CNC & Lab Operations Technician

PennEngineering®; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO and holiday pay

Tuition Reimbursement

Parental Leave

Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

Employee Centric Culture

Job summary

PennEngineering® in San Jose, CA, is seeking a CNC Lab Operations Technician to operate a CNC machine and manage a small lab facility. The successful candidate will have strong CNC expertise and self-motivation, working independently to optimize processes and deliver quality results.

This is an excellent opportunity to contribute to innovative engineering solutions in a supportive and inclusive environment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience programming, set-up, and operating Swiss Type CNC equipment.
• Strong computer skills for using spreadsheets and various software.
• Ability to work independently with limited supervision.

Responsibilities

• Operate and program CNC machine with minimal supervision.
• Inspect products for quality conformance using precision tools.
• Collaborate with the local engineering team for testing and sample requirements.

Skills

CNC programming and operation

Mathematics and trigonometry

Problem-solving skills

Good communication

Self-motivation

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

Fanuc

TB DECO

Partmaker

Job description

Position Summary

At PennEngineering, we innovate and collaborate to make the world a better place. You can contribute to work that matters with a company where diversity, equity and inclusion are shared values. We’re committed to fostering an environment for every employee that’s welcoming, respectful and inclusive, with great opportunity for professional growth. Find your future with us.

PennEngineering is seeking a motivated, excited individual to be a part of our PEM Applications Engineering Team in NA. As the CNC Lab Operations Technician, you’ll collaborate with teams that do truly amazing things.

This is a dual‑role position responsible for operating a single CNC machine and managing a small remote lab facility in San Jose, CA. The ideal candidate is a highly self‑motivated individual with a strong CNC background who is open to learning lab equipment, building out a proper process flow, and working closely with a small local engineering team to deliver samples and test results as quickly as possible. This role operates with a high degree of independence. The successful candidate will proactively identify process gaps, equipment issues, and workflow inefficiencies and resolve them on their own initiative without waiting for direction. Because this is a new and evolving role, responsibilities will be defined and refined over time through hands‑on fact‑finding and direct collaboration with engineering. The ability to thrive in ambiguity, adapt to changing requirements, and take full ownership of outcomes is essential.

Join us as we build the future in Manufacturing and Engineering!

Perks And Benefits

• PTO, holiday pay, Personal Time, 401K
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Parental Leave
• Medical, Dental and vision insurance
• Employee Centric Culture

What You Will Do

• Program, set up and operate a single CNC machine (Swiss Type Automatic CNC Lathe with sliding head stock and related automated tube and magazine bar feeders) with minimal supervision to produce superior quality product.
• Inspect product to ensure conformance using optical comparator, dial calipers, micrometers, thread gauges, plug gauges, etc.
• Standard and macro programming of machines using Fanuc, TB DECO, Partmaker and other software.
• Safely operate equipment including standard lathes, mills, grinders and saws.
• Read, understand and follow drawings, work instructions and procedures including identification and segregation of non‑conforming items.
• Request and obtain tooling including using VMI system.
• Works closely with the local San Jose engineering team to understand test and sample requirements and deliver results as efficiently as possible; collaborates with remote departments including Engineering, Planning and Quality to meet expectations.
• Track all material and part movement into, through and out of the CNC cell and lab facility.
• Participates in team meetings and works well with team members. Proactively identify process bottlenecks, equipment issues, and quality concerns and resolves them independently without requiring formal assignment. Actively participates in continuous improvement activities including making suggestions to assist team in meeting goals related to quality, cost and delivery.
• Observe and help define all safety regulations in the performance of all duties.
• Learns and operates lab equipment with proficiency; applies CNC problem‑solving skills to lab instrumentation and processes.
• Function as a partner to build out and document a formal CNC flow, incorporating best practices for sample handling, test sequencing, data collection and result reporting hand in hand with the engineering leadership/management team.
• Prioritizes and executes sample preparation and testing requests from the local engineering team with a focus on speed, accuracy and repeatability.

Other Duties

• Performs all assigned job duties with minimal supervision in their entirety with heavy emphasis on quality, accuracy, efficiency and timeliness.
• Employs cooperation, open‑mindedness and creativity to handle challenging work assignments.
• Provides support to other areas including training as needed.
• Performs other duties as required.

Location

San Jose, CA

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent with good skills in mathematics, trigonometry along with good written and verbal communication.
• Minimum of 5 years programming, set‑up and operating Swiss Type CNC equipment.
• Good computer skills to utilize spreadsheets, email, and many software programs.
• Able to work well with a small local engineering team while also functioning effectively and independently with limited supervision.
• Read and understand procedures and work instructions.
• Demonstrated self‑motivation with a proven track record of identifying and resolving process issues, equipment problems and inefficiencies independently without being prompted or formally assigned.
• Open and eager to learn new lab equipment and processes; prior lab or technical testing experience is a plus but not required.
• Comfortable with ambiguity; able to define role responsibilities through fact‑finding and adapt as requirements evolve over time.