Lead Machinist

Zoo•Los Angeles, CA

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

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.

Requirements

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 Haves

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

Responsibilities

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