CNC Machinist Recruiters for Aerospace & Defense
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Aerospace and defense machine shops need machinists who already hold tight tolerances on exotic alloys, document every part to AS9102, and meet the US person rule on controlled work. No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
- No upfront fee
- Pay only if you hire
- Manufacturing only
- We reach people who aren't on job boards
- Replacement guarantee on standard searches
The hiring decision
What matters for this job
Aerospace and defense machine shops need machinists who already hold tight tolerances on exotic alloys, document every part to AS9102, and meet the US person rule on controlled work.
We ask which alloys the person cuts today, what insert grades and coolant pressure they run, how they manage work hardening, and what they do when a tool starts to sing. Specific answers about chip color, tool life limits and rest machining separate a seasoned aerospace hand from someone who simply lists the material on a resume.
In an AS9100 shop the machinist is part of the paper trail. We confirm they read revision-controlled prints, understand ballooned drawings and have supported AS9102 first article packages with a quality inspector rather than leaving the paperwork to someone else. We also ask how they handle a nonconformance found mid-run, because holding parts, tagging them and phoning quality is the habit your auditors expect on the floor.
Before an introduction
What we discuss with candidates
We talk with candidates about jobs they have done, why they are interested and whether the location and shift work for them. We tell you what they have shared and what still needs checking in your interviews.
Control platform and GD&T
We match the control your shop runs and test real GD&T reading, including bonus tolerance, profile of a surface and true position. NIMS machining credentials help, but we treat them as one signal next to the parts the person has actually produced.
Citizenship and export rules
Many defense parts fall under ITAR, which restricts access to US persons. We raise this at the first conversation with every candidate and confirm status the way your compliance office requires, rather than discovering the problem after an interview loop. Candidates also tell us frankly about any plant access limits, clearance history that is relevant, and whether they have worked on controlled technical data before.
Fixturing and workholding
Thin-wall structural parts and large frames move when they are clamped badly. Machinists who have stress relieved a part between roughing and finishing tend to explain this with confidence.
Ready to hire?
Direct search
Where we find people
The machinists you want are mostly employed at other aerospace suppliers, running five-axis mills or horizontal machining centers on a day shift they have held for years. They do not scan job boards. We reach them through direct calls to people in comparable shops, referrals from programmers and inspectors who know who holds tolerance, and registered apprenticeship completers who have moved from general job shop work into regulated parts.
Veterans with machinist or aircraft maintenance ratings are another pool, especially those who finished a community college machining program afterward. We also speak with machinists at medical and energy suppliers whose parts demand similar traceability, because the habits transfer even when the material list does not.
Common hiring mistakes
- Alloys and cutting strategy. Titanium, Inconel and 7075 billet behave differently under a cutter, and a machinist who has only run aluminum will scrap expensive forgings.
- Control platform and GD&T. A conversational CNC controls operator is not automatically comfortable on a integrated automation or CNC equipment control, and a positional tolerance callout against a datum structure can trip people who only machine to a dimension.
- Fixturing and workholding. We ask how the person plans workholding for a part that is cut from both sides, how they use soft jaws, vacuum plates or dedicated fixtures, and how they confirm a part has not sprung after release.
How we work
From your opening to your next hire
Tell us who you need
Tell us about the job, your plant and the experience you need, including the location, shift and pay.
We find and contact people
We look for people with relevant experience, including those not applying, and talk with them about the job and why they might move.
You meet strong candidates
You get a short list and a written summary of each person's experience, interest and practical requirements, with questions worth discussing.
We help you complete the hire
We help arrange interviews, share feedback and work through the offer and start, while you choose who to hire.
Ready to hire?
Questions about CNC Machinist, Aerospace & Defense searches
Do candidates know the ITAR rules?
Yes: We ask about US person status at the start and confirm it against your compliance process before any interview is scheduled. Many defense parts fall under ITAR, which restricts access to US persons.
Can you find a machinist who has run our alloy?
We search by material and by part type. If you cut Inconel casings or titanium structural parts, we look for people who have run exactly that.
Will a five-axis machinist also program?
Some do and some prefer to prove out programs written by others. We establish this in screening and tell you which kind each person is.
Do you cover night shift roles?
We do. Shift pattern is part of the brief, and we screen for people whose commute and household suit the hours you need.
How is the search fee agreed?
The fee is a percentage of first-year base salary, agreed in writing before we start. There is no upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
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Which other roles should you consider?
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Managers, engineers and leadership
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Questions employers ask
When do you pay a recruiting fee?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. We agree the fee basis and payment terms in writing before starting. Sending the form does not commit you to a search.
How long does it take to see a short list?
It depends on the job, location and people available. We discuss next steps after learning about your opening, rather than promising a date before we know the job.
How do you handle counteroffers?
We ask why candidates want to move and what could change their minds. We keep that conversation going through interviews and the offer.
What replacement terms apply?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What do you not do?
We do not supply high-volume general labor or bill hourly for a standard permanent search. Retainers are not the default. Any different arrangement must be agreed in writing.
Read the contingency fee terms · Review CNC Machinist, Aerospace & Defense