Lead CNC Programmer & Design Engineer

General Machine; Freeburg (IL); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) with match

Paid time off

Job summary

General Machine in Illinois seeks an experienced CNC programmer to own programming from a customer drawing to the proven, on‑the‑floor program. You’ll be the go‑to engineering resource for customers and help design parts, reverse engineer worn components, and fix problems they can’t solve in‑house.

You’ll report to the General Manager and collaborate with shop floor operators to ensure parts come off the end of the machine right the first time.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of CNC programming in a job shop or fabrication environment.
• Strong in BobCAD-CAM or Fusion (both is a plus; we'll train on whichever you're missing).
• Working knowledge of SolidWorks and/or Inventor for part and assembly modeling.
• Nesting experience, ideally ProNest.
• You read GD&T and weld symbols without looking them up.
• Comfortable on a call with a customer's engineering team and able to explain tradeoffs clearly.
• Know how to machine AR plate and other wear‑resistant steels, or can learn quickly.
• You enjoy being on the shop floor as much as at the desk.

Responsibilities

• Program all CNC equipment: mills, lathes, horizontal boring mill, plasma/laser table, waterjet.
• Build and optimize nests in ProNest to cut plate waste and burn time.
• Turn customer sketches, samples, and worn parts into production‑ready models and drawings in SolidWorks and Inventor.
• Work directly with customer engineers on design changes and wear‑life improvements.
• Scope engineering projects and track hours for quoting and billing.
• Review RFQs and drawings with estimating; flag manufacturability issues before quoting.
• Set programming standards: tool libraries, post processors, file naming, revision control.
• Prove out new programs at the machine with operators and fix issues.
• Help pick and set up new equipment and software as we grow.

Skills

CNC programming

GD&T

Drawing interpretation

Education

Degree or coursework in mechanical or manufacturing engineering

Tools

BobCAD-CAM

Fusion

SolidWorks

Inventor

ProNest

Post processors

Job description

General Machine is a heavy fabrication and precision CNC machine shop. We build wear parts and components for size reduction, crushing, mining, construction equipment, and material handling. We're a certified Hardox Wearparts partner, and our customers are OEMs who expect parts right the first time.

We're growing. We run the business openly: the numbers, the goals, and the scorecard are shared with the team. We're putting real money into technology on the shop floor and want someone who will help us use it well.

The Role

You'll own all CNC programming at GMI, from the first look at a customer drawing to the proven program running on the floor. You'll also be our go-to engineering resource for customers. More of them are asking us to design parts, reverse engineer worn components, and fix problems they can't solve in-house. This role is how we say yes to that work and bill for it. You report to the General Manager.

What You'll Do

• Program all CNC equipment: mills, lathes, horizontal boring mill, plasma/laser table, waterjet
• Build and optimize nests in ProNest to cut plate waste and burn time
• Turn customer sketches, samples, and worn parts into production-ready models and drawings in SolidWorks and Inventor
• Work directly with customer engineers on design changes, wear-life improvements, and new part development
• Scope engineering projects and track your hours so we can quote and bill the work accurately
• Review RFQs and drawings with estimating. Flag manufacturability issues before we quote, not after we've cut steel
• Set programming standards: tool libraries, post processors, file naming, revision control
• Prove out new programs at the machine with operators and fix what doesn't run clean
• Help pick and set up new equipment and software as we grow

What You Bring

• [5+] years of CNC programming in a job shop or fabrication environment
• Strong in BobCAD-CAM or Fusion (both is a plus; we'll train on whichever you're missing)
• Working knowledge of SolidWorks and/or Inventor for part and assembly modeling
• Nesting experience, ideally ProNest
• You read GD&T and weld symbols without looking them up
• Comfortable on a call with a customer's engineering team and able to explain tradeoffs in plain terms
• Know how to machine AR plate and other wear-resistant steels, or can learn it fast
• You like being on the floor as much as at the desk

Nice to Have

• Degree or coursework in mechanical or manufacturing engineering
• Experience with horizontal boring mills or large-part fixturing
• Reverse engineering experience (measuring worn parts, 3D scanning)
• Experience training or mentoring other programmers
• Exposure to ERP systems JobBoss or Fulcrum Pro (or similar)

What We Offer

• Pay: based on experience
• Benefits: Health, dental, vision, 401(k) with match, PTO
• Schedule: Monday to Friday, flexible hours
• A leadership role in a company building a platform through acquisitions, with room to grow as we do