Production Manager

Job Description

Job Description

About the Role

Focused on Machining is a growing precision CNC manufacturing company looking for a Production Manager who has been in the trenches — someone who has programmed parts, dialed in setups, solved work holding problems, and knows what it takes to get a difficult job through a machine shop. We need that experience in a leadership role, not on the machines.

This is not a programming job. It is a management job that requires someone with deep technical roots. You will spend your time leading people, managing the schedule, driving the estimating process, and being the most experienced resource in the room when the floor runs into a problem. If you are ready to step fully into that leadership role and put your technical knowledge to work for a team rather than a machine, this may be the right fit.

What You'll Own

Shop Floor Leadership (20–35% of your time)

Your floor time is not about running jobs — it is about making sure others can. When a machinist is stuck on a setup, a work holding solution, tooling parameters, or a programming problem, you are the person they come to. Your technical credibility is what makes you effective here, not your title.

• Troubleshoot setups, work holding, and tooling issues alongside machinists — get them unstuck and keep production moving.
• Review and support CNC programs; Mastercam experience is a significant plus.
• Help machinists plan jobs before they hit the machine — right tools, right approach, right sequence.
• Make real-time priority and scheduling calls on the floor without waiting for direction.

Office & Operations (65–80% of your time)

The majority of your time is spent managing the systems that keep the shop running. You own the schedule, the tooling procurement, the estimating process, and the documentation that makes the shop repeatable.

• Own and maintain the production schedule in ProShop ERP — build it, adjust it, and keep it accurate.
• Manage tooling procurement and vendor relationships; you know what we need and where to get it.
• Drive the internal estimating process — work with machinists to determine how we will make a part, nail down time estimates and tooling requirements, and enter manufacturing inputs into our quoting software. The President reviews and sends to the customer.
• Write and maintain manufacturing procedures and work instructions that improve consistency and reduce variation on the floor.
• Provide meaningful input on personnel — your recommendations on hiring and on underperforming team members carry real weight with ownership.

Authority & Structure

We are a small, tight-knit team. This role does not currently have formal direct reports, but it carries full operational authority over the shop floor. Scheduling decisions, tooling purchases, and floor priorities are yours to make — we are not looking for someone who needs to check in before acting.

You will have significant input on personnel decisions. As we grow toward 20+ employees, this role will develop formal direct reports. We want someone who is ready to grow into that.

This role is internally focused. Customer communication runs through our President and Office Manager. If a floor issue affects a customer, your job is to surface it to leadership quickly and accurately — not to manage the customer relationship yourself.

What We're Looking For

Technical Background

This is where we will look first. If you do not have real machine shop experience, this is not the right role.

• Hands-on CNC programming experience — you have programmed real parts on real machines, not just in a classroom.
• Deep understanding of setups, work holding, tooling selection, speeds and feeds, and how decisions made in programming affect what happens on the machine.
• Mastercam experience is a strong plus.
• Ability to read and interpret complex technical drawings and GD&T.
• Familiarity with precision tolerances and the quality standards that come with aerospace or similar industries is a plus.

Leadership & Management

Technical skills get you in the door. This is what will determine if you are the right fit.

• Experience managing or formally leading people in a manufacturing environment — machinists, operators, or similar skilled trades.
• Candidates without formal management experience who have informally led a shop floor team and can demonstrate that clearly will be considered.
• Calm and organized under pressure — this role handles a high volume of information daily and rewards people who have a system and work it.
• Self-directed — you know what needs to happen and you make it happen without being managed.
• Steady communicator — you keep leadership and the team informed without drama.

This Role Is Probably Not for You If...

• You want to stay heads-down in programming or on the machines — this role requires stepping fully into leadership.
• You have strong technical skills but have never managed or led other people and are not ready to start.
• You need a formal org chart to feel like you have authority.
• You want significant customer interaction — this role is internally focused by design.
• High-pressure, high-information environments overwhelm you.

About Focused on Machining
We are a small, growing precision manufacturing company with a strong focus on quality and on-time delivery. Our team is tight-knit and capable. We value people who take ownership of their work, communicate straight, and show up ready to contribute every day.

Company Description

About Focused on Machining\r\nWe are a small, growing precision manufacturing company with a strong focus on quality and on-time delivery. Our team is tight-knit and capable. We value people who take ownership of their work, communicate straight, and show up ready to contribute every day.