CNC Lathe Programmer / Machinist
Phoenix Laser Solutions, LLC — 7799 McHenry Street, Meadville, PA 16335
Entry through Senior considered — Meadville, PA
WHY PHOENIX
Phoenix Laser Solutions is the largest YAG laser welding house in North America. We run five facilities across the Midwest and serve aerospace, medical, defense, and injection mold customers — work that's harder to find under one roof anywhere else in the region. We do precision repair, modification and assembly that most weld shops can't touch. Our team machines the parts that go into our own laser-welded assemblies and the custom automation our engineers build for our customers.
What that means for you: your work is visible end-to-end. You see the customer, you know the part, and you watch it ship. There's no production black box.
WHAT THIS ROLE IS
We're hiring a CNC Lathe Programmer / Machinist — and we're open to the right person at any experience level, from operator with programming curiosity through senior programmer. We'll start you at the level that fits your skills today and build a path to where you want to go.
You'll work from prints and 3D models to program, set up, and run CNC lathe jobs across a high-mix shop. You'll have senior programmers to learn from, real ownership of the work that comes through your machine, and a clear ladder up.
CAREER PATH
- CNC Lathe Operator — Run jobs, learn setups, read prints. (Starting point if you’re newer.)
- Setup Technician — Own setups, tooling, first-piece checks.
- Programmer / Machinist — Program new jobs in CAM, optimize cycle time and tool life.
- Senior Programmer / Lead — Drive process development, mentor others, shape how the shop runs.
Movement up the ladder is based on demonstrated skill, not tenure. We'll tell you exactly what each step requires.
WHAT YOU’LL DO
(Scope depends on your level.)
- Read prints and 3D models (including GD&T callouts) and translate them into CNC lathe programs.
- Program in CAM (we run ESPRIT — happy to train you if your background is Mastercam, Fusion, or another modern CAM).
- Set up CNC lathes, choose tooling, dial in feeds and speeds.
- Run parts, inspect first articles, and document FAIs.
- Troubleshoot when a setup or program isn’t behaving — with someone senior next to you when you’re learning.
- Look for ways to shave cycle time, extend tool life, and improve quality. Your ideas will get heard.
WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR
Required (any level)
- Comfortable reading prints, including GD&T symbols and callouts.
- CNC lathe experience — operating, setting up, or programming. Tell us what you’ve done.
- Attention to detail and pride in tight-tolerance work.
- Willingness to learn and grow into the next level.
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Nice to Have (not required — we can train)
- CAM programming experience in any modern package (ESPRIT, Mastercam, Fusion, etc.).
- 3D modeling experience.
- High-mix / short-run shop experience.
- Background in aerospace, medical, or defense components.
No formal degree required. If you’ve got the skills, we want to talk.
SCHEDULE
Full-time, day shift, Monday–Friday. 40-hour (7:00am–3:00pm) or 45-hour (7:00am–4:00pm) weeks available.
PAY
$18–$30/hr depending on level and experience. Placement based on a skills assessment when you come in — operators start lower, programmers higher. We’d rather start you fairly than haggle.
BENEFITS
- Health coverage — Health, dental, and vision insurance — choice of two plans: a fully company-paid plan, or a premium plan with employee contribution.
- Income protection — Company-paid life insurance, short-term disability, and long-term disability.
- Retirement — Simple IRA with up to 3% employer match.
- Holidays — 8 paid holidays, including the day after Thanksgiving.
- Paid time off — Paid time off that grows with tenure, up to four weeks annually. Unused PTO is paid out each year, not lost.
- Leave — Bereavement leave, jury duty pay, and military leave as needed.
- Tool Purchase Account — Get the tools you need now and pay them back through payroll over time.
- Educational reimbursement — Tuition and books for approved coursework that builds your skills.
- Work environment — Climate-controlled, well-lit shop with modern equipment.
- Reviews — Annual performance reviews with merit-based raises.
- Career ladder — Operator Setup Programmer Senior, with stated criteria at each step.
HOW TO APPLY
Apply through our BambooHR careers page: phoenixlaser.bamboohr.com/jobs.
If you’re newer to the trade and not sure if you qualify, apply anyway and tell us what you’d like to learn — that’s exactly the conversation we want to have.
Phoenix Laser Solutions is an equal opportunity employer.
