Senior Production Manager (CNC Machining)

Job Description

Job Description

Senior Production Manager – CNC Gantry Machining

Industry: Aerospace & Defense Manufacturing
Reports To: Director of Production
Employment Type: Full-Time

Position Overview

We are seeking an accomplished Senior Production Manager to lead production operations within an elite, high-performance CNC machining facility specializing in large-format gantry machining and complex, tight-tolerance aerospace and defense components .

This is a hands-on leadership position responsible for driving safety, quality, productivity, delivery, labor efficiency, and continuous improvement across the manufacturing operation. The successful candidate will have a proven track record managing CNC machining production in a demanding aerospace, defense, semiconductor, or similarly high-precision manufacturing environment.

The ideal candidate is a manufacturing leader first —someone who understands CNC machining, production flow, tooling, scheduling, capacity, labor utilization, quality requirements, and Lean manufacturing at a practical level, while also possessing the leadership skills necessary to develop a high-performing production organization.

Experience supporting customers such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, or other major aerospace/defense Primes and Tier 1 OEMs is highly valued.

Key Responsibilities

Production Leadership & Management

• Provide overall leadership and direction for daily CNC machining production operations.
• Manage production supervisors, leads, machinists, and support personnel.
• Establish clear production expectations, accountability, and performance standards.
• Drive execution against production schedules while maintaining the highest standards of quality and safety.
• Monitor daily performance, identify constraints, and rapidly remove obstacles impacting production.
• Ensure effective coordination between Production, Engineering, Quality, Maintenance, Planning, Supply Chain, and other functional teams.
• Maintain a strong floor presence and provide hands-on leadership in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Develop a culture of ownership, accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.

CNC Machining Operations

• Provide strong operational leadership over large CNC gantry mills and other high-precision CNC machining equipment .
• Demonstrate a working understanding of CNC milling, machining processes, setups, tooling, fixturing, cutting strategies, and production flow.
• Understand the challenges associated with machining large, complex, tight-tolerance aerospace components , including difficult materials such as titanium and other hard metals.
• Work closely with Manufacturing Engineering and Programming to improve cycle times, machine utilization, tooling strategies, and manufacturability.
• Identify production bottlenecks and implement sustainable solutions.
• Optimize machine loading, labor utilization, setup reduction, throughput, and overall equipment effectiveness.
• Ensure production resources are aligned with customer demand and manufacturing priorities.

Lean Manufacturing & Continuous Improvement

• Lead the implementation and sustainment of Lean Manufacturing principles throughout the production operation.
• Utilize Lean tools such as Kaizen, 5S, visual management, standard work, value-stream improvement, waste elimination, root-cause analysis, and continuous improvement .
• Identify and eliminate the eight forms of manufacturing waste.
• Drive improvements in labor efficiency, machine utilization, throughput, quality, and on-time delivery.
• Establish measurable improvement initiatives and hold teams accountable for results.
• Promote a culture where employees actively identify and solve manufacturing problems.

Scheduling, Capacity & Performance

• Partner with Production Planning and Operations leadership to ensure production schedules are achievable and aligned with customer commitments.
• Analyze machine and labor capacity and identify potential constraints before they impact delivery.
• Monitor production metrics and establish corrective actions when performance falls below expectations.
• Drive improvements in On-Time Delivery (OTD), On-Time Completion, Schedule Attainment, Throughput, Scrap, Rework, Labor Efficiency, and Machine Utilization .
• Balance competing priorities while maintaining customer commitments and quality requirements.

People Leadership & Development

• Recruit, train, coach, develop, and retain high-performing manufacturing talent.
• Develop supervisors and production leaders into strong, accountable frontline managers.
• Establish training and qualification plans for machinists and production personnel.
• Identify skill gaps and develop cross-training programs to increase workforce flexibility.
• Conduct performance management and establish clear expectations for employees.
• Build a culture centered on professionalism, accountability, safety, teamwork, and operational excellence.

Quality, Safety & Compliance

• Partner closely with Quality to maintain aerospace-level quality standards.
• Ensure production processes comply with applicable AS9100, ISO 9001, customer-specific requirements, and internal quality systems .
• Promote a zero-defect mindset and disciplined process control.
• Ensure employees follow established procedures, work instructions, inspection requirements, and safety standards.
• Participate in corrective actions, root-cause investigations, and process improvement initiatives.
• Maintain a strong safety culture and ensure compliance with all applicable OSHA and company requirements.

Customer & Executive Partnership

• Support the organization's commitment to being a world-class Tier 1 aerospace and defense manufacturing partner .
• Understand the expectations of demanding Prime customers and the importance of quality, delivery, responsiveness, and consistency.
• Provide leadership with accurate production reporting, risks, capacity concerns, and improvement opportunities.
• Participate in customer-facing meetings and operational reviews when required.
• Maintain a high level of professionalism when representing the company with customers, suppliers, and business partners.

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive manufacturing experience , with significant responsibility for CNC machining production.
• 5+ years of production management or manufacturing leadership experience.
• Demonstrated experience managing CNC machining operations in a high-precision manufacturing environment.
• Strong CNC machining knowledge is required.
• Experience with large-format CNC gantry mills is strongly preferred.

Manufacturing excellence starts from within. Our teams collaborate and share knowledge across our facilities. We thrive through continual learning and mentoring. From apprenticeship to leadership, our people are proud of the important work we do.

Company Description

Manufacturing excellence starts from within. Our teams collaborate and share knowledge across our facilities. We thrive through continual learning and mentoring. From apprenticeship to leadership, our people are proud of the important work we do.