NC Strategist

NC Strategist General Tool Company | CNC / Manufacturing Engineering | Full-Time

If you’ve ever looked at a machining process and immediately seen three better ways to do it - this role was built for you. The NC Strategist is one of the most technically impactful positions on our floor. You’ll sit at the intersection of manufacturing engineering and CNC programming, wielding your expertise to slash cycle times, drive first-part success, and push our machining capabilities forward. This isn’t a support role. It’s a technical leadership role for someone who loves solving hard problems and leaving processes measurably better than they found them.

You’re Not Just an Employee. You’re an Owner. We believe that everyone who helps build this company should share in its success. That’s why we created Ownership For All - giving every eligible full-time employee an ownership stake in the business. From day one, you’re not just joining a team - you’re becoming an owner. At GTC, your wins aren’t just good for the company. They’re good for you.

What You’ll Own You’ll be the go-to technical authority for complex machining challenges - the person who bridges engineering, programming, and production into one aligned, efficient machine.

Process Development & Optimization

• Analyze engineering drawings and process routers to develop the sharpest, most efficient machining strategies
• Evaluate raw material requirements and ensure proper sizing and condition before work hits the floor
• Build detailed CNC process documentation - cutting tools, machining parameters, fixturing - that teams can actually use
• Partner with manufacturing engineers to implement improvements that boost both productivity and quality

Technical Leadership

• Serve as the technical authority when machining challenges get complex - and bring the solutions to prove it
• Develop corrective actions for non-conformance issues that don’t just fix the problem - they prevent it from coming back
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives targeting cycle time reduction and quality enhancement
• Facilitate real collaboration between engineering, programming, and production - breaking down silos and driving results

Tooling & Technology

• Identify and specify cutting tools that hit the sweet spot of performance, tool life, and cost
• Coordinate with tool crib and vendors to keep standard and specialized tooling available when the floor needs it
• Evaluate emerging cutting tool technologies through structured testing - adopt what works, skip what doesn’t
• Drive tool standardization programs that cut inventory costs without cutting corners on performance

Value Engineering

• Lead formal value engineering projects to find real cost savings in existing processes
• Document and quantify every improvement with hard numbers - then build the ROI case for management
• Develop analyses for proposed technology investments or process changes and see them through to implementation
• Measure results against targets and hold the gains

What You Bring

• 5+ years of hands-on experience in a job shop environment with 3-, 4-, and 5-axis mills and turning centers
• Strong 3D visualization skills - you can see the finished part in the raw stock before the first cut
• Broad knowledge of CNC equipment, processes, and programming
• Solid understanding of ANSI Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T)
• Working knowledge of CAM software and macro programming
• SME CmfgE, engineering associate’s degree, or equivalent experience that demonstrates the same depth
• Comfortable with PCs and Windows operating systems
• US citizenship required

Why GTC?

• Ownership For All - you’re a stakeholder from day one
• A technically challenging environment where your expertise will be visible and valued
• Real influence over how machining is done - not just following processes, but building them
• Collaboration with engineering and programming teams who want to get better
• Work that matters - precision manufacturing for demanding, high-stakes industries
• A culture that rewards problem-solvers and continuous improvers

Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V All applicants will be considered based upon experience and knowledge, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, ancestry, marital, disabled, or veteran status. GTC is committed to creating and maintaining a workforce environment free from any form of discrimination or harassment.