Back to jobs
New

CNC Shop Manager I

Playa Vista, California, United States

Turning Space into a Transportation Layer for Earth

Who We Are: 

Eras of humanity can often be defined by a dominant transportation mode - horse drawn chariots, ocean going boats, or aircraft. These were spurred by a small group of people rigorously focused on building technology to achieve faster access to more of the world.  We seek to usher in a new era of humanity defined by universal access to the whole globe free of borders and the presence of a routine way from space to Earth. To do this, we are building highly maneuverable re-entry vehicles that can loiter in orbit before precision landing back on Earth.  

Position Overview: 

We are seeking a CNC Shop Manager who is both a strong people and operations leader and a hands-on CNC programmer. This is a player-coach role responsible for the daily performance of a six-machine aerospace machining environment, including staffing, scheduling, cost control, policy and procedure development, and direct CAM programming support. 

The ideal candidate is equally comfortable building shop structure and jumping into Mastercam/other CAM software to program complex parts, prove out jobs, and standardize setups. 

Key Responsibilities: 

Shop Operations & Leadership 

  • Oversee daily CNC shop operations to meet on-time delivery, quality, and cost targets. 
  • Manage headcount planning, shift schedules, timecards, and performance management. 
  • Establish and enforce shop policies, SOPs, safety standards, and documentation practices. 
  • Drive accountability, training, and continuous improvement culture. 
  • Coordinate priorities with Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain. 

Programming & Technical Ownership 

  • Create, modify, and optimize 3-axis and 5-axis CNC programs in Mastercam. 
  • Support complex setups, prove-outs, and first-article inspections. 
  • Develop and maintain setup sheets, tooling libraries, post processors, and revision control. 
  • Improve cycle times, feeds/speeds, and tool paths to reduce scrap and increase throughput. 
  • Troubleshoot machining, tooling, and fixturing issues on the floor. 

Process, Cost & Work Tracking 

  • Monitor KPIs: spindle utilization, scrap rate, labor efficiency, and on-time delivery. 
  • Manage tooling vendors, consumables, and cost-reduction initiatives. 
  • Build repeatable processes and standardized work instructions. 

Required Qualifications 

  • 7+ years CNC machining experience with advanced 5-axis programming. 
  • Expert-level Mastercam proficiency (toolpaths, posts, simulation, multi-axis strategies). 
  • 2–3+ years leading machinists or shop personnel. 
  • Strong GD&T, blueprint reading, and tight-tolerance aerospace experience. 
  • Experience building SOPs, setup documentation, and process standards. 
  • Familiarity with ERP/MRP systems and production tracking. 
  • Ability to balance floor presence with administrative and leadership duties. 

Preferred Qualifications 

  • Aerospace or high-mix/low-volume manufacturing background. 
  • Lean / Continuous Improvement training or certifications. 
  • AS9100 or ISO-compliant environment experience. 
  • Experience standing up new shops, cells, or process overhauls. 
  • Proven tooling and vendor cost-reduction wins. 

The California annual base salary for this role is currently $120,000-$160,000.  Pay Grades are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data.  Individual pay will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: interviews and an assessment of several factors that are unique to each candidate, job-related skills, relevant education and experience, certifications, abilities of the candidate and internal equity.  

Our office headquarters is located in Playa Vista, CA. This position requires in office presence.

ITAR Compliance:
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.  
 
Equal Employment Opportunity:
Inversion provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, or disability.  
 
Inversion collects and processes personal data in accordance with applicable data protection laws.  If you are a US Job Applicant see the CCPA Privacy Policy Notice for further details.

Create a Job Alert

Interested in building your career at Inversion? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Inversion’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.