Senior Sliding Head Programmer / Setter / Section Leader
Location: North Devon
Salary: £20.00 - £22.00 per hour (£39,520 - £43,472 per annum) + excellent benefits
Hours: Full-time, 38 hours per week (Days)


The Role
As the senior member of the Sliding Head department, you will be responsible for programming, setting, and optimising Sliding Head CNC machines while supporting the day-to-day operation of the section. You will also contribute to new product introduction, continuous improvement initiatives, and the development of less experienced team members.
Reporting directly to the Workshop Manager, your responsibilities will include:

• Programming and setting Sliding Head CNC machines.
  
• Managing New Product Introduction (NPI), including program creation, tooling selection, proving out new components, and introducing them into production.
  
• Improving existing machining processes to reduce scrap, improve cycle times, and minimise secondary operations.
  
• Training and mentoring members of the Sliding Head department.
  
• Planning machine workload and prioritising jobs to maximise productivity across production shifts.
  
• Producing machine setup sheets and program documentation.
  
• Completing production paperwork in line with quality procedures.
  
• Carrying out daily machine checks.
  
• Maintaining a safe, organised, and efficient working environment.
  
• Maintaining manufacturing program databases and documentation.
  
• Supporting continuous improvement across the machining department.
  

About You
To be successful in this role, you will have strong experience programming and setting Sliding Head CNC machines within a precision engineering environment.
Essential Skills & Experience

• Proven experience programming and setting Sliding Head CNC machines.
  
• Strong ability to read and interpret engineering drawings.
  
• Experience following manufacturing route cards and process documentation.
  
• Good general engineering knowledge.
  
• Basic IT skills.
  
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to prioritise workloads.
  

Desirable Skills & Experience

• Experience using Edgecam or similar CAM software.
  
• Experience programming Fanuc-controlled machines.
  
• Previous experience manufacturing precision components for highly regulated industries.
  
• Experience working with Citizen Sliding Head machines.
  

What's on Offer

• Competitive salary of £20.00-£22.00 per hour, depending on experience.
  
• 38-hour working week.
  
• Monday-Thursday: 8:00am-5:00pm.
  
• Friday: 8:00am-12:00pm.
  
• Overtime opportunities available on Fridays and Saturdays.
  
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays.
  
• Enhanced employer pension contribution.
  
• Life assurance.
  
• Long-term career opportunity within a stable and growing precision engineering business.
  

If you have the experience to lead a Sliding Head section and are looking for your next challenge within a high-quality manufacturing environment, we'd be keen to hear from you. Apply today with your CV for a confidential discussion.