# Lead Machinist at Zoo > United States · Staff · Software engineering · open. Source: https://alderhq.app/jobs/greenhouse%3Azoo%3A4697240005 (read 2026-11-09). ## Facts (observed) - Company: [Zoo](https://alderhq.app/companies/zoo) - Location text: Los Angeles, California, United States; Los Angeles, CA - Where it can be done from (inferred): United States (evidence: "Location: Los Angeles, California, United States; Los Angeles, CA") - Posted: 2026-05-19 (174 days ago) - First seen by alder: 2026-11-07 · last verified: 2026-11-08 - Reposted: 0 times · edited: 0 times - Apply on the employer's site: https://zoo.dev/jobs/4697240005?gh_jid=4697240005 ## Pay and sponsorship - Posted pay: not posted - Market band for similar posted roles (Los Angeles, n 173): p25 $179k, median $192k, p75 $205k ## Description (the employer's text) ### About Us Zoo is building the next generation of hardware design tools redefining how hardware products are designed, developed, and built. Our platform combines a modern, cloud-native CAD environment with AI-powered engineering workflows, helping teams design, iterate, and manufacture products faster than ever before. We are headquartered in Los Angeles, CA with both a local and remote team. We were founded and incubated by Embedded Ventures in 2021. ### About You We’re looking for curious, innovative, and ambitious self-starters to join our growing team to help us bring our mission to life. We think you’ll thrive on our team if you’re: - Curious at your core, with an eagerness to learn and do things differently - Customer-focused, always thinking about ways to improve the user experience - Able to operate autonomously and work asynchronously, while also being an effective team player ### About The Role As a Lead Machinist at Zoo, you will own day-to-day operations of our machine shop and help build the physical hardware systems that power the future of engineering design. You will lead machining efforts across CNC mills, lathes, prototype equipment, and fabrication tools to produce high-quality parts used in product development, testing, fixtures, and production programs. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who thrives on precision, process improvement, and execution. You will program, set up, machine, inspect, and troubleshoot parts while helping establish shop standards, workflows, and operational excellence. You will work closely with mechanical engineers, software engineers, and leadership to translate digital designs into world-class manufactured components. You will play a critical role in bridging software-driven hardware design with real-world manufacturing. ### What You’ll Do - Oversee daily operations of the machine shop, including scheduling, prioritization, workflow management, and equipment readiness - Lead machining across CNC mills, CNC lathes, manual mills, manual lathes, and other fabrication equipment - Set up, program, and operate machines to manufacture precision components, fixtures, prototypes, and production parts - Interpret engineering drawings, CAD models, GD&T callouts, and technical specifications to produce accurate parts - Partner closely with engineering teams to review manufacturability, tolerances, materials, and machining strategies - Develop tooling, fixturing, workholding, and repeatable shop processes that improve throughput and quality - Inspect finished parts using calipers, micrometers, indicators, CMM tools, or other metrology equipment - Troubleshoot dimensional issues, machine problems, tooling wear, and process inefficiencies - Maintain a safe, clean, and highly organized shop environment with strong operational discipline - Track inventory of tooling, consumables, raw materials, and replacement components - Support vendor coordination and overflow manufacturing when external shops are needed - Help hire, train, mentor, and develop future machinists or shop technicians as the team grows - Drive continuous improvement across cycle times, scrap reduction, uptime, and overall shop capability ### What You’ll Need - 5+ years of machining experience with significant hands-on CNC experience - Experience leading or supervising a machine shop, production cell, or manufacturing floor - Strong expertise with CNC mills, lathes, tooling, setups, offsets, feeds, speeds, and machine optimization - Experience programming using CAM software and editing machine code at the controller - Ability to read engineering drawings and interpret GD&T and tolerance requirements - Experience working from CAD models and collaborating with mechanical engineering teams - Strong inspection and quality control skills using precision measurement tools - Strong troubleshooting mindset with the ability to solve machining and process challenges quickly - High attention to detail, craftsmanship, and pride in producing quality hardware - Ability to balance prototype urgency with production consistency ### Nice to Have --- Data: alder (https://alderhq.app). Cite https://alderhq.app/jobs/greenhouse%3Azoo%3A4697240005 and the date you read it. Observed facts come from the employer's own listing; location reach, level, family and skills are inferences.