Lead CNC Programmer
Energy Jobline ZR · Freeburg, IL
- Level
- Technician
- Team
- Manufacturing
- Degree
- Required
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- 16 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A technician-level manufacturing role at Energy Jobline ZR (industrial) in Freeburg, IL. Own all CNC programming at GMI, from the first look at a customer drawing to the proven program running on the floor.
- They ask for
- degree required
- Tools it names
- GD&T, CNC, Welding, Tooling, SolidWorks
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026
Manufacturing Technician roles in the US: typical posted base $60k–$95k.
Median of the low and high ends of 54 live postings that list pay, out of 963 manufacturing technician openings in the US, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Illinois plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 25 other live manufacturing postings in Illinois.
- Experience asked
- Not stated
Similar roles usually ask 3+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- Team leadership 58%
- ✓ CNC 46%
- ✓ Tooling 42%
- Machining 38%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for GD&T, SolidWorks, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Manufacturing team at Energy Jobline ZR
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
- 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Is the work mostly new product launches or sustaining existing lines?
- How much time do you spend on the floor versus at a desk?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
Full description from Energy Jobline ZRAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
The Role
You'll own all CNC programming at GMI, from the first look at a customer drawing to the proven program running on the floor. You'll also be our go-to engineering resource for customers. More of them are asking us to design parts, reverse engineer worn components, and fix problems they can't solve in-house. This role is how we say yes to that work and bill for it. You report to the General Manager.
What You'll Do
- ◆Program all CNC equipment: mills, lathes, horizontal boring mill, plasma/laser table, waterjet
- ◆Build and optimize nests in ProNest to cut plate waste and burn time
- ◆Turn customer sketches, samples, and worn parts into production-ready models and drawings in SolidWorks and Inventor
- ◆Work directly with customer engineers on design changes, wear-life improvements, and new part development
- ◆Scope engineering projects and track your hours so we can quote and bill the work accurately
- ◆Review RFQs and drawings with estimating. Flag manufacturability issues before we quote, not after we've cut steel
- ◆Set programming standards: tool libraries, post processors, file naming, revision control
- ◆Prove out new programs at the machine with operators and fix what doesn't run clean
- ◆Help pick and set up new equipment and software as we grow
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Job DescriptionJob Description
About GMI
General Machine is a heavy fabrication and precision CNC machine shop. We build wear parts and components for size reduction, crushing, mining, construction equipment, and material handling. We're a certified Hardox Wearparts partner, and our customers are OEMs who expect parts right the first time.
We're growing. We run the business openly: the numbers, the goals, and the scorecard are shared with the team. We're putting real money into technology on the shop floor and want someone who will help us use it well.
What You Bring
- •[3+] years of CNC programming in a job shop or fabrication environment
- •Strong in BobCAD-CAM or Fusion (both is a plus; we'll train on whichever you're missing)
- •Working knowledge of SolidWorks and/or Inventor for part and assembly modeling
- •You read GD&T and weld symbols without looking them up
- •Comfortable on a call with a customer's engineering team and able to explain tradeoffs in plain terms
- •Know how to machine AR plate and other wear-resistant steels, or can learn it fast
- •You like being on the floor as much as at the desk
Nice to Have
- +Degree or coursework in mechanical or manufacturing engineering
- +Experience with horizontal boring mills or large-part fixturing
- +Reverse engineering experience (measuring worn parts, 3D scanning)
- +Experience training or mentoring other programmers
- +Exposure to ERP systems JobBoss or Fulcrum Pro (or similar)
What We Offer
- •Pay: based on experience
- •Benefits: Health, dental, vision, 401(k) with match, PTO
- •Schedule: Monday to Friday, flexible hours
- •A leadership role in a company building a platform through acquisitions, with room to grow as we do
You should be proficient in
- •GD&T
- •CNC Tooling
- •CNC Programming
- •G-Code
Machines & technologies you'll use
- •CAM Software