CNC Machinist I - Mills or Lathes

P & F Industries•Cranberry Township, PA

20h•$27 - $35•Onsite

About The Position

The CNC Machinist I is the entry point to the CNC machinist ladder, often filled by progression from CNC Machine Operator III. This role performs setups on established and moderately complex CNC work from the print, selects tooling and workholding from documented lists, establishes offsets, qualifies the first piece, and makes routine edits at the control. A Machinist I is expected to understand the importance of dimensions and ask before deviating. New-part prove-out, program authoring, and multi-axis work are reserved for higher levels. Setups are reviewed by a higher-level machinist before release.

Requirements

4–6 years of total relevant machining experience, typically reached by progression from CNC Machine Operator III or by completion of a machining program or apprenticeship.
Demonstrated ability to set up proven CNC work from the print and to hold general machining tolerances consistently.
Working command of hand-held precision measuring equipment, shop math, and the shop's CNC control family.
High school diploma or GED.
Ability to load programs and perform first-article checks to confirm parts run correctly.
Ability to perform basic CNC set-ups (fixtures, work/tool offsets) to reach successful FAI with minimal questions.
Ability to create and verify first articles to release the job to production.
Ability to apply GD&T to interpret and hold requirements.
Ability to calculate cutting speed, feed and chip-load to machine efficiently.
Ability to establish vise alignment and workholding to secure parts accurately.
Ability to interpret programs to run jobs correctly.
Proficient operation of FANUC / Okuma controls to run lathe/mill jobs.
Ability to set up and operate with review: CNC lathes, including live-tool and bar-fed turning centers; CNC vertical and horizontal machining centers.
Dependable attendance and punctuality.
Clear communication with supervision, quality, and maintenance.
Ability to take direction and ask before deviating.
Ability to own and correct mistakes.
Ability to work safely and cooperatively.
Flexibility on shift and overtime as production requires.
Stands and walks on a concrete shop floor for the majority of an 8- to 12-hour shift, including overtime and weekend work as scheduled.
Frequent bending, reaching, twisting, kneeling, and overhead reaching to load, unload, and reach into machine work zones.
Frequently lifts, carries, pushes, and pulls up to 35 lbs unassisted; heavier material and workholding moved with carts, hoists, and lift assists.
Sustained fine motor control and hand-eye coordination for gauging, tool handling, and offset entry.
Vision correctable to read prints, dial and digital gauges, and control screens.
Exposure to cutting fluid and coolant mist, oils, metal chips, moving machinery, elevated noise, and seasonal temperature variation.
Required PPE includes safety glasses with side shields, hearing protection, appropriate footwear, and cut-resistant gloves where specified.
No loose clothing, jewelry, or unrestrained long hair near rotating equipment.

Nice To Haves

Machining certificate or diploma from a technical school.
Enrollment in a formal apprenticeship.
NIMS credentials in turning, milling, or CNC operation.
Assist and learn: CNC mill-turn and multi-axis turning centers; twin-spindle lathes; prove-out of new parts. Setup performed under the direction of a higher-level machinist.
As assigned: CNC OD grinding and CNC gear equipment; manual lathes, mills, saws, presses, and deburr stations in support of CNC production.
Completed workcenter qualification cards on all machines set up or run unassisted.

Responsibilities

Perform setups on established and moderately complex CNC turning and machining-center work, including installing workholding, loading and setting tooling, calling up and loading programs, establishing work and tool offsets, and qualifying the first piece to print, with review by a higher-level machinist before release.
Work from prints, routers, and models to identify dimensions, tolerances, surface finish callouts, material specifications, and revision levels, confirming documentation matches the job.
Make routine edits at the control within authorized limits, such as offsets, tool life, feed and speed adjustments, and simple program corrections, escalating changes beyond that scope.
Select tooling, inserts, and workholding from established tool lists and standard shop practice, verifying condition and setup before cutting.
Calculate speeds, feeds, depth of cut, and simple dimensional relationships using shop math, adjusting based on chip, sound, finish, and tool life.
Inspect own work using micrometers, calipers, bore and depth gauges, indicators, thread and radius gauges; record results and present first pieces per quality procedure.
Recognize when a part is drifting or a setup is moving, stop, and determine the cause rather than continuing to compensate.
Recover machines from routine alarms and interruptions within authorized limits, such as safe restart, re-referencing, tool reload, and re-qualification; escalate crashes and mechanical faults.
Diagnose routine process problems like chatter, poor finish, dimensional drift, chip control, coolant condition, tool wear and breakage, and correct them through tooling, offset, or authorized adjustment.
Assist Machinist II and III personnel with complex setups, prove-out, and tight-tolerance work as a primary means of developing capability.
Follow setup sheets and work instructions accurately; mark up and return documentation that is unclear, incomplete, or wrong.
Contain suspect material and escalate per quality procedure; do not machine through a known nonconformance.
Perform operator-level preventive maintenance, including way lube, coolant level and concentration, chip and filter management, and machine cleanliness.
Follow all safety rules, lockout/tagout, machine guarding, and PPE requirements without exception; report unsafe conditions and near-misses.
Maintain accurate labor, quantity, and scrap reporting in the shop system.