Job Title: Machining Manager (Hands-On Leadership) – High-Growth Manufacturing

Confidential Opportunity – Greater Itasca, IL Area

A rapidly growing, multi-division industrial manufacturer is seeking a Machining Manager to lead and strengthen its machine shop operations. This is a newly created, high-impact role due to significant company growth and increased production demand—particularly within large-scale industrial equipment and data center infrastructure projects.

This organization has been an industry leader for over 100 years and is currently experiencing explosive growth, with revenue scaling significantly year-over-year and major expansion plans underway (including facility expansion and increased production capacity). If you're looking for a stable company with real upward momentum and the ability to make a measurable impact, this is it.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Lead and manage daily operations of the machining department (team of 5 machinists)
• Drive production schedules, ensuring jobs are completed on time and within quality standards
• Identify and eliminate bottlenecks to improve workflow and throughput
• Coordinate with engineering, purchasing, and production teams to keep projects on track
• Make make-vs-buy decisions and manage subcontracting when needed
• Ensure materials, tooling, and resources are properly allocated and staged
• Maintain compliance with safety, quality, and operational standards
• Train, mentor, and develop machinists to improve team performance and retention
• Stay hands-on with machine setup, tooling adjustments, and process optimization

What They’re Looking For

• 5+ years of supervisory experience in a machining or manufacturing environment (OEM or equipment manufacturing preferred)
• Strong hands-on machining background (Mazak experience highly preferred)
• Experience with setups, tooling, offsets, and shop floor troubleshooting
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and specifications
• Proficiency with inspection tools (calipers, micrometers, bore gauges, etc.)
• Strong leadership skills with a track record of developing teams and improving performance
• Comfortable working cross-functionally in a fast-paced production environment

Nice to Have

• Experience with make vs. buy decisions and subcontracting
• Lean manufacturing or continuous improvement exposure
• Experience training machinists or building shop floor processes
• Familiarity with material handling equipment (forklifts, cranes, etc.)

Why This Opportunity Stands Out

• Massive growth – significant backlog and major expansion underway
• High-impact role – directly addressing a key production bottleneck
• Stability + longevity – company has been around for over 100 years
• Overtime available – consistent extra hours for additional earnings
• Leadership visibility – direct collaboration with plant leadership

Compensation & Details

• Pay: up to $38/hr + consistent overtime (10-20+ hrs/week)
• Schedule: 1st shift (6:00 AM – 2:30 PM)
• Employment Type: Contract-to-hire (potential for direct hire)
• Location: Greater Itasca, IL area

If you’re a hands-on machining leader who enjoys being on the floor, solving problems, and building strong teams in a growing environment, this is a strong opportunity to step into a role where you can make an immediate impact.