Machine Shop Manager

Machine Shop Manager (Manufacturing)

Location: Wamego, KS
Type: Full-Time | On-Site
Reports To: Operations Leadership

Position Summary

R-Tech Tool & Machine is seeking a hands-on Machine Shop Manager to lead daily execution in our CNC machining environment. This role is responsible for shop-floor leadership, productivity enforcement, quality accountability, and downtime resolution. The Machine Shop Manager is expected to be visible in the shop, actively directing work, correcting issues in real time, and driving measurable improvement in utilization and throughput.

This is not an office-only role.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead daily machine shop operations, including workflow prioritization, staffing support, and execution discipline.
• Actively enforce productivity standards, including personal phone use limitations during work time.
• Establish and follow leader standard work, including daily walk-throughs, quality spot checks, 5S actions, and labor verification.
• Ensure accurate labor tracking, correct job clock-ins, and timely resolution of missed or incorrect punches in coordination with HR.
• Drive cross-training initiatives to improve labor flexibility and reduce bottlenecks.
• Own downtime escalation, including coordinating with maintenance, tooling suppliers, and machine vendors (e.g., Mazak) until resolution.
• Enforce quality expectations through in-process checks, first-article support, and corrective action for rework.
• Coach and develop machinists and informal team leads, setting clear expectations and accountability.
• Support structured onboarding and ramp-up expectations for new machinists.
• Provide indirect leadership and process consistency across day and night shifts.
• Track and use utilization, throughput, downtime, and rework data to drive improvement.
• Promote and enforce safety expectations consistently.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of CNC machining experience with leadership or supervisory responsibility.
• Strong troubleshooting skills across machining, tooling, setups, and workflow.
• Proven ability to hold teams accountable and drive performance improvement.
• Comfort working directly on the shop floor.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting Mazak equipment or similar CNC platforms.
• Prior role as Shop Supervisor, Production Supervisor, or Machine Shop Manager.
• Lean manufacturing or 5S experience.

What Success Looks Like

• Reduced non-productive time and stronger job clock-in discipline.
• Improved shop utilization and throughput.
• Faster downtime resolution.
• Clear expectations and accountability across shifts.