CNC Machinist

Job Summary

Hardware as ambitious as we are building is won or lost in iteration speed. To meet that requirement, we are standing up an in-house quick-turn prototyping shop at our 80,000 square foot Milpitas facility: CNC machining, a full sheet metal cell (waterjet + CNC press brake), and system assembly. As one of the first machinist/fabricators on the floor, you will take parts from CAD to finished metal the same week — sometimes the same day — and help shape how the shop itself runs.

Key Responsibilities

• Program CAM (Fusion 360 / Mastercam) from engineering CAD models and own jobs end-to-end: setup, first article, and production of prototype parts

• Design and build fixtures, soft jaws, and workholding to make repeat jobs fast

• Set up and operate 3-axis CNC vertical mills, manual mill and lathe, and supporting shop equipment

• Operate the sheet metal cell: waterjet cutting and CNC press brake forming, including nesting and bend programming

• TIG weld brackets, enclosures, and fixtures as needed

• Fabricate parts end-to-end: hardware insertion (PEM), deburring and surface finishing, and final fit-up of formed and welded assemblies

• Manage the tool crib: track cutter and consumable inventory, buy tooling, and own vendor relationships for cutters, stock, and shop supplies

• Inspect your own work using surface plate, height gauge, micrometers, and calipers to drawing GD&T

• Support assembly and integration of prototype systems and racks when the schedule calls for it

• Be flexible and help out around the shop: machine maintenance, material handling, rigging support, and keeping the floor safe and organized

• Give design-for-manufacturability feedback directly to the engineers who sit a few steps away

You may be a good fit if you have (Must-have qualifications)

• Trade school, apprenticeship, or journeyman machinist certification

• Experience with Fusion 360 or Mastercam and Haas controls

• Sheet metal fabrication experience: CNC press brake setup/operation, waterjet or laser cutting

• TIG and/or MIG welding proficiency on aluminum and steel

• Background in prototype, R&D, or quick-turn job shop environments where every job is different

• Experience owning tool crib inventory and tooling purchases

• Basic CAD ability (Fusion 360, SolidWorks, or similar) for fixture design

• Experience machining thermal/cooling components (coldplates, manifolds) or server/rack hardware

• Comfort in a fast-moving startup environment with shifting priorities

Strong candidates may also have experience with (Nice-to-have qualifications)

• Experience owning tool crib inventory and tooling purchases

• Basic CAD ability (Fusion 360, SolidWorks, or similar) for fixture design

• Experience machining thermal/cooling components (coldplates, manifolds) or server/rack hardware

• Comfort in a fast-moving startup environment with shifting priorities

Additional Requirements:

• This position is based on-site in San Jose, CA and Milpitas, CA

• Willingness to work extended hours and occasional weekends to support program-critical builds

• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs. with assistance and stand for extended periods on a shop floor

• Ability to obtain forklift certification

  
  

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision packages with generous premium coverage

  • $500 per month credit for waiving medical benefits

• Housing subsidy of $2.5k per month for those living within walking distance of the office

• Daily lunch and dinner in our office

• Unlimited compute budget subject to ROI justification

How we’re different

Etched believes in the Bitter Lesson. We are the first inference-focused frontier AI system, betting early on transformer and transformer-like architectures and on increasing model sizes. Our addressable market is the entirety of inference, unlike many of our competitors.