CAD/CAM Programmer

[6 months] You have mapped the highest-value CAM programming workflows and translated them into a prioritized automation roadmap, signed off by engineering and manufacturing leadership.

[6 months] You have shipped at least one working prototype automation — toolpath generation, feature recognition, or post-processing — using a CAM software API, validated against real part geometries.

[6 months] You have defined what "production-ready automated output" means for Foundational: the criteria, test cases, and acceptance benchmarks the software team builds and runs against.

[12 months] You lead a cross-functional team of CAM programmers, machinists, and software engineers delivering the CAM automation roadmap on schedule.

[12 months] Automated CAM outputs are validated against realistic machining scenarios and trusted enough to run on production machines with no manual re-work.

[12 months] The product feedback loop is closed — you are gathering input from CAM programmers and machinists on the floor and translating it into feature improvements on a regular cycle.

You have scripted or automated something in a CAM environment — an API call, a macro, a template system — even if it was scrappy.

You have defined product requirements, written specs, and shipped features alongside software engineers.

Experience developing CAM software at an established vendor (Autodesk, Siemens, Open Mind, CNC Software, etc.).

Experience with CAM automation systems: feature recognition, knowledge-based machining, generative or AI-assisted toolpaths, or parametric templates.

Familiarity with a CAM SDK/API — Mastercam .NET API, Autodesk Fusion API, NX Open, or similar.

Exposure to machine learning or AI applied to manufacturing.

Background in a production machine shop or contract manufacturing environment.

Experience with simulation and verification tools such as Vericut.

These are the behavioral patterns that predict success here, in practice, under pressure.

Bias for action — You ship. You iterate. You move toward the hard thing.

Builder mentality — You have operated as a function of one. You are energized by building systems from scratch, and comfortable being the person who figures it out before asking for help.

High standards — You raise the bar rather than match it, and hold yourself to it first.

Systems thinking — You see the whole, not just your piece. You ask how your work connects to what comes before and after it.

Clarity of communication — Direct and concise, especially when it counts.

Collaborative judgment — You read the room, pick your moments, and move people without politics.

This is a filter as much as it is an invitation.

We are turning reindustrialization from a talking point into an operating reality. The work is hard, the environment is demanding, and the stakes are real. We compensate with base, bonus, and equity to reflect impact, responsibility, and results — with meaningful upside for the people who help build and scale this company.

For those aligned with the mission and motivated by execution at scale, Foundational offers the opportunity to help define one of the most consequential industrial transformations of the next decade.

Foundational Industries is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and applicants. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), age, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Foundational complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We evaluate every candidate on what they can do and who they are.