Member of Technical Staff, Principal Machining

About Ironstead

Ironstead Industrial Inc. acquires precision machine shops and manufacturing businesses in aerospace/defense, maritime, and commercial sectors, and rebuilds them into modern, data-driven operations. We don't run playbooks from a spreadsheet in another state. We parachute in, work shoulder to shoulder with machine operators, and rebuild the operating system of the business from the inside. IronsteadOS, our purpose-built operating platform syncing customer design to final inspection & logistics, is the backbone of that transformation, but the platform only works if someone on the ground earns the trust to implement it.

The Role

Ironstead is seeking a Member of Technical Staff, Principal Machining to become the company’s deepest technical authority on CNC machining and machining focused DfX. You will determine how a difficult part should actually be made: machine platform, setup strategy, workholding, cutting tools, tool access, datum strategy, CAM approach, inspection plan, tolerance strategy, and the tradeoffs required to move from a CAD model to stable recurring production.

You will work upstream with customers and design engineers to eliminate unnecessary machining risk, then stay engaged downstream with programmers, machinists, manufacturing engineers, and quality teams during prove-out and production. The ideal candidate has enough design judgment to challenge a drawing and enough machining credibility to stand at the control with an experienced machinist and solve the problem.

Responsibilities

Technical Process Strategy

• Lead the overarching machining strategy across the portfolio, providing expert intervention and root cause resolution for high risk manufacturing failures.
• Conduct cross-facility technical audits to identify, validate, and rapidly deploy proven machining methodologies and high yield processes across the shop network.
• Codify advanced machining dynamics and shop floor manufacturing data into automated DfX, algorithmic quoting, CAM strategies, and IronsteadOS workflows.
• Lead root cause troubleshooting for complex machining phenomena, including chatter, thermal drift, workholding instability, and aggressive tool wear.
• Establish decision frameworks to determine when high complexity machining challenges require alternative process flows, custom fixturing, advanced tooling, updated machine platforms, or design modification.

Design for Machining

• Advance multi-site shop capabilities by deploying standardized frameworks for machine selection, workholding, tooling, cutting strategies, and integrated inspection.
• Optimize shop floor productivity by systematically driving down cycle times, setup durations, tooling expenditure, and scrap rates without compromising process stability.
• Establish repeatable machining strategies for high risk components, focusing on exotic alloys, thin-wall structures, tight tolerances, and multi-axis geometries.
• Challenge overly restrictive tolerances, suboptimal CAM strategies, and surface finish requirements upstream to eliminate risk and reduce unit cost.
• De-risk aggressive part geometries by optimizing fixture rigidity, datum schemes, tool overhangs, and tolerance stacks to guarantee part stability and inspection pass rates.

Basic Qualifications

• Deep expertise in CNC multi-axis machining, manufacturing engineering, and machining process development.
• Demonstrated experience developing difficult parts from drawing and CAD review through first article and recurring production.
• Strong knowledge of CAM, cutting tools, workholding, feeds and speeds, machine dynamics, probing, and process planning.
• Strong understanding of GD&T, tolerance stack-up, datum schemes, surface finishes, materials, and inspection.
• Ability to troubleshoot G-code and understand the relationship between CAM output and machine behavior.
• Willingness to travel extensively (60-80%) and embed on-site at Ironstead portfolio facilities for extended periods, including some nights/weekends during critical transition windows

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience machining titanium, nickel alloys, hardened steels, aluminum structures, or other challenging materials.
• Experience with thin wall, tight tolerance, high aspect ratio, or complex sculpted components.
• Experience with Mastercam, NX CAM, Esprit, Fusion, or comparable advanced CAM platforms.
• Experience supporting quoting or estimating for complex CNC components.
• Familiar with CMM programming, in process probing, tool monitoring, automation, palletization, or lights-out manufacturing.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to work extended hours, including nights and weekends, during active deployment windows
• Ability to pass any background/export-compliance screening required for defense-related client sites (ITAR-sensitive facilities)
• U.S. Citizenship required due to ITAR/export control considerations

Ironstead Industrial Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on merit, qualifications, and business needs.