CNC Programmer (Mill, Lathe & Swiss)

General Matter•Los Angeles, CA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

General Matter is enriching uranium in America. Our goal is to design, build, and operate the world’s lowest-cost enrichment services in the United States. Our mission is to restore America’s ability to produce nuclear fuel—fuel that will power AI, advanced manufacturing, critical industries, and the next generation of nuclear reactors. Ultimately, our work will help power national ambitions and enable a high-energy society. We were incubated by Founders Fund, like Anduril and Palantir before us, and are backed by top-tier investors. Our lean, world-class team of engineers and operators is applying a first-principles approach to solving the problem of nuclear fuel production. We are a mission-driven company with a culture of urgency, accountability, and transparency. Help us build a high-energy society by making the cleanest, safest form of baseload energy the most affordable. CNC Programmer (Mill, Lathe & Swiss) General Matter is seeking a highly skilled CNC Programmer with deep expertise in 5-axis milling, CNC turning, and Swiss-type lathes with live tooling. This role is responsible for developing and optimizing machining programs that support the transition from prototype development to scalable production of high-precision components in a regulated manufacturing environment. The ideal candidate is both highly technical and process-oriented, capable of translating complex engineering designs into robust machining strategies while driving continuous improvement in cycle time, tooling performance, repeatability, and manufacturing scalability.

Requirements

5+ years of CNC programming experience, including hands-on programming of 5-axis milling and Swiss-type lathes with live tooling.
Proficiency with a major CAM package — Mastercam, Esprit, GibbsCAM, or Fusion 360 — including multi-axis and mill-turn modules.
Strong working knowledge of G-code/M-code, control platforms (e.g., Fanuc, Siemens, Citizen/Star/Tsugami Swiss controls), and post-processor behavior.
Ability to read and interpret complex engineering drawings and apply GD&T.
Demonstrated experience machining precision components in metals such as stainless steels, titanium, aluminum, and/or high-temperature/superalloys.
Practical knowledge of work-holding, fixturing, tooling selection, and feeds/speeds optimization.
Comfort working in a documented quality environment with full part traceability.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a regulated manufacturing environment — NQA-1, AS9100, or ISO 9001 — preferably nuclear, aerospace, or defense.
Experience supporting prototype-to-production transitions or new-facility/equipment commissioning.
Familiarity with mill-turn machining and macro/parametric (custom macro) programming.
Working knowledge of CMM/inspection processes and first-article inspection (FAI).
Exposure to MES/ERP-driven shop-floor systems and digital process documentation.
Lean manufacturing or continuous-improvement experience (cycle-time reduction, SMED, scrap reduction).
Journeyman machinist background or formal machining/CNC technical credential.

Responsibilities

Develop, prove out, and optimize CNC programs for 5-axis machining centers, CNC lathes, and Swiss-type lathes with live/driven tooling and sub-spindle operations.
Translate engineering models and drawings (GD&T) into manufacturing processes — selecting tooling, work-holding/fixturing, cutting strategies, and machining sequences.
Generate and maintain CAM programs, post-processors, tool libraries, and setup sheets; verify programs through simulation/verification before floor release.
Lead first-article runs and process prove-out; drive cycle-time reduction, tool-life improvement, and scrap reduction without compromising tolerance or surface finish.
Author and maintain process documentation — setup sheets, work instructions, tooling lists — to a standard that supports traceability and repeatability.
Partner with Manufacturing and Quality Engineering on tolerance feasibility, inspection planning, and first-article inspection (FAI / AS9102) requirements.
Support equipment commissioning and capability studies as new machine tools are installed during facility ramp-up.
Mentor machinists and operators on setup, in-process adjustment, and program intent.
Identify and recommend tooling, software, and process improvements to support the transition from prototype to rate production.