What are the responsibilities and job description for the On‑Machine CNC Programmer & Machinist (Mills/Lathes) position at Total Talent?
Location: Elk Grove Village, IL
Compensation: Up to $62,000/year
Schedule: Monday–Friday, 5:45 AM–2:05 PM
Gear: Oil‑resistant work boots required
A day in this role
You clock in at 5:45 AM, lace up your oil‑resistant boots, and head to the mill. A print is waiting—tight tolerances with GD&T callouts. You select tooling, set work and tool offsets, and begin writing G‑code directly at the control. There’s no CAM here—your programming skill is on display at the machine. You cut the first piece, inspect it with micrometers and indicators, fine‑tune feeds and speeds, and resolve a bit of chatter on the finish pass. By mid‑morning, the job transfers to a lathe with a similar routine. An unexpected dimensional drift crops up; you troubleshoot, correct, and keep production moving. Before you wrap at 2:05 PM, you verify the last part, document the setup, and leave the machine ready for the next run.
What you will do- Program, set up, and operate CNC mills and lathes with on‑control editing (no CAM software used)
- Read blueprints and interpret GD&T to plan machining strategy
- Select tooling, establish offsets, and determine appropriate feeds and speeds
- Run first‑article, inspect finished parts, and adjust programs and processes as needed
- Troubleshoot machining issues to maintain quality and throughput
- Proficiency programming directly at the machine control
- Experience with Mazak, Haas, Fanuc, or similar controls (preferred)
- Strong blueprint reading and GD&T knowledge
- Precision measuring skills using micrometers, calipers, indicators, and related tools
If you take pride in writing clean code at the console, dialing in a stable process, and shipping parts that pass inspection the first time, you’ll thrive here.