Benefits:
Competitive salary
Employee discounts
Health insurance
Opportunity for advancement
Paid time off
Training & development
Wellness resources
About Us
Founded in 1990, FERPA Precision Machine, Inc. is a family-owned business with 35+ years of precision manufacturing expertise. Known for our high-performance plastic seals and oilfield components, we’ve expanded into small- to medium-sized precision metal parts with a growing focus on aerospace. We blend advanced technology with a client-focused, quality-driven approach, and value each team member’s contribution in continuing our tradition of excellence.
Learn more about FERPA here: https://ferpa-pmi.com/about-us
Position Summary:
We are seeking a Lead CNC Programmer to lead programming, estimating, and process improvement across our shop. This hands-on leader will collaborate with sales to validate manufacturability and quoting, own CNC programming for complex parts, and mentor machinists through setups and prove-outs. By combining estimating accuracy, advanced programming, and process leadership, this role will elevate FERPA’s technical capabilities and enable us to deliver increasingly complex, high-performance components.
Key Responsibilities:
Estimating & Technical Sales Support
Partner with sales and production to lead the technical side of quoting.
Review prints, 3D models, and specifications to confirm manufacturability.
Estimate setup and cycle times for CNC lathes, multi-axis lathes, and multi-axis mills using MasterCAM or equivalent knowledge.
Programming & Prove-Outs
Identify tooling, cutting strategies, and workholding solutions.
Create, verify, and optimize programs for 3-, 4-, and 5-axis mills, lathes, live-tooling lathes, and Swiss machines.
Match job requirements with machine capability and machinist expertise.
Assist with challenging setups, prove-outs, and first-run validation.
Troubleshoot complex machining challenges to ensure dimensional and quality requirements.
Process Leadership & Mentorship
Act as the shop’s technical authority for CNC programming.
Drive ownership across estimating, programming, and production.
Mentor machinists and programmers to elevate technical capability.
Collaborate with quality, production, and management to resolve issues.
Continuous Improvement & Compliance
Lead process improvement initiatives, including tooling optimization, setup reduction, and workflow efficiency.
Support compliance with industry standards (ISO 9001, AS9100D, or equivalent).
Lead process improvement (tooling optimization, setup reduction, workflow efficiency).
Support compliance with ISO 9001 and AS9100D standards.
Minimum Qualifications
Extensive CNC machining experience (10+ years typical) with expertise in programming and estimating.
Proficiency in MasterCAM.
Familiarity with FANUC-controlled CNC machines and G-code programming.
Expert knowledge of milling, turning, tooling, and workholding.
Hands-on machining and setup ability for prove-outs and troubleshooting.
Strong GD&T and 3D CAD model interpretation skills.
Leadership and mentoring ability with proven team development success.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience machining plastics, stainless steels (300 series, Nitronic 60), PH stainless (15-5, 17-4), aluminum bronze, MP35N, Inconel.
Familiarity with broaching, tailstock setups, gun-drilling, sub-spindle second ops, and angled lockwire drilling.
Experience working with tight tolerances and SAE aerospace standards.