Member of Technical Staff, Principal Machining

Ironstead•Denver, CO

17h

About The Position

Ironstead Industrial Inc. is seeking a Member of Technical Staff, Principal Machining to serve as the company’s deepest technical authority on CNC machining and machining-focused design for manufacturability (DfX). The role determines how difficult parts should be produced, including machine platform, setup strategy, workholding, cutting tools, tool access, datum strategy, CAM approach, inspection plan, tolerance strategy, and tradeoffs needed to move from a CAD model to stable recurring production. The position works upstream with customers and design engineers to reduce machining risk and remains engaged downstream with programmers, machinists, manufacturing engineers, and quality teams during prove-out and production. The role leads machining strategy and technical problem-solving across Ironstead’s portfolio and helps translate machining knowledge and shop-floor data into automated DfX, quoting, CAM strategies, and IronsteadOS workflows. The position requires extensive travel (60–80%) and on-site work at portfolio facilities for extended periods. Extended hours, including some nights and weekends, may be required during critical transition and deployment windows. U.S. citizenship is required because of ITAR/export-control considerations, and candidates must be able to pass any background or export-compliance screening required for defense-related client sites.

Requirements

Deep expertise in CNC multi-axis machining, manufacturing engineering, and machining process development.
Demonstrated experience developing difficult parts from drawing and CAD review through first article and recurring production.
Strong knowledge of CAM, cutting tools, workholding, feeds and speeds, machine dynamics, probing, and process planning.
Strong understanding of GD&T, tolerance stack-up, datum schemes, surface finishes, materials, and inspection.
Ability to troubleshoot G-code and understand the relationship between CAM output and machine behavior.
Willingness to travel extensively (60–80%) and embed on-site at portfolio facilities for extended periods.
Ability to work extended hours, including nights and weekends, during active deployment windows.
Ability to pass any background or export-compliance screening required for defense-related client sites.
U.S. citizenship required due to ITAR/export-control considerations.

Nice To Haves

Experience machining titanium, nickel alloys, hardened steels, aluminum structures, or other challenging materials.
Experience with thin-wall, tight-tolerance, high-aspect-ratio, or complex sculpted components.
Experience with Mastercam, NX CAM, Esprit, Fusion, or comparable advanced CAM platforms.
Experience supporting quoting or estimating for complex CNC components.
Familiarity with CMM programming, in-process probing, tool monitoring, automation, palletization, or lights-out manufacturing.

Responsibilities

Lead overarching machining strategy across the portfolio and provide expert intervention and root-cause resolution for high-risk manufacturing failures.
Conduct cross-facility technical audits and identify, validate, and rapidly deploy proven machining methodologies and high-yield processes across the shop network.
Codify advanced machining dynamics and shop-floor manufacturing data into automated DfX, algorithmic quoting, CAM strategies, and IronsteadOS workflows.
Troubleshoot complex machining issues, including chatter, thermal drift, workholding instability, and aggressive tool wear.
Establish decision frameworks for determining when complex machining challenges require alternative process flows, custom fixturing, advanced tooling, updated machine platforms, or design modifications.
Advance multi-site shop capabilities through standardized frameworks for machine selection, workholding, tooling, cutting strategies, and integrated inspection.
Improve shop-floor productivity by reducing cycle times, setup durations, tooling expenditure, and scrap rates without compromising process stability.
Establish repeatable machining strategies for high-risk components, including exotic alloys, thin-wall structures, tight tolerances, and multi-axis geometries.
Challenge overly restrictive tolerances, suboptimal CAM strategies, and surface-finish requirements upstream to reduce risk and unit cost.
De-risk aggressive part geometries by optimizing fixture rigidity, datum schemes, tool overhangs, and tolerance stacks to support part stability and inspection pass rates.
Work with customers and design engineers upstream and with programmers, machinists, manufacturing engineers, and quality teams during prove-out and production.
Travel extensively and embed on-site at Ironstead portfolio facilities for extended periods, including during critical transition windows.