Senior CNC Programmer - 5-Axis/Mastercam/Eureka (US-Remote)

About the Role

LightsOut CNC is a precision machine shop in Hawthorne, California, running an automated, software-enabled, lights-out 5-axis production model. Two Matsuura MX-330 5-axis machining centers with 10-pallet pool automation, cutting tight-tolerance aluminum for DoD programs and Tier 1 aerospace suppliers. 

Our work profile is low mix and high volume — a small number of part numbers produced in quantity on long-term agreements, rather than a stream of one-off prototypes. Programs are written once and run thousands of times, unattended, overnight. That places an unusually high value on getting a program right before it reaches a spindle. 

We are seeking a senior CNC programmer to support RFQ capability screening, DFM feedback, and production-ready 5-axis programming. This is a remote, hourly contract role with recurring project-based work. The ideal candidate works independently, communicates clearly, and delivers reliable programs and documentation suitable for operator handoff and unattended production. 

Aerospace experience is helpful. The core requirement is deep experience with tight-tolerance aluminum, 5-axis simultaneous machining, Mastercam, SOLIDWORKS and GD&T, and verification and simulation workflows.

Engagement Details

• US-based, remote
• Initial contract duration of approximately 6 months, with potential for continued work if the engagement is successful.
• Work will be performed inside Lightsout CNC’s controlled environment via secure remote desktop / VPN.
• Lightsout CNC will provide required software access, including Mastercam Multiaxis, Eureka Post and Verification with machine simulation, SOLIDWORKS, validated post-processors, machine / fixture models, and tool libraries.
• Initial workload is expected to be approximately 10 hours/week, with potential to ramp toward 20–25 hours/week as quoting and awarded work volume increases.
• Workload may vary based on incoming projects and programming needs.
• Long-term contract potential if the engagement is successful.

Responsibilities

• Review incoming RFQs, models and drawings to assess machinability, capability and production feasibility.
• Provide clear DFM feedback to support accurate, competitive quoting. 
• Estimate machining strategy, cycle-time assumptions, tooling needs, and fixture and workholding considerations. 
• Develop efficient, robust 5-axis simultaneous toolpaths in Mastercam for tight-tolerance aluminum components.
• Verify programs in Eureka — or comparable machine simulation and collision-detection workflows — before release. Nothing reaches a spindle unverified. 
• Post-process and deliver production-ready NC code, tool lists, setup sheets and operator handoff documentation. 
• Collaborate with the shop on tooling selection, workholding and fixturing strategy, and process refinement.
• Provide responsive RFQ and DFM support during business hours as quoting volume scales.

Required Qualifications

• 7+ years of CNC programming experience, including significant 5-axis simultaneous machining experience.
• Expert-level Mastercam multiaxis programming experience. 
• Strong experience programming tight-tolerance aluminum components — 6061-T6, 7075-T6 or similar high-precision alloys. 
• Proficiency reading SOLIDWORKS models and interpreting GD&T on engineering drawings. 
• Experience with machine simulation, verification and collision detection. Eureka experience preferred; VERICUT, NCSIMUL or equivalent is fine — the discipline matters more than the specific tool. 
• Ability to produce clean setup sheets, tool lists, NC code and program documentation for reliable operator handoff. 
• Ability to support RFQ review, manufacturability assessment, cycle-time assumptions and DFM feedback.
• Comfortable working remotely inside a secure customer-provided software environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct aerospace or defense manufacturing experience. 
• Experience programming for lights-out or unattended production environments. 
• Experience with in-process probing, tool-breakage detection routines, or automated machining workflows.
• Familiarity with pallet-pool or automation-cell workflows. 
• Experience programming for repeat production runs where cycle-time optimization compounds across thousands of parts. 
• Post-processor development, tuning or troubleshooting experience. 
• Prior remote contract programming or consulting experience.

Ideal Candidate Profile

A senior 5-axis programmer with deep Mastercam experience who understands tight-tolerance aluminum, can review an RFQ quickly and tell us honestly whether a part is worth quoting, and delivers clean, production-ready programs and documentation. 

Comfortable working remotely, communicating clearly, and supporting a fast-moving precision manufacturing environment where responsiveness and accuracy both matter. Someone who understands that a program running unattended for twenty hours carries different stakes than one an operator is watching.