How to hire a machine shop manager

How to hire a machine shop manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step machine shop manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a machine shop manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new machine shop manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the machine shop manager you need to hire. Certain machine shop manager roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A machine shop manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, machine shop managers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of machine shop managers.

   Type of Machine Shop Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Machine Shop Manager		$22-51
   Operations Team Leader	An operations team leader is an individual who manages teams, encouraging cooperation, productivity, and teamwork. Operations team leaders foster team unity and enhance the daily efficiency of the companies or any business establishment... Show more	$13-51
   Production Leader	A production leader usually works at a manufacturing plant or a similar setting. They are primarily responsible for overseeing all processing operations and workforce performance, ensuring efficiency and timeliness... Show more	$14-30

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • CNC Machines
   • Lean Manufacturing
   • Grinders
   • Machine Tools
   • Cad Cam
   • Solidworks
   • Process Improvement
   • CAD/CAM
   • Aerospace
   • Production Schedules
   • On-Time Delivery
   • Prototype
   • Quality Standards
   • Shop Floor

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage daily operations of precision machining facility that produces components for the medical and aerospace industry.
   • Purchase several million dollars of CNC equipment.
   • Design jigs and fixtures for machine and fabrication.
   • Design fixtures, jigs, and gears for clutch plates.
   • Handle internal corrective actions to ensure ISO compliance and reduce scrap issues.
   • Design and implement procedures in both departments to bring them into ISO regulatory compliance.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your machine shop manager job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A machine shop manager can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, machine shop managers' average salary in florida is 47% less than in wyoming.
   • Seniority. Entry-level machine shop managers 56% less than senior-level machine shop managers.
   • Certifications. A machine shop manager with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a machine shop manager's salary.

   Average machine shop manager salary

   $71,738yearly

   $34.49 hourly rate

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   Entry-level machine shop manager salary

   $47,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

4. Writing a machine shop manager job description

   A job description for a machine shop manager role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a machine shop manager job description:

   Machine shop manager job description example

   Madden Industrial Craftsmen is looking to fill a Senior Machine Shop Manager position for the Shipyards in N. Portland, Oregon. This person may oversee 2 locations - N. Portland, OR and Clackamas, OR. The role manages approximately 35-70 craft employees in various skills in numerous work stations in manufacturing shops.
   RESPONSIBILITIES
   • plan a production schedule for the job
   • implement and control the production schedule
   • review and adjust the schedule where needed
   • determine the human resources required
   • determine the material resources required
   • manage human and material resources to meet production targets
   • make decisions about equipment use, maintenance, modification and procurement REQUIREMENTS:
   • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both oral and written for constant interaction with all departments and employee levels as well as customers
   • Ability to lead, manage and motivate employees in a production environment
   • Ability to lead consolidation of multiple locations into a single operation. Critical change management skills will be required.
   • Must have the analytical ability to research problem areas and special requests
   • Must be a well-organized, detail oriented self-starter
   • Ability to read and comprehend work specifications, work orders, blueprints, contracts and technical publications (Gov’t specifications, drawings and federal requirements) EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE
   Associates degree or equivalent work experience is required. Minimum .ten (10) years of experience in heavy industry & manufacturing. Minimum fifteen (15) years of experience in a supervisory capacity,
   with increasing responsibilities. The incumbent must have experience and thorough knowledge of production procedures, government regulations, and administrative procedures within a marine program with a background in continuous process improvement. He/she must have experience and a working knowledge of all specific operations of departments, including all machinery and tools. SHIFT
   • Monday - Friday, 5:30am - 2:00pm
   • OT opportunities based on work load BENEFITS:
   • Pay: $100,000+/year DOE
   • Day shift
   • Full Time, Direct-Hire
   • Holiday Pay
   • Medical Insurance
   • Dental Insurance
   • 401k matching
   • Sick Pay
   Company DescriptionMadden Industrial Craftsmen is the premier provider of skilled trades' personnel in the Pacific Northwest. The family-owned company, headquartered in Beaverton, has been recruiting and placing skilled trades' employees with our client companies for over twenty-years. Our skilled recruiters have the experience and expertise to find and screen candidates who work "in the trades."
   
   Specialties: Project Managers, Carpenters, Machinists, Welders, Electricians, Maintenance/Millwrights, Pipe Fitters, Mechanics, HVAC Technicians, Painters, Drafters, Groundskeeper, Designers, Building Maintenance and Heavy Industrial.

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5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find machine shop managers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your machine shop manager job on Zippia to find and recruit machine shop manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting machine shop managers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new machine shop manager

   Once you have selected a candidate for the machine shop manager position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new machine shop manager. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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