CNC Machinist - Late Shift

Dunwall Partners Ltd; Brighton; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days' holiday + bank holidays

Private medical insurance

Salary sacrifice pension scheme

Life insurance

Electric Vehicle Scheme

Cycle to Work Scheme

Ongoing training and development

Modern, state-of-the-art manufacturing

Facility

Job summary

VACGEN in Hailsham, East Sussex, is seeking an experienced CNC Machinist for our late shift. You will set up and run CNC lathes, read drawings with GD&T, and actively contribute to ensuring high-precision components meet tight tolerances.

Join a modern, state-of-the-art facility with opportunities for training. The role offers a stable full-time schedule, a competitive package, and progression within a growing engineering environment.

Qualifications

• Proven experience setting and operating CNC machine tools.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and GD&T.
• Experience reading ISO and conversational CNC programs.
• Knowledge of different CNC control systems.
• Understanding of machining techniques, tooling and material behavior.
• Ability to identify problems and make adjustments.

Responsibilities

• Set up and operate CNC lathes to manufacture precision components.
• Read detailed drawings, tolerances and GD&T.
• Run proven and unproven programs and adjust as needed.
• Select tooling and set coordinates for accuracy.
• Produce and inspect first-off components before production.
• Monitor machining process and resolve issues.
• Optimize setups and machine performance for quality and productivity.
• Work across different machining centres as required.
• Carry out routine maintenance and checks.
• Ensure components are manufactured accurately and on time.
• Share ideas for continuous improvements in machining.

Skills

CNC Machining

Reading engineering drawings

GD&T

Problem solving

Quality focus

Education

Engineering apprenticeship or machining qualification

Tools

AlphaCAM

FARO Arm

CNC control systems

Job description

Location: Hailsham, East Sussex (BN27 4EL)

Salary: Competitive, depending on experience + excellent benefits

Hours: Monday to Friday, 1:30pm - 10:00pm

Contract: Full Time, Permanent

Benefits include: 25 days' holiday + bank holidays, Private medical insurance, Salary sacrifice pension scheme, Life insurance, Electric Vehicle Scheme, Cycle to Work Scheme, Ongoing training and development and a Modern, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility!

Want to machine components that could end up at NASA, CERN or the European Space Agency?

If you're an experienced CNC Machinist who takes real pride in producing an excellent component, this is the kind of work you'll want to get your hands on.

At VACGEN, we manufacture high-precision components and ultra-high vacuum products used in some incredible applications, from semiconductor technology and advanced scientific research to particle physics and space exploration.

Our technology is used by organisations including NASA, CERN and the European Space Agency.

And now, we're looking for another skilled CNC Machinist to join our Late Shift team in Hailsham.

This is precision engineering where quality really matters. You'll have the opportunity to work with modern CNC machinery, interesting components and challenging tolerances, with the autonomy to use your experience and get the job right.

What will you be doing?

You'll be part of our skilled machining team, setting and operating CNC lathes to produce high-quality precision components from engineering drawings.

This isn't simply loading a part and pressing cycle start.

We're looking for someone who understands machining, knows their tooling and can see a job through properly. You'll be setting up, proving programs, making adjustments, inspecting your work and spotting potential problems before they become problems.

Your day-to-day will include:

• Setting and operating CNC lathes to manufacture precision components.
• Working from detailed engineering drawings, tolerances and GD&T.
• Running both proven and unproven programs and making adjustments where needed.
• Selecting and setting tooling and adjusting coordinates to get the job right.
• Producing and inspecting first-off components before moving into production.
• Monitoring your machining process and resolving issues as they arise.
• Optimising setups and machine performance to improve both quality and productivity.
• Working across different machining centres when required.
• Carrying out routine maintenance and preventative machine checks.
• Making sure components are manufactured accurately, efficiently and on time.
• Sharing ideas and contributing to continuous improvements across the machining department.

Put simply, we'll trust you to know your machines, know your components and take pride in what leaves your workstation.

What are we looking for?

You'll already be comfortable in a CNC machining environment and have the confidence to take responsibility for your own work.

You don't need someone standing over your shoulder telling you what good looks like. You already know.

You’ll ideally bring:

• Proven experience setting and operating CNC machine tools.
• The ability to confidently read and interpret engineering drawings and GD&T.
• Experience reading and understanding ISO and conversational CNC programs.
• Knowledge of different CNC control systems.
• A strong understanding of machining techniques, tooling and material behaviour.
• The confidence to identify problems and make the right adjustments.
• A genuine commitment to producing high-quality work.
• An understanding that quality and accuracy need to go hand-in-hand with hitting production and delivery targets.

Even better if you have:

• Experience machining vacuum chambers, fabricated components or other high-precision parts.
• Offline programming experience, particularly AlphaCAM, although training can be provided.
• Experience with FARO Arm or electronic inspection equipment.
• Manual turning experience.
• An engineering apprenticeship or recognised machining qualification.
• Around five years or more of machining experience.

If you don't have absolutely everything on that second list, don't let that stop you applying. We're much more interested in finding an experienced machinist with the right skills, attitude and approach to quality.

Why VACGEN?

Because if you're going to spend your career machining things, you might as well machine something interesting.

For more than 60 years, VACGEN has been producing technology for some of the most demanding scientific and engineering applications around.

The components you manufacture could contribute to space exploration, particle physics, semiconductor technology or the next major scientific breakthrough.

But interesting products are only part of it.

You’ll be working in a modern manufacturing facility with advanced equipment, alongside other skilled engineers and machinists who understand the importance of doing a job properly.

We’re continuing to invest in our people, equipment and manufacturing capabilities, so you’ll be joining a business where your machining knowledge is valued and your ideas for doing things better are welcomed.

And with a consistent Monday-to-Friday, 1:30pm to 10:00pm shift, you’ll know exactly where you stand each week.

Ready to get stuck into something more interesting?

If you’re an experienced CNC Machinist looking for precision work, modern equipment and components that are anything but ordinary, we’d really like to hear from you.