Company:
Confidential
Position:
President – Advanced Precision Machining
Location:
Silicon Valley Area
Reporting:
Chief Operating Officer – Parent Company (Confidential)
Compensation:
Excellent Base and Bonus (performance bonus tied to EBITDA growth)
Relocation:
Considered for exceptional candidates
Company Profile
Our client is a highly specialized precision machining company located in the Silicon Valley area. It serves some of the world’s most demanding industries, including semiconductor front-end equipment and medical device technology. By delivering mission-critical, high-complexity components and assemblies, it has developed long-standing relationships with industry leaders.
Our client leverages a vertically integrated model that includes:
- Engineering & Consulting services for product and process design
- Robotic subcontract manufacturing leveraging advanced automation.
- High precision machining, including micromachining and large-scale multi-axis capabilities.
- Quality control and inspection services to ensure strict regulatory compliance.
Specialty Equipment & Capabilities:
Plus our client also leverages a diverse range of specialty equipment that differentiates it from typical machine shops, including:
- Micromachining centers for ultra-tight tolerances and miniature parts.
- Large-format multi-axis CNC machining centers for bigger, complex assemblies.
- Robotic manufacturing cells for high repeatability, efficiency, and scale in precision runs.
- Advanced inspection and metrology equipment supporting semiconductor and medical device requirements.
- ERP System: ShopKeeper (Insite Software) for scheduling, costing, and WIP tracking.
As part of a larger parent company known as one of this nation’s premier precision machining holding companies, our confidential client benefits from access to capital and shared best practices across a growing network of advanced machining companies.
Why Join Our Client’s Company
- Operate like an owner. Real P&L authority and shop-level bonus participation.
- Permanent horizon. No forced exit clock; the parent company is focused on building and perfecting its shops for the long run.
- Autonomy plus support. Local decision rights with platform resources in talent, continuous improvement, capex, and systems.
- Lead an advanced machining organization. Shape the future of semiconductor and medical device services with cutting-edge robotics, micromachining, and large-scale machining assets.
- Be part of a mission. Be a part of one of this nation’s fastest-growing premier precision machining businesses.
Position Description and Responsibilities
This position reports directly to the parent company’s Chief Operating Officer and requires a hands-on, “A” type leader with a solid track record of small-to-mid-size company P&L leadership in advanced machining.
The key to success in this role is a leader who can stabilize operations, sustain strategic customer relationships, and professionalize systems and leadership depth while positioning the company for long-term growth.
This position requires an entrepreneurial thinker with an ownership mindset who thrives in complex, fast-paced environments and can balance strategic vision with tactical execution. The ideal candidate will bring deep experience in precision machining, micromachining, robotics/automation, and regulated industries (semiconductor/medical device).
This position will:
- Learn shop operations quickly, shadowing the retiring President, capturing his expertise in quoting, scheduling, customer management, and fixture/process design, while executing a pre-agreed leadership hiring plan within the first 60 days.
- Build trust and relationships with all employees; target zero attrition of critical staff, while mentoring long-tenured talent and strengthening leadership depth.
- Sustain and expand relationships with top customers, ensuring seamless handover of key accounts, with no lost customers during transition.
- Own full P&L responsibility, including pricing discipline, staffing and key hires, and execution of ongoing capex budgets.
- Implement tiered daily/weekly management, KPI dashboards, and ERP visibility (ShopKeeper) for scheduling, job costing, and WIP tracking across machining and robotic operations.
- Address current operational constraints, including reliance on outsourced special processing (~$500K annually) and operator shortages, to increase equipment utilization and activate idle capacity.
- Develop and execute a comprehensive manufacturing strategy aligned with company growth goals, emphasizing tight tolerances, micromachining, robotic automation, and high-mix, complex CNC operations.
- Leverage the company’s specialty equipment (micromachining centers, robotic cells, large-format CNCs, and advanced inspection systems) to drive differentiation and customer value.
- Lead a robust Lean/Continuous Improvement initiative to drive measurable improvements in Safety, Quality, Cost, and Delivery (SQCD) performance—deploying 5S, standard work, visual management, SMED, TPM, and daily management systems to establish a culture of problem solving and sustainable improvement.
- Use Lean principles to enhance workforce cross-training, equipment utilization, and throughput, increasing competitiveness and responsiveness in both semiconductor and medical device markets.
- Oversee and foster a culture of safety, quality, on-time delivery, accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
- Propose ROI-positive capex and drive execution of the agreed post-acquisition capex plan, ensuring investments are aligned with strategic customer needs.
- Maintain periodic executive-level customer touchpoints, while delegating daily account management to the sales/engineering team.
- Work with the parent company’s CFO/Controller to manage budgets, forecasts, inventory, and working capital, ensuring disciplined financial management.
- Partner with local schools, technical colleges, and workforce programs in the Bay Area to build operator pipelines and sustain critical skills in a highly competitive labor market.
- Lead and mentor front-line leaders, installing clear processes, expectations, and accountability to drive daily operational performance and succession planning.
- Report regularly to the parent company’s COO, initially daily/weekly and later weekly/monthly, providing real-time visibility on key metrics.
Position Critical to Quality + Success (CTQ+S): Technical Requirements
- BS degree in Engineering, Technical, or Business discipline (MBA a plus).
- 10–20+ years of progressive leadership in advanced manufacturing with site-level P&L ownership.
- Demonstrated success stabilizing and growing small-to-mid-sized companies (~40–100 employees).
- Deep technical knowledge of micromachining, multi-axis CNC machining, robotic/automated manufacturing, and precision inspection systems.
- Experience in industries requiring tight tolerances and regulatory rigor (semiconductor, medical device, aerospace, defense).
- Proven ability to implement and optimize ERP/MES systems (preferably ShopKeeper) with KPI-driven dashboards.
- Advanced training in Lean/Continuous Improvement, with a track record of driving measurable SQCD performance.
- Strong financial acumen, including quoting, job costing, margin management, and ROI-based capex planning.
- Experience managing customer concentration risks and diversifying account portfolios.
Position Critical to Quality + Success (CTQ+S): Skill/Ability Behavioral Requirements
- Hands-on leader who actively engages with engineers, machinists, and operators.
- Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the credibility to build trust across employees, customers, and platform leadership.
- Strong change-management capability, adept at guiding teams through leadership transition and cultural evolution.
- Proven ability to develop leadership bench strength, mentor engineers and managers, and instill accountability.
- Ability to orchestrate multiple priorities in a dynamic, customer-driven environment.
- High level of personal energy, urgency, and motivation to take on a transformative challenge.
- Commitment to the parent company's culture of Transparency + Collaboration + Teamwork.
- Passion for embedding Lean and advanced automation into daily operations, treating them as leadership systems rather than tools.
