MACHINIST — LAD ENGINEERING | LANSING, MI | $19–$32/HR
Most CNC shops hire you to run a machine. That's it. Show up, hit the green button, go home.
That's not this job.
LAD Engineering is a precision CNC job shop, ISO 9001:2015. We make parts for government contractors and manufacturers — and the programs our parts go into can't absorb a bad one. If we ship junk, somebody downstream eats it. So we don't ship junk.
We're hiring a machinist now. Two or three years from now, we want that same person reviewing quotes and owning the schedule.
If that doesn't sound like you — keep scrolling. If it does, read the rest carefully.
THE PATH
Here's the comp, the timeline, and what you have to do to move.
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Machinist – Training (Months 1–3): $19–$21/hr. You're learning how we do things. How we set up. How we document. What a finished part looks like when it leaves a bench here.
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Machinist – Performing (Month 3+): $21–$24/hr plus performance incentives. You're running jobs on your own. The incentives pay out on parts that ship on time and don't come back.
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Machinist – Senior (Month 12+): $24–$26/hr plus incentives. Top earners at this level clear $28–$30/hr.
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Lead Machinist (when you've earned it): $26–$32/hr plus incentives. Reviewing quotes. Owning the schedule. Training the newer machinists. And still on a machine when the work demands it.
This is a ladder, not a job. If you're not climbing it, we're not the right shop for you — and we'd rather say that now than two years from now when you're stuck and we're both frustrated.
Compensation:
$20 - $32 hourly
Responsibilities:-
Set up, operate, and program CNC mills and lathes to produce parts to customer specifications — correct the first time.
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Read and interpret customer blueprints accurately and independently, without hand-holding.
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Measure precisely using micrometers, calipers, gauges, and other instruments — catch your own errors before they run.
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Follow shop travelers, ISO 9001:2015 QMS documentation, and safety protocols without reminders.
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Communicate immediately when something is off — a problem caught early is manageable; one buried until shipping is a crisis.
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Maintain a clean, organized machine and work area that reflects your standards.
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(Lead) Review quotes and jobs for technical accuracy before they go to the customer or hit the production floor.
Qualifications:
Required:
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Experience in a CNC machine shop (mills, lathes, or similar) OR close to completing a machining program at CNM or equivalent trade school.
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Ability to read and interpret engineering blueprints.
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Reliable transportation — 7 am start is consistent.
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Ability to lift 80 lbs unassisted.
You do NOT need:
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Years of experience — we'll train the right mechanically sharp person.
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GibbsCAM specifically — other CAM system experience is acceptable.
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A degree of any kind.
About Company
LAD Engineering is a precision CNC machine shop built around one idea: we solve complexity. When engineers need parts that are hard to manufacture — tight tolerances, unusual geometries, materials that fight back — they come to us. We prototype. We go to production. We ship custom parts and assemblies to customers across the United States. ISO 9001:2015 certified.
We're a small team with high standards and a clear direction. The people here give a shit about the work, communicate directly, and hold each other accountable in a way that makes the shop better. We're in the process of building a team and a reputation that will precede us — and every hire right now is part of that foundation.
