CNC Lead Machinist -Set Up - Lathe/ Mill Turn

Kalman Manufacturing Inc; Morgan Hill (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) plan

Paid vacation

Paid holidays

Job summary

Kalman Manufacturing in Morgan Hill, CA, is seeking a setup lead for the Lathe/Mill Turn side of its production floor. You will lead a team of setup machinists and operators, coordinating with quality, engineering, planning and senior management.

The role involves setting up tools, ensuring on-time production, and driving continuous improvement. A four-day work week (Mon-Thu, 6:00 AM–4:30 PM) is offered with comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of Lathe/Mill Turn setup experience
• Ability to lead small teams of operators and setup machinists
• Read and understand blueprints with GD&T
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Compute production and setup cycle times and related metrics

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of setup machinists and machine operators on the Lathe/Mill Turn side of production
• Set up machine tools and bring parts into efficient, on-schedule production
• Allocate work, review team performance, and develop operators and setup machinists
• Represent the department to quality, engineering, planning and senior management
• Act as the production-floor interface for new parts with process engineers
• Validate parts out of setup through manual inspection
• Track production and setup cycle times, scrap rates, and other metrics
• Drive continuous improvement in the Lathe/Mill Turn department

Skills

Lathe/Mill Turn setup

Team leadership

Blueprint reading (GD&T)

Communication skills

Manufacturing math

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical/manufacturing engineering

High School Diploma or GED

Tools

CMM

Job description

Updated September 22, 2026

At a glance
Company: Kalman Manufacturing
Location: Morgan Hill, CA 95037
Job Type: Full-Time
Shift: Monday-Thursday, 6:00 AM-4:30 PM
Experience: 5+ years of Lathe/Mill Turn setup experience, with team-lead responsibility

Why this job is worth considering

Kalman Manufacturing is looking for a setup lead to run the Lathe/Mill Turn side of its production floor during the weekday day shift. You'd lead a team of setup machinists and operators, work directly with quality, engineering, planning and senior production management, and serve as the shop-floor point of contact when new parts get implemented. This is a high-visibility role at Kalman, with room to grow into greater responsibility as you prove yourself, and it comes with a 4-day work week (Monday-Thursday).

What you'll be doing

• Lead a team of setup machinists and machine operators on the Lathe/Mill Turn side of production
• Set up machine tools and bring parts into efficient, on-schedule production
• Allocate work, review team performance, and develop your operators and setup machinists
• Serve as the department's representative to quality, engineering, planning and senior production management
• Act as the production-floor interface for new parts being implemented, working closely with process engineers
• Validate parts out of setup through manual inspection
• Track production and setup cycle times, scrap rates, and other floor metrics
• Drive continuous improvement in the Lathe/Mill Turn department

This position reports to the Production Manager.

What we're looking for

To perform this job successfully, you must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Required

• High School Diploma or GED equivalent
• 5+ years of experience with Lathe/Mill Turn setup operations
• Demonstrated ability to read and understand blueprints, including GD&T
• Ability to lead small teams of operators, setup machinists and other skilled labor
• Expertise in manual inspection to validate parts out of setup without resorting to a CMM
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Computer and math skills sufficient to compute production and setup cycle times, scrap rates, and other manufacturing floor metrics

Preferred

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical or manufacturing engineering, machine tool technology, or a related field
• Bilingual - English and Spanish
• 10+ years of experience with Lathe/Mill Turn setup operations
• Demonstrated experience supervising a team of up to ten employees in manufacturing operations
• Demonstrated ability to drive continuous improvement projects through to implementation

Pay, benefits and schedule

Kalman offers competitive pay and great benefits. Leads work Monday through Thursday, 6:00 AM to 4:30 PM, for a 4-day work week.

• 100% of the employee premium paid on a silver health plan
• 401(k) with matching
• Paid vacation
• Paid holidays

About Kalman Manufacturing

Kalman Manufacturing is a family-owned CNC machine shop in Morgan Hill, CA, running a friendly, professional and clean production floor with a reasonable reverse commute from Silicon Valley. Production leadership is core to how Kalman runs its business, so this role carries real visibility and a path to more responsibility for strong performers.