Senior Manufacturing Engineering, Machining

Northwood Space; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Northwood Space, a modern space infrastructure company, is seeking a Senior Manufacturing Engineer (Machining) to stand up and scale our in-house machining capability for high-performance hardware used in satellite ground stations.

This role combines hands-on machining/CAM with strategic capability build-out—owning end-to-end from selecting CNC equipment to shop layout, robust fixturing, programming, operator training, and driving improvements in quality, cost, and lead time.

Qualifications

• 4–6+ years of experience in manufacturing engineering or CNC-related roles.
• Experience with fixture/workholding design and bringing repeatable machining processes into production.
• Strong CAM programming with feeds/speeds, tooling, and setup strategies.
• Comfortable operating in a hands-on environment: debugging and quick iteration on the floor.

Responsibilities

• Own the roadmap to establish and scale an internal machine shop: capability definition, machine selection, procurement, and commissioning.
• Source, evaluate, and purchase CNC machines and supporting equipment (workholding, tooling, metrology, material handling).
• Coordinate machine delivery, rigging, utilities, installation, acceptance testing, and maintenance strategy.
• Design the machine shop layout, workflows, and safety/operational standards (material flow, tool control, inspection flow).
• Design and validate machining fixtures and workholding for repeatability and quality.
• Create, own, and maintain CAM programs and machining documentation: setups, tool lists, inspection plans, standard work.
• Run machines to unblock development/production and validate new processes.

Skills

Machining experience

Fixture design

CAM programming

Hands-on machining

Tools

Fusion

Mastercam

NX CAM

Job description

About Northwood

Northwood is a modern space infrastructure company bringing the benefits of space to the masses through advanced communications technology. We are building a global network of phased array ground stations that enable real-time, reliable communication for satellite missions such as national security, global connectivity, and disaster response. With a vertically integrated approach, Northwood designs, builds, and rapidly deploys scalable systems that power the next generation of space missions. If you like solving complex challenges and seeing your work deployed around the world with real impact, Northwood is the place to do it.

Role

Northwood is seeking a Senior Manufacturing Engineer (Machining) to help stand up and scale our in-house machining capability for high-performance hardware used in our satellite communications ground stations.

This role combines hands‑on machining/CAM with strategic capability build‑out—you’ll own the end‑to‑end effort from selecting and purchasing CNC equipment to designing the shop layout, building robust fixturing, programming parts, training operators, and driving continuous improvement on quality, cost, and lead time.

Responsibilities

• Own the roadmap to establish and scale an internal machine shop: capability definition, machine selection, procurement, and commissioning.


• Source, evaluate, and purchase CNC machines and supporting equipment (workholding, tooling, metrology, material handling), balancing floor space, budget, throughput, and scalability.


• Coordinate machine delivery, rigging, utilities, installation, acceptance testing, and ongoing maintenance strategy.


• Design the machine shop layout, workflows, and safety/operational standards (material flow, tool control, inspection flow, chip/coolant management).


• Design and validate machining fixtures and workholding for repeatability, speed, and part quality.


• Create, own, and maintain CAM programs and machining documentation: setups, tool lists, inspection plans, and standardized work.


• Run machines as needed to unblock development/production and to prove out new processes and programs.

Basic Qualifications

• 4–6+ years of experience working with machined components in a manufacturing engineering, CNC programming, CNC machining, or closely related role.


• Demonstrated experience with fixture/workholding design and bringing repeatable machining processes into production.


• Strong CAM programming experience (e.g., Fusion, Mastercam, NX CAM, etc.) and practical understanding of feeds/speeds, tooling, and setup strategy.


• Comfortable operating in a hands‑on environment: proving out programs on the floor, debugging issues, and iterating quickly.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience selecting and commissioning CNC equipment (mills/lathes; 3/4/5-axis), including acceptance criteria and ramp plans.


• Proficiency in CAD for fixturing and tooling design (e.g., Siemens NX or similar).


• Experience with GD&T, tolerance stack‑ups, and inspection/metrology planning (CMM, probing, etc.).


• Experience developing standardized work, work instructions, and training programs.

Additional Information

If you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application for employment or interviews with us, please let us know.

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Northwood Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Northwood Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.