Senior Manufacturing Engineering, Machining

Northwood Space; Torrance (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Medical coverage

Vision and dental coverage

Flexible time off

Retirement plan

Paid holidays

Job summary

Northwood Space is building an in-house machining capability for high‑performance hardware used in satellite ground stations. You will own the roadmap, procure CNC machines, lay out the shop, and establish workflows to scale production.

The role requires 4–6+ years of machining experience, fixture workholding design, CAM programming, and a hands-on approach on the shop floor to iterate quickly. Strong problem-solving and collaboration will be essential.

Qualifications

• 4–6+ years of experience with machined components in manufacturing engineering or CNC-related roles.
• Experience designing fixtures/workholding for repeatable production.
• Strong CAM programming knowledge with feeds/speeds and setup strategy.
• Comfortable working hands-on on the shop floor to debug and iterate processes.

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.

Skills

Machining experience

Fixture/workholding design

CNC programming

Hands-on debugging

Tools

Fusion

Mastercam

NX CAM

Job description

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.

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.

Compensation:

Compensation at Northwood Space is based on role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual base pay is determined on a case‑by‑case basis and may vary depending on job‑related skills, education, experience, and technical expertise. Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at Northwood. In addition to base salary, Northwood Space offers long‑term incentives such as company stock options and discretionary performance bonuses. Benefits include equity, comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, flexible spending accounts, flexible time off, 10 or more paid holidays per year, retirement savings plans, and opportunities for professional development.

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.