CNC Tooling Engineer

About this role

ABOUT MACH INDUSTRIES

Founded in 2022, Mach Industries is a rapidly growing defense technology company focused on developing next-generation autonomous defense platforms. At the core of our mission is the commitment to delivering scalable, decentralized defense systems that enhance the strategic capabilities of the United States and its allies. With a workforce of approximately 220 employees, we operate with startup agility and ambition.

Our vision is to redefine the future of warfare through cutting-edge manufacturing, innovation at speed, and unwavering focus on national security. We are dedicated to solving the next generation of warfare with lethal systems that deter kinetic conflict and protect global security.

THE ROLE

As a CNC Tooling Engineer at Mach Industries, you will own the end-to-end tooling ecosystem that powers our CNC manufacturing operations. You will be the central authority for tool selection, standardization, data management, and continuous improvement across all production cells, directly enabling faster setups, higher repeatability, longer tool life, and lower cost-per-part for the precision components that go into our autonomous defense platforms.

In this high-impact role, you will bridge the gap between Manufacturing Engineering, CNC Programming, Machinists, Supply Chain, and Production leadership to build a world-class, digital-first tooling program. Your work will reduce variation, eliminate shortages, drive data-driven decisions, and support our aggressive ramp from high-mix, low-volume prototyping into higher-rate production. If you thrive on creating order from complexity, love solving real production problems on the shop floor, and want your tooling expertise to strengthen U.S. national security, this is the role for you.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

- Own Mach’s CNC tool database management system, including tool records, assemblies, holders, offsets, cutting data, vendor information, and standard tool libraries.

- Standardize tooling across production jobs, CNC machines, CAM platforms, and manufacturing cells to reduce variation and improve repeatability.

- Build and maintain tool assemblies for common machining operations, including milling, turning, drilling, boring, threading, grooving, profiling, finishing, and specialty operations.

- Define tooling standards for holders, shrink-fit assemblies, gauge length, set height, runout, balance, stick-out, torque requirements, coolant delivery, and inspection requirements.

- Work closely with Manufacturing Engineering, CNC Programming, Machinists, Quality, Supply Chain, and Production leadership to ensure tooling supports high-rate manufacturing.

- Optimize tooling selection for production and general shop use, balancing tool life, cycle time, surface finish, cost, availability, and process reliability.

- Ensure tooling data is accurately connected to CAM platforms, verification systems, pre-setters, machine controls, and production documentation.

- Coordinate with smart cabinet and vending systems to maintain real-time inventory visibility, min/max levels, reorder points, controlled access, and consumption tracking.

- Partner with Supply Chain and vendors to establish purchasing workflows based on inventory control, forecasted demand, tool usage, and approved tooling standards.

- Develop reporting on tool usage by job, program, machine, operator, material, operation, and tool family.

- Analyze tool wear, failure modes, usage history, and job-level consumption to improve tool life expectancy and reduce cost per part.

- Support root-cause analysis for tooling-related production issues, including poor surface finish, chatter, premature wear, breakage, runout, dimensional drift, and tool availability delays.

- Establish standards for which holders, extensions, shrink holders, collet systems, hydraulic chucks, boring systems, and specialty holders should be used for different processes.

- Maintain approved tooling lists and preferred vendor catalogs for common materials, including aluminum, steels, stainless steels, titanium, nickel alloys, composites, plastics, and other production materials.

- Drive implementation of RFID, QR code, barcode, or other tool-identification systems to connect physical tooling to digital records, machines, cabinets, and job documentation.

- Create work instructions, setup documentation, tool crib procedures, and training materials to ensure consistent tooling practices across shifts and teams.

- Continuously improve the tooling ecosystem to support faster setup, fewer shortages, better standardization, and more reliable production execution.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

- Strong hands-on background in CNC machining, tooling selection, manufacturing engineering, CNC programming, tool crib management, or production tooling operations.

- Deep understanding of cutting tools, toolholding systems, inserts, coatings, grades, geometries, feeds and speeds, tool wear, and material-specific machining strategies.

- Experience selecting and standardizing tooling for milling, turning, drilling, boring, threading, finishing, and high-production machining operations.

- Working knowledge of CAM systems, tool libraries, machine setup documentation, and CNC production workflows.

- Familiarity with tool presetting, gauge length control, runout measurement, shrink-fit systems, torque standards, coolant-through tooling, and holder maintenance.

- Ability to work directly with machinists, programmers, engineers, production leads, supply chain, and vendors to solve practical production problems.

- Experience managing tooling inventory, crib systems, vending/smart cabinet systems, reorder points, cycle counts, or purchasing workflows.

- Strong documentation discipline and ability to create standards that are clear, usable, and followed on the production floor.

- Data-driven mindset with the ability to track usage, identify trends, and convert tooling dat

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