Machine Shop Management, Supervisor

Job Summary

Machine Shop Management, Supervisor The Department of Mechanical Engineering is seeking a Machine Shop Manager to help manage daily operations, coordinate equipment usage, and support educational objectives through the hands-on training of students within the manufacturing environment. This role is responsible for daily management of the machine shop, and supervising machinists, machine operators, and student staff to ensure smooth operation.

Responsibilities

1. Personnel Supervision & Operations Management

• Program, maintain, and operate machinery to complete jobs in coordination with shop staff and student support.
• Direct, manage, and supervise machinists, machine operators, and other shop staff to ensure smooth production lines and continuity between team shifts.
• Schedule and coordinate work assignments, lead daily team activities, and accurately maintain time, production, and billing records.
• Communicate daily with the shop team and departmental management; maintain a strong working knowledge of team integration within the department.
• Assist with management decisions and activities, and physically perform the machining and fabrication work of supervised staff during portions of shifts as needed.
• Interpret, execute, and recommend operational plans, policies, procedures, and schedules to improve department methods, performance, and output quality.

2. Production Planning & Shop Operations

• Analyze work orders, sketches, and engineering blueprints to determine production parameters, including material selection and the type and sequence of machining operations required.
• Program and operate machine tools to process jobs.
• Maintain effective communication with customers regarding the status of their work.
• Troubleshoot and resolve all machining quality and part tolerance issues in a timely manner.
• Ensure adequate usage, supply, and procurement of all production materials and machine tooling, as needed.
• Maintain clean, organized, and highly functional work areas, machines, and machine tooling inventories.

3. Shop Maintenance & Safety Compliance

• Monitor, schedule, and execute rigorous preventive maintenance initiatives on all manual equipment, CNC equipment, and other machinery to minimize downtime.
• Maintain and upgrade machine shop equipment, instrumentation, and tooling to support evolving curricular and prototyping needs.
• Develop and maintain systems and procedures to track and monitor shop productivity metrics and performance targets, ensuring the department optimizes returns for the university.
• Ensure strict compliance with university safety standards, operational protocols, and documentation practices across all shop and lab activities.

Requires a bachelor's (or equivalency) + 2 years of directly related work experience or a master's (or equivalency) degree. This is a Supervisor-Level position in the Management track.