Graphite Production Lead
Lead day-to-day operations for graphite machining and mentor a team of CNC programmers and machinists at Valar Atomics.
Posted by employer 1 day ago
First seen on Joblaze 9 hours ago
Last verified on the company career page 9 hours ago
Skills & Technologies
What you'll build
- Lead and mentor a team of CNC programmers and machinists
- Own tooling and consumable strategy for graphite machining
- Review and refine CNC programs and toolpaths
- Ensure safety protocols are followed in machining operations
- Coordinate production priorities and schedules
Must have
- 5+ years of CNC machining or programming experience
- 3+ years in a lead or supervisory role
- Proficiency with CAM software
- Strong understanding of tooling wear and work-holding strategies
- Ability to read and work from complex engineering drawings
Nice to have
- Direct experience machining nuclear-grade or high-purity graphite
- Experience with in-machine probing for part verification
- Experience with automation or lights-out programming
- 5-axis programming experience
- Experience standing up new machining processes
Practical constraints
- Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States
Requirements
- Experience
- 5+ years
- Visa
- No sponsorship (stated in posting)
Benefits
Joblaze summary
The Graphite Production Lead at Valar Atomics oversees the daily operations of graphite machining, managing a team of CNC programmers and machinists. This role requires expertise in CNC programming and tooling strategies, particularly for abrasive materials like graphite, along with a strong focus on safety and quality standards. Ideal candidates have significant experience in machining and leadership, particularly in fast-paced environments. The position is integral to the company's mission of advancing clean nuclear energy through precision manufacturing.
Joblaze insights
- Listed today — first seen on Joblaze September 23, 2026. Last confirmed on Valar Atomics's careers page September 23, 2026.
- Salary band is below the typical range for comparable tech roles (median ~$126,887).
- Starts above 9% of 234 comparable lead other roles in United States we track (median $150,000 across 79 companies).
- Machining appears in 0.7% of 556 comparable lead other roles in United States; CNC appears in 0.5% of 556 comparable lead other roles in United States.
Quick facts
- Is the Graphite Production Lead role remote?
- No — this is an on-site role in Torrance, California, United States.
- What's the salary range?
- Valar Atomics lists $100,000–$140,000 for this role.
- How much experience is required?
- At least 5 years of relevant experience for this Graphite Production Lead role.
- Where is the role based?
- Valar Atomics is hiring for this position in Torrance, California, United States.
- What's the tech stack?
- Joblaze extracted these technologies from the posting: CNC, ESPRIT EDGE, Fusion 360, Graphite, Machining.
- What seniority level is this role?
- Valar Atomics targets lead candidates for this position.
- Is this full-time or contract?
- Full-time for this Graphite Production Lead role at Valar Atomics.
From the original posting
The Team
As part of the Manufacturing organization, the Machine Shop manufactures precision components that meet exacting engineering and quality standards. The team supports rapid development, prototyping, and production through advanced machining capabilities.
The Role
Valar Atomics is looking for a Graphite Production Lead to run day-to-day operations for graphite machining and lead a growing team of CNC programmers and machinists. Graphite is a specialized, abrasive material central to our reactor components, and this role owns the production schedule, tooling strategy, and quality standards for graphite parts from CNC programming through final inspection, while mentoring the team and partnering closely with engineering and EHS on safe, efficient handling of abrasive material and dust.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead, schedule, and mentor a team of CNC programmers and machinists focused on graphite production.
- Own tooling and consumable strategy for graphite machining, including managing rapid tool wear specific to abrasive materials.
- Review and refine CNC programs (ESPRIT EDGE, Fusion 360) and toolpaths for graphite parts, partnering with programmers to troubleshoot setups.
- Ensure dust collection, ventilation, and PPE protocols are followed to keep graphite machining operations safe and compliant.
- Coordinate production priorities and schedules with Management to hit build timelines.
- Partner with Engineering and QC on design-for-manufacturability feedback and first-article inspection for new graphite parts.
- 5S, continuous improvement, and quality standards on the graphite production floor.
- Hire, train, and develop team members as graphite production scales; conduct performance reviews.
Basic Qualifications
- 5+ years of CNC machining or programming experience, including experience with graphite or other abrasive materials.
- 3+ years in a lead or supervisory role over a machining or production team.
- Proficiency with CAM software (ESPRIT EDGE, Fusion 360, or similar) for mills and/or lathes.
- Strong understanding of tooling wear, feeds/speeds, and work-holding strategies specific to graphite or other abrasive materials.
- Ability to read and work from complex engineering drawings, GD&T, and CAD models.
- Familiarity with dust collection, ventilation, and safety protocols for machining abrasive/particulate-generating materials.
- Comfortable operating in a fast-paced startup manufacturing environment with evolving processes.
Preferred Skills and Experience
- Direct experience machining nuclear-grade or high-purity graphite.
- Experience with in-machine probing for part verification.
- Experience with automation or lights-out programming.
- 5-axis programming experience.
- Experience standing up new machining processes or a new production line from scratch.
Standard company text repeated across Valar Atomics's postings is omitted here.