Machine Shop Manager

Lead the shop. Develop the team. Improve the process. Deliver results.

Card-Monroe Group is looking for an experienced Machine Shop Manager to lead our CNC machining operation in Chattanooga, TN.

This is an opportunity for a hands-on manufacturing leader who knows machining, understands what great shop execution looks like, and-most importantly-knows how to lead people and create accountability.

Our machine shop supports the broader manufacturing operation with precision-machined components that are critical to the performance and delivery of our equipment. We are looking for a leader who can bring structure, consistency and continuous improvement while developing a strong team of machinists.

• Provide day-to-day leadership for a team of approximately 20 machinists across two shifts.
• Own shop performance across safety, quality, delivery, productivity and cost.
• Establish clear expectations, priorities and accountability for the team.
• Monitor production schedules and remove barriers to meeting delivery commitments.
• Maintain a visible leadership presence on the shop floor.

• Hire, coach, develop and retain a high-performing machining team.
• Establish clear performance expectations and address performance issues promptly and fairly.
• Develop employee skills and create opportunities for cross-training and advancement.
• Build bench strength and develop future leaders within the shop.
• Create a culture where people take ownership of their work and solve problems rather than work around them.

• Establish and maintain standardized work practices.
• Analyze scrap, rework, downtime and production performance to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Lead practical problem-solving and root-cause activities within the shop.
• Partner with Engineering and Quality/Continuous Improvement to resolve recurring issues.
• Improve machine utilization, setup efficiency, throughput and overall shop productivity.

• Provide technical leadership related to CNC machining, tooling, fixturing, programming and machining processes.
• Ensure machining processes are capable of consistently producing quality parts to specification.
• Optimize tooling and machining practices to improve quality, cycle time and cost.
• Support the evaluation of new machining technology, equipment and processes.
• Maintain strong working knowledge of CNC equipment, tooling, GD&T and technical drawings.

• Manage labor, overtime, tooling and consumable costs within established budgets.
• Partner with purchasing and vendors to optimize tooling and consumable spend.
• Identify opportunities to reduce waste, scrap, rework and unnecessary costs.
• Use data and shop-floor performance metrics to make decisions.

Within your first year, you will have helped create a machine shop that is:

• Safer
• More predictable
• More productive
• More accountable
• Higher quality
• Better organized
• Stronger from a leadership and technical capability standpoint

You’ll know you’re succeeding when the team consistently meets commitments, problems are addressed at the root cause, employees understand what is expected of them, and the shop can perform without everything having to flow through the manager.

We are looking for someone who combines technical machining expertise with strong people leadership.

• 7+ years of progressive CNC machining/manufacturing experience.
• Demonstrated experience leading a machining or manufacturing team.
• Strong understanding of CNC machining processes, tooling and fixturing.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and GD&T.
• Experience with CNC mills and/or lathes.
• Strong problem-solving and root-cause analysis skills.
• Experience using manufacturing metrics to manage performance.
• Demonstrated ability to coach employees and hold people accountable.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively with Engineering, Quality, Operations and other functions.

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations or a related field.
• Lean / Continuous Improvement experience.
• Experience with CNC…