Senior Machinist Lead - Prototyping

Caterpillar Inc.•Green Valley, AZ

11d•Onsite

About The Position

Career Area: Operations Job Description: Your Work Shapes the World at Caterpillar Inc. When you join Caterpillar, you're joining a global team who cares not just about the work we do – but also about each other. We are the makers, problem solvers, and future world builders who are creating stronger, more sustainable communities. We don't just talk about progress and innovation here – we make it happen, with our customers, where we work and live. Together, we are building a better world, so we can all enjoy living in it. Your Work Shapes the World! Whether it be groundbreaking products, best-in-class solutions, or building a lifelong career, you can do the work that matters at Caterpillar. With a 100-year legacy of quality and innovation, your work directly supports the machines and infrastructure that power the world. Caterpillar’s Resource Industries Division is seeking a Prototyping Machinist to support prototyping, validation, and innovation of light structures for a variety of Caterpillar mining products. As a Prototyping Machinist, you will be directly responsible for all machining efforts while mentoring and guiding other team members. Your technical expertise and leadership will drive precision, reliability, and high performance across all maintenance and validation activities. Why This Role Is Exciting: Hands-On Innovation: Work directly to create prototype components, modify existing parts, and optimize machining processes in a high-mix, low-volume manufacturing environment. Impactful Work: Your machining expertise, programming, and precision work directly influence product development, prototyping success, and design validation and iteration. Continuous Learning: Build deep technical knowledge of caterpillar processes, materials, tooling strategies, CNC programming, and advanced manufacturing methods. Collaboration & Growth: Work closely with design engineers, validation engineers, and cross-functional partners while developing your technical leadership and mentoring capabilities.

Requirements

Working Safely: Demonstrate ability to comply with safety policies and procedures, safely operate machining equipment, properly use required PPE, and actively support a safe and hazard-free work environment.
Effective Communications: Able to professionally convey technical instruction to machinists, engineers, and technicians of various experience levels while contributing to a collaborative work environment.
Standard Operating Procedures: Shows strong adherence to workorder systems, create setup procedures, and understand quality requirements, accurately documenting processes/statuses and inspection onto computer-based work order systems.
Decision Making and Critical Thinking: Capable of making sound decisions during part manufacturing, work holding setup, and programming, especially in non-standard prototype situations requiring adaptability and precision.
Problem Solving: Skilled in supporting engineers by identifying issues with products, components, or processes through data analysis, interpretation, and involvement in product and process maintenance.
Problem Solving: Skilled at adapting to high-mix production. When limited tooling and tight deadlines arise, leverage inspection data and creative CNC programming to develop secure work holding and efficient machining strategies
Shop Efficiency and Readiness: Lead lean efforts to maintain machine readiness, tooling selection, and workflow efficiency to support rapid turnaround of prototype parts.
Troubleshooting Technical Problems: Experienced in diagnosing machining, tooling, and program-related issues, making necessary adjustments to ensure part quality and process efficiency.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting high mix low volume machining operations
Experience training and mentoring machinists
An accredited technical associate degree or equivalent experience
10+ years of CNC machining experience (milling and turning)
Strong background in CNC programming and process optimization (TRAK machines)
Experience working with computers (CAD, Workorder systems, on machine programming)

Responsibilities

Drive Safety & Quality: Prioritize safety in all machining operations, identify risks, ensure safe practices for yourself and others assigned to you, while supporting continuous improvement of shop processes.
Lead Prototype Machining: Review engineering drawings and job requirements in preparation to lead in producing precision prototype components in a high-mix, low-volume environment.
CNC Programming and Setup: Develop, optimize, and execute CNC programs for mills and lathes. Using conversational programing and piecing together built-in routines while ensuring proper tooling selection, setup, and process efficiency.
Manual Machining: Proficiently operate manual mill and lathe to produce custom parts, modify parts, create safe work holding, and perform secondary operations.
Precision Measurement and Inspection: Utilize metrology equipment (calipers, micrometers, gauges, etc.) to verify part accuracy and ensure compliance with engineering specifications.
Process Development: Collaborate with engineering teams to develop and refine machining processes that support rapid prototyping and design iterations.
Develop Talent: Train and coach junior machinists on CNC programming, machining techniques, print reading, metrology practices, and safe work procedures.