Senior CNC Machinist / Programmer 5-Axis Production

Threat Tec, LLC, a rapidly growing Veteran-Owned Business, is the leader of Operational Environment (OE) replication and Threat Emulation/Wargaming solutions. Threat Tec brings innovative thinking and extensive experience to complex challenges for public and private sector customers. We work alongside our nation's defenders, developing solutions that drive success and protect our future. Join a team that is embodied by an unwavering commitment to professionalism, honesty, and innovation.

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This is not a comfortable shop job where you run the same parts on repeat. We are a defense prototyping and low-rate production shop supporting U.S. national security missions. The work changes constantly. Materials change. Tolerances change. Timelines are aggressive. If your default answer to an unfamiliar job is "we can't do that," this is not the position for you. We need someone whose instinct is to figure out how to make it work.

Position Summary

Threat Tec is hiring a Senior CNC Machinist/Programmer to take ownership of our 5-axis machining capability and drive it from underutilized asset to revenue-generating production center. You will be the primary operator and programmer on a Haas UMC-1000SS 5-axis machining center and Milltronics ML18/60 CNC lathe, producing defense prototypes, low-rate initial production components, training aids, and precision-machined hardware for U.S. Department of Defense customers.

You will work directly with our mechanical and electrical engineers to translate designs into finished parts. You will be expected to assess incoming manufacturing opportunities and find ways to execute them — not reasons to decline them. When a job requires capabilities beyond our shop, you identify what can be done in-house, what needs to be subcontracted, and you build the plan to deliver the complete package.

Mandatory Equipment Experience

• Haas UMC-1000SS (or equivalent 5-axis VMC)
• Simultaneous 5-axis programming and operation. Not 3+2 positioning only. You must demonstrate proficiency in full simultaneous contouring on trunnion-style 5-axis platforms. Must be comfortable with 12,000+ RPM high-speed spindle operations. If you have only run 3-axis with a rotary table bolted on, do not apply.
• Milltronics ML18/60 (or equivalent CNC/manual lathe)
• Proficient in both CNC and manual modes. Capable of programming and running turned parts from 0.25" to 19" diameter. Thread chasing, boring, and gap-bed operations required.
• CAM Software
• Must be proficient in at least one of: Mastercam, Fusion 360 (manufacturing workspace), or SolidCAM for 5-axis toolpath generation. Must be able to go from 3D model (STEP/IGES/SolidWorks) to verified G-code with minimal hand-holding from engineering.
• Inspection / Metrology
• Experience with portable CMM arms (Faro, Romer, or equivalent — we run a Sylvac/Kreon arm). Must be able to perform first-article inspection, generate inspection reports, and hold tolerances to customer specification.

Additional Shop Familiarity (Strongly Preferred)

• Large-format FDM/FFF 3D printing (we run a Modix BIG-120X V4 with 500°C capability for CF-Nylon and high-temp filaments)
• CNC hot wire foam cutting (EPS/XPS — 3000 Shaper system)
• Cerakote application and curing process
• Basic welding (MIG/TIG) for fixture fabrication
• Manual machining on Bridgeport-style mills and engine lathes

Hard Requirements — Non-Negotiable

• Minimum 7 years of CNC machining experience, with at least 3 years on 5-axis platforms
• Proven experience machining aluminum 6061/7075, 4140/4340 steel, 304/316 stainless, titanium Ti-6Al-4V, and Delrin/UHMW plastics
• Ability to hold tolerances of ±0.001" routinely and ±0.0005" when required
• Proficient reading and interpreting GD&T per ASME Y14.5
• U.S. Citizen (required for facility clearance and DoD work)
• Must pass background investigation for Secret clearance
• Must work on-site. This is a shop floor position. There is no remote option.

What you will actually do

• This is not a job description full of corporate filler. Here is what your week looks like:
• Receive engineering drawings and 3D models from our ME team. Program toolpaths in CAM. Set up the Haas UMC-1000SS. Cut parts. Inspect them. Ship them.
• Evaluate incoming manufacturing opportunities alongside engineering. Your job is to tell us what it takes to make the part — not whether we should try.
• When a job exceeds our in-house capability, identify the specific operation that needs to go out, recommend a sub-vendor, and manage that relationship.
• Maintain the Haas and Milltronics — tool changes, offsets, preventive maintenance, coolant management. These are your machines.
• Support rapid prototyping using 3D printing (Modix 120X) and foam cutting when jobs require mixed-method fabrication.
• Perform first-article inspections using the Sylvac CMM arm and produce inspection documentation to government spec.
• Work directly with our electrical engineer on integrated electro-mechanical assemblies requiring machined housings, brackets, or enclosures.

Preferred but not required

• Active Secret or Top Secret clearance
• Experience in a DoD prototype or LRIP (Low-Rate Initial Production) environment
• Experience with Haas NGC control specifically
• Naval systems, weapons systems, or UAS/drone hardware fabrication experience
• Military veteran (any branch)

The Mindset We Require

We are a small, high-impact defense shop. We do not have the luxury of specialization. You will be asked to machine aluminum training aids one week and titanium prototype housings the next. You may run one part or fifty. The common thread is this: every job matters, every job is different, and the right answer is always "let me figure out how to make this work."

We do not need a machinist who protects their comfort zone. We need a machinist who sees an unfamiliar part, an unfamiliar material, or an aggressive timeline and treats it as a problem to solve — not a reason to say no.

If you have spent your career in a production shop running the same family of parts, this role will challenge you. If that excites you, apply. If it doesn't, don't waste our time or yours.

Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. This description reflects management’s assignment of essential functions; it does not proscribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned. This job description is subject to change at any time.

Threat Tec, LLC is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employers (EEO/AA). All employment and hiring decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and business needs without regard to race, religion, color, sexual orientation, nationality, gender, ethnic origin, disability, age, sex, gender identity, veteran status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

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We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.