Manufacturing Engineer

Fairbanks Morse Defense, 110 Norfolk Street, Walpole, Massachusetts, United States of America

Posted Thursday, April 2, 2026 at 5:00 AM

Manufacturing Engineer – CNC Programming

Level: Manufacturing Engineer / Senior / Technical Lead (based on experience and demonstrated capability)

Department: Manufacturing Engineering

Reports To: Manufacturing Engineering Manager

Classification: Full-Time, Exempt

Clearance: Must be able to obtain and maintain a DoD Confidential Clearance

The Role

We are the single-source supplier of complex propulsion systems for the U.S. Navy, manufacturing precision components across multiple ship classes for surface combatants and cutters. The work is big – literally. You’ll be programming and proving out multi-axis toolpaths on hydrodynamic propulsion surfaces from blades castings ranging from 4 to 12 feet in height and 1 to 10 tons. These are not commodity parts.

We are building a fully digital manufacturing ecosystem from the ground up — and this role is central to that effort. You will own the development of fully associative CNC programs inside an integrated Siemens NX CAM / Teamcenter PLM environment, creating the digital thread from model to machine. You’ll work with a Teamcenter instance that is actively being built out, collaborate with CGTech and external Siemens NX engineering partners, and shape the workflows and standards that the shop floor runs on.

This is a building role, not a maintenance role.

Core Tech Stack

• CAD/CAM: Siemens NX (advanced surfacing, fully associative CAM)
• Controls: Siemens SINUMERIK 840D PL / SL and SINUMERIK ONE
• Simulation: VERICUT (CGTech), Internal NX Simulation (CSE)
• Optimization: Third Wave Systems Production Module
• Scripting & Automation: Python, MATLAB, C#, Power Shell/Batch.

What You’ll Own

CNC Programming & Advanced NX Modeling

• Develop, prove out, and maintain fully associative NX CAM programs for 3‑through 5‑axis milling, turning, and mill‑turn operations on Siemens 840D‑controlled machines.
• Create complex drive geometries, auxiliary surfaces, and containment boundaries using advanced NX curve and surface techniques for propulsion components with compound curvature.
• Validate toolpaths through NX CSE and VERICUT prior to machine prove‑out — gouge detection, collision checking, and full‑environment machine simulation.
• Program Renishaw and Siemens on‑machine probing cycles for automated setup, in‑process verification, and offset management.
• Develop, maintain, and troubleshoot highly customized lights‑out post processors for unattended machining across multiple machine configurations.
• Follow and contribute to the company’s proprietary Master Model Concept, working within structured stage models and manufacturing method assemblies to maintain disciplined, repeatable programming practices across all hydrodynamic production programs.

Simulation & External Collaboration

• Work directly with CGTech to build and improve VERICUT machine simulation models — kinematics, fixtures, tooling, and controller behavior.
• Collaborate with external Siemens NX and Teamcenter engineering partners on Post Configurator development, NX CAM environment customization, template standardization, and workflow automation.

Digital Manufacturing & PLM

• Own manufacturing data in Teamcenter — revision control, release workflows, traceability from design through manufacturing.
• Build and refine Manufacturing Resource Library (MRL) structures, classification, and workflows in both Rich Client and Active Workspace Client.
• Develop AWC‑based search and visualization workflows to improve shop floor access to manufacturing data.

Process Optimization

• Apply Third Wave Systems Production Module for physics‑based feed optimization and tool life prediction.
• Perform tool tap testing and cutting force analysis to characterize machine dynamics and eliminate chatter in difficult alloys.
• Optimize machining processes for specific materials.
• Drive tooling selection, cutting parameter development, and cycle time reduction.

Technical Documentation & Process Control

• Author and maintain technical instructions with clear operation sequencing, tooling callouts, and quality requirements.
• Develop pre‑flight…