Lead Machinist

About The Role

As a Lead Machinist at Zoo, you will own day-to-day operations of our machine shop and help build the physical hardware systems that power the future of engineering design. You will lead machining efforts across CNC mills, lathes, prototype equipment, and fabrication tools to produce high-quality parts used in product development, testing, fixtures, and production programs.

This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who thrives on precision, process improvement, and execution. You will program, set up, machine, inspect, and troubleshoot parts while helping establish shop standards, workflows, and operational excellence. You will work closely with mechanical engineers, software engineers, and leadership to translate digital designs into world-class manufactured components. You will play a critical role in bridging software-driven hardware design with real-world manufacturing.

What You’ll Do

• Oversee daily operations of the machine shop, including scheduling, prioritization, workflow management, and equipment readiness
• Lead machining across CNC mills, CNC lathes, manual mills, manual lathes, and other fabrication equipment
• Set up, program, and operate machines to manufacture precision components, fixtures, prototypes, and production parts
• Interpret engineering drawings, CAD models, GD&T callouts, and technical specifications to produce accurate parts
• Partner closely with engineering teams to review manufacturability, tolerances, materials, and machining strategies
• Develop tooling, fixturing, workholding, and repeatable shop processes that improve throughput and quality
• Inspect finished parts using calipers, micrometers, indicators, CMM tools, or other metrology equipment
• Troubleshoot dimensional issues, machine problems, tooling wear, and process inefficiencies
• Maintain a safe, clean, and highly organized shop environment with strong operational discipline
• Track inventory of tooling, consumables, raw materials, and replacement components
• Support vendor coordination and overflow manufacturing when external shops are needed
• Help hire, train, mentor, and develop future machinists or shop technicians as the team grows
• Drive continuous improvement across cycle times, scrap reduction, uptime, and overall shop capability

What You’ll Need

• 5+ years of machining experience with significant hands-on CNC experience
• Experience leading or supervising a machine shop, production cell, or manufacturing floor
• Strong expertise with CNC mills, lathes, tooling, setups, offsets, feeds, speeds, and machine optimization
• Experience programming using CAM software and editing machine code at the controller
• Ability to read engineering drawings and interpret GD&T and tolerance requirements
• Experience working from CAD models and collaborating with mechanical engineering teams
• Strong inspection and quality control skills using precision measurement tools
• Strong troubleshooting mindset with the ability to solve machining and process challenges quickly
• High attention to detail, craftsmanship, and pride in producing quality hardware
• Ability to balance prototype urgency with production consistency

Nice to Have

• Experience in aerospace, automotive, hardware startup, or precision manufacturing environments
• Experience machining aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, plastics, and specialty materials
• Familiarity with modern CAD/CAM workflows and digital manufacturing systems
• Experience with Haas, Okuma, Mazak, DMG Mori, or similar equipment
• Knowledge of additive manufacturing, fixtures, or hybrid prototyping environments
• Experience building shop processes in a fast-growing startup setting