Cnc machineist

Employment:
Full-time, permanent, on-site

£4,000 Joining and Retention Bonus

£1,000 after your first month, £1,000 after six months and £2,000 after twelve months.

About CWM Engineering

CWM Engineering is a family-owned precision engineering business based in Cross Hands, Carmarthenshire. We machine high-quality components for demanding customers, working across a wide range of materials, geometries, batch sizes and machining challenges.

This is not repetitive production machining. Our work changes constantly: new parts, difficult materials, varying work holding and set-ups, and components requiring thought, judgement and practical problem-solving.

The Role

We are looking for a highly capable, hands-on CNC machinist to become a key technical presence within our workshop.

You will primarily set and operate CNC machines, take ownership of complex and varied set-ups—including 3-, 4- and 5-axis work- prove out new work, solve problems at the machine and help maintain high standards across the section.

This is a lead setter-operator role. The "lead" element comes from technical breadth, calm problem-solving and the ability to take ownership of difficult work-not simply from years served or a management title.

You must have sound CNC programming knowledge and the machining judgement to recognise when a programme, tool, fixture or process needs improving. You will be confident making sensible adjustments at the machine—including feeds, speeds, offsets and programme edits—to achieve a safe, efficient and repeatable result.

Where appropriate, you will be able to produce simpler programmes from scratch and provide programming cover when required. The key requirement is practical, hands-on programming capability combined with strong setting and machining experience.

Key Responsibilities

• Set and operate CNC machines for a constantly changing range of precision components.
• Work across varied materials, geometries, work holding methods and machining challenges.
• Set tools, fixtures, datums and offsets; prove out first-off components safely and efficiently, including complex multi-axis and 5-axis set-ups where required.
• Read and interpret engineering drawings and 3D models.
• Edit, improve and prove out CNC programmes at the machine, including feeds, speeds, offsets and practical programme changes.
• Produce straightforward programmes from scratch where required.
• Recognise when tooling, work holding, programme strategy or process method needs changing.
• Select suitable cutting tools, speeds, feeds and machining approaches.
• Inspect work using micrometers, verniers, gauges and other measuring equipment.
• Help less-experienced colleagues solve practical machining and set-up issues.
• Maintain a safe, organised and quality-focused work area.

What We Are Looking For

We are particularly interested in machinists who have worked in a job-shop, subcontract precision engineering or high-mix/low-volume environment - where they have regularly set up new and varied work rather than repeatedly running the same established production parts.

You should have:

• Strong, demonstrable CNC machining experience, particularly CNC milling.
• Experience setting up a broad variety of parts from drawings.
• Experience with 3-, 4- and 5-axis machining, including confident hands-on setting and proving out of 5-axis work. Turning or mill-turn experience would also be valuable.
• Confidence editing, proving out and troubleshooting CNC programmes at the machine.
• Strong practical knowledge of work holding, tooling, cutting conditions and machining problem-solving.
• Excellent drawing-reading and inspection skills.
• A calm, methodical and quality-focused approach.
• The confidence to support colleagues and set a good technical example on the shop floor.

What We Offer

• A varied, technically interesting role where no two weeks are the same.
• A competitive package based on relevant experience and capability.
• £4,000 staged joining and retention bonus.
• Modern equipment, varied work and the opportunity to influence how work is set and run.
• Company pension, free on-site parking, training and development opportunities.
• Stable, supportive and professional working environment.

• At interview, we will be interested in examples of varied set-ups- including 5-axis work where applicable - difficult materials, first-off components and machining problems you have successfully solved.