Head of Machining Operations

Head of Machining Operations xPath

LLC - 2.5

Austin, TX Job Details Full-time $125,000 - $220,000 a year 4 hours ago Qualifications Manufacturing management Build automation Manufacturing facility Milling machines Manufacturing engineering Factory experience Certified Quality Engineer Full Job Description The Mission The US faces a shortage of 2.1 million manufacturing workers by 2030. We are rebuilding US manufacturing capacity by developing modular, autonomous, 5-axis machine shops for the aerospace and defense sectors. As the Head of Machining Operations , you won't just manage an existing floor, you will have total ownership to design, build, and run our very first autonomous machine shop from Day 0. You will partner directly with the founders to turn deep machining expertise into a repeatable, robotic factory blueprint that we will scale across hundreds of locations. What You'll Do Architect the

Blueprint:

Design the complete operating model for our first facility, including machine mix, tooling strategy, and shop-floor workflows.

Drive Automation:

Eliminate manual bottlenecks by integrating 5-axis CNC mills with pallet loaders, robot-on-rails systems, and unattended "lights-out" machining cells. Own the

Process:

Lead CNC process development for complex precision parts, from setup strategy and workholding to feeds/speeds and CMM inspection loops. Build the

Team:

Recruit, train, and mentor a high-velocity team of elite machinists and CNC programmers.

Establish Standards:

Set the culture, SOPs, and quality controls required for AS9100 and ITAR compliance.

What We're Looking For The Builder Mindset:

You have personally stood up or scaled a CNC machine shop floor from scratch (not just managed an established one).

Technical Depth:

3-10 years of hands-on experience with advanced 5-axis milling, CAM programming, and complex geometries.

Automation-First Philosophy:

You view manual work as a bottleneck and have experience with pallet loaders, robotics, or near-lights-out manufacturing cells.

Pedigree:

Experience in a high-velocity manufacturing environment (e.g., SpaceX, Tesla, Hadrian, Firefly, or similar fast-paced startups).

Quality Standards:

Background working within ITAR regulations and AS9100 aerospace quality systems.

Pay:

$125,000.00 - $220,000.00 per year

Experience:

CNC Machine operation: 3 years (Required) 5

Axis CNC Milling:

3 years (Required)

Building Machine Shop:

3 years (Required) Build automation: 2 years (Preferred)

Work Location:

In person