CNC Programmer

Join an award-winning workplace of energetic, talented people, and be on one of the best work teams in the Chicagoland area! Voted as Best and Brightest Companies to work for in Chicago and the Nation in 2022, 2023 and 2024, we are devoted to having a workplace that supports each of our team members in making high quality products and working together to be the best at what we do. We are a sheet metal fabrication and machining company specializing in stainless steel, servicing the Midwest. Our customers are Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM's) that are primarily in the food processing, food packaging, environmental, and pharmaceutical industries. We pride ourselves on our customer responsiveness which has made us successful for a number of years. Check us out at www.acemetal.com!

We are seeking an experienced CNC programmer.

Benefits Offered Include:

Medical

Dental

Vision

Life

Short and Long Term Disability

Paid Time Off

9 Annual Paid Holidays

401k Retirement Plan

Weekly Pay Period

CNC Programmer

 1. CAM Programming 

• Participate in the daily programming huddle.
• Complete any assigned CAM programming projects for our CNC lathes and CNC mills.  Identify and plan the tooling used for each project and provide CAM reports as needed.
• Provide support with our Tool Crib system.  This includes identify tool bin locations for new parts, supporting purchasing or production with questions. 
• Support Production on their programming questions/requirements for both CAM and conversational programing.
• Further develop ACE’s standards for CAM programming, tooling library and program file storage systems.
• Utilize and support production with newly introduced technology. 

2. Technical Support

• Provide technical support to the production team for in-process parts.  This includes CAD information, tolerance or finish requirements, material questions, FAI, etc.
• Actively work with quality personnel to maintain part quality and provide assistance with part quality issues as they arise as well as with FAIR requirements.
• Support the purchasing team with any technical questions related to materials or parts required for projects.
• Provide technical support to our customers and sales team.  This includes support on new parts, on order parts, or parts we have supplied in the past. 
• Train and share CAM and machining knowledge with engineering and production team.
• Assist the production team in troubleshooting problems within our machining equipment.
• Maintain a favorable working relationship with team members to promote a cooperative working climate conducive to maximum productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness

3. Continuous Improvement & Process Optimization

• Proactively identify and implement opportunities to improve machining processes, efficiency, and productivity.
• Evaluate and optimize:
  • Cutting tool selection and machining strategies.
  • CNC programming methods and toolpaths.
  • Workholding and setup methods.
  • Cycle times and overall machining efficiency.
• Demonstrate a continuous improvement mindset with a focus on quality, consistency, and reducing production costs.
  

4. Communication and Teamwork

• Communicate clearly and effectively with machinists, supervisors, and engineering personnel.
• Be approachable and responsive when providing technical support on the shop floor.
• Ability to explain programming decisions, machining strategies, and process changes to others.
• Work effectively as part of a team while taking individual ownership of assigned responsibilities.

Special Skills Required:

• Strong, hands-on experience with Mastercam programming.
  • Mastercam 2018 or newer required.
• Proficiency in 3D CAD software, such as SolidWorks, Siemens NX, or equivalent.
  • SolidWorks experience preferred.
• Demonstrated experience programming and supporting 3-axis and 4-axis milling operations.
• Strong understanding of machining practices, cutting strategies, tooling, and workholding.
• CNC turning experience is a plus.
• Ability to actively support CNC programs and machining operations on the shop floor.
• Work collaboratively with machinists, supervisors, and other team members to ensure successful program execution.
• Ability to independently identify, troubleshoot, and resolve CAD/CAM programming and machining issues.
• Take ownership of programs from initial development through successful production.
• Minimum 5+ years of CNC programming and machining in a precision manufacturing environment.

• Deep understanding of materials (eg. Stainless steel, titanium, aluminum and mild steels) and how they behave under machining.
  
• Ability to analyze KPI metrics and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
• Strong leadership, communication, and team-building skills and ability to lead and mentor machinists and junior engineers.
• Strong grasp of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing with the ability to interpret complex blueprints and create designs using Solidworks.
• Experience with ERP/MRP systems
• Ability to prioritize and multi-task.
• Emotionally intelligent people skills.

This is a safety sensitive position.