Machine Operator — Woodworking / CNC

Demeter Millwork; Woodridge (IL); On-site; USD 33,000 - 47,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k)

Paid time off

Job summary

Demeter Millwork in the Chicago area is seeking a Machine Operator to run the Biesse Rover CNC nesting cell, Barbaric panel storage, and Edgebander in a modern, automated shop. You will load CNC programs, verify tooling and material call-outs, stage sheet goods, monitor robot offload, and maintain first-off quality with periodic checks and preventive maintenance.

Overtime and weekend coverage may be required to meet production goals.

Qualifications

• At least three years of working experience operating production woodworking equipment.
• Experience operating a CNC at production-level output — Biesse Rover CNC machines.
• Experience using BiesseWorks or similar CNC operating/programming software.
• Knowledge of cabinet manufacturing, materials, and hardware.
• Experience reading and interpreting production programs, cut lists, and part labels.
• Material-handling and storage techniques for sheet goods and finished parts.

Responsibilities

• Load CNC programs in BiesseWorks and verify tooling, spoilboard condition, vacuum zones, and material call-outs before starting a nest.
• Stage sheet goods through the Barbaric CSF panel-storage system; confirm the correct material, thickness, grain, and quantity match the work order and BOM.
• Run the Biesse Rover CNC machines and monitor the Automatech Robotik Armony outfeed for quality and sorting.
• Operate the edgebander to run parts at spec and perform first-off inspections and periodic checks.
• Perform daily startup/shutdown cleaning and complete preventive-maintenance tasks.

Skills

Production woodworking

CNC operation

BiesseWorks

Reading master schedules

First-off inspection

Team communication

Tooling verification

Quality focus

OT and weekend readiness

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

Biesse Rover CNC

Barbaric panel storage

Automatech Robotik

Edgebander equipment

BiesseWorks

Job description

Description

About Demeter Millwork

Demeter Millwork is a Chicago-area architectural millwork and casework manufacturer. In 2026 we moved into Demeter 4.Zero, a new, state-of-the-art 55,000 SF production facility in Woodridge, Illinois to further expand our capabilities. This facility incorporates an automated sheet-good sortation system, dual Biesse Rover CNC machines, and a robotic offload cell. More information on our company is available at https://www.demetermillwork.com.

We are hiring machine operators who want to run modern equipment in a clean, automated, data-driven shop — not the dust-choked cabinet shop of twenty years ago.

Shift: Full-time, first shift (Monday–Friday, 6:00 AM – 2:30 PM), with overtime and weekend coverage as production requires.

Compensation: $24.00 – $34.00 per hour, depending on experience, plus a monthly operator bonus tied to shipped work-order value, equipment utilization, and shop profitability. Full benefits including medical, dental, vision, paid time off, and 401(k).

Why Demeter

• New, purpose-built facility. Demeter 4.Zero was designed from the ground up around automation, dust control, acoustics, and operator comfort. It is not a converted warehouse.
• Modern equipment. You will run current-generation Biesse, Barbaric, Automatech Robotik, and edgebanding equipment — not decades-old iron.
• Bonus tied to output. Monthly bonuses are structured around profitability, shipped work-order value, and equipment utilization, so operators share directly in the shop's performance.
• Growth path. Demeter is actively investing to grow capacity, with real progression from operator to cell lead to production supervisor.
• Demeter Millwork is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.

Position Summary

The Machine Operator runs one or more primary work centers on the shop floor — most commonly the Biesse Rover CNC nesting cell (with its Barbaric CSF panel-storage feed and Automatech Robotik Armony robotic offload), the Biesse Rover Up automated edgebanding line. The operator is responsible for producing accurate, cleanly finished parts from programs, keeping the cell running at target rates, and maintaining the equipment to Demeter's cleanliness, safety, and preventive-maintenance standards.

Key Responsibilities

Machine operation

• Load CNC programs in BiesseWorks and verify tooling, spoilboard condition, vacuum zones, and material call-outs before starting a nest
• Stage sheet goods through the Barbaric CSF panel-storage system; confirm the correct material, thickness, grain, and quantity match the work order and BOM, and protect finish-face material from damage in storage and transit
• Run the Biesse Rover CNC machines and monitor the Automatech Robotik Armony outfeed for pick-quality, mis-picks, label placement, and sort-rack routing; clear faults and restart cycles safely
• Operate the edgebander to run parts at spec — glue temperature and quantity, feed speed, trim, scrape, and buff — and verify edge quality on the first-off (first-piece inspection) and periodic checks

Quality

• Perform first-article inspection on every new work order and periodic in-process checks (dimensions, edge quality, hole locations, finish surface)
• Reject and quarantine nonconforming parts

Housekeeping and PM

• Perform daily start-up and end-of-shift cleaning of the operator's cell (dust-collection ports, sensors, spoilboard, edgebander glue-pot area, robot vision windows)
• Complete assigned weekly, monthly, and quarterly preventive-maintenance tasks
• Keep aisles, sort racks, and staging areas clear per the shop 5S standard

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

• At least three years of working experience operating production woodworking equipment
• Experience operating a CNC at production-level output — we operate Biesse Rover CNC machines
• Experience using BiesseWorks or similar CNC operating/programming software
• Knowledge of cabinet manufacturing, materials, and hardware — sheet goods, edge materials, fasteners, connectors, drawer slides, hinges, and pulls
• Experience reading and interpreting production programs, cut lists, and part labels.
• Material-handling and storage techniques for sheet goods and finished parts, including grain direction, finish-face protection, and safe stacking/staging
• Detail-focused — first-off inspection, in-process checks, and catching issues before they scrap parts
• Able to meet deadlines and consistently hit shift/work-order targets
• Able to work overtime and weekends as production requires
• Works well with others — communicates cleanly with the next station, engineering, and Project Managers
• Physically able to lift up to 75 lb occasionally and 50 lb regularly, stand for a full shift, and safely handle 4×8 and 5×12 sheet goods with the provided material-handling equipment
• Reliable attendance
• Authorized to work in the United States
• High school diploma or equivalent

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience on Biesse Rover series CNC routers or comparable Biesse flat-table nesting/pod-and-rail machines
• Experience with automated panel storage/retrieval (Barbaric, Homag TLF, Schelling, or similar) and/or robotic unloading cells (Automatech, HOMAG, Biesse Winstore)
• Experience running an automated edgebander (Biesse Stream, Homag Ambition/Edgeteq, IMA, SCM Stefani), including tape/PUR glue changes and trim/scraper unit setup
• Basic tooling changeover skills (collets, aggregates, saw blades, edgebander glue changeovers)
• Forklift certification (electric sit-down and/or reach truck)
• OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 (General Industry)

What Success Looks Like in the First 90 Days

• Day 30: Safely and independently operating the assigned primary work center and running standard Microvellum jobs to spec
• Day 60: Consistently hitting or exceeding target throughput on your cell, running the operator PM checklist without reminders, and catching material or program issues before they scrap parts
• Day 90: Cross-trained on at least one secondary work center, contributing to shift attainment and first-pass yield goals, and comfortable escalating priority or quality issues through the production system