refine end-to-end manufacturing workflows for gear production
• Optimize tooling, workholding, and machining strategies
• Lead continuous improvement and root-cause problem solving
• Troubleshoot production issues to eliminate waste and downtime
• Drive quality, consistency, and cost-effectiveness from concept to scale

What you bring

• Background in gear manufacturing (strongly preferred and required for most roles)
• Demonstrated CNC machining/programming knowledge; deep turning expertise for the programmer seat
• Fluency in print reading and technical interpretation
• Hands-on problem solver with shop-floor awareness
• Engineering or technical education is a plus

Why join through TekPro

• Direct-hire placement with long-term trajectory
• Cutting-edge, high-precision gear work that keeps you learning
• Competitive compensation across all roles
• High-visibility, high-impact positions within operations