Fiber Laser Cutting Machine Operator

About the Role

Seeking a skilled, safety-conscious Fibre Laser Cutting Machine Operator. Operate and maintain CNC fibre laser cutting equipment to produce accurate metal components from production plans and engineering drawings. Work with production, quality and maintenance to ensure efficient, high-quality cutting while prioritising health and safety and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

• Set up and operate fibre laser cutting machines (CNC) including loading programs, selecting appropriate cutting parameters, fitting consumables and aligning material.

• Interpret engineering drawings, nesting instructions and production schedules to ensure correct material, part orientation and tolerances are achieved.

• Prepare sheet material for cutting, including measuring, marking, de-burring and ensuring flatness; secure workpieces as required.

• Monitor machine performance during cutting cycles, make on-the-fly adjustments to speed, power and gas settings and stop operations if quality or safety is compromised.

• Perform routine maintenance, cleaning and basic troubleshooting of laser heads, nozzles, filters and CNC controls; report defects to maintenance and support planned downtime activities.

• Carry out first-off inspections and in-process quality checks using measuring equipment (verniers, micrometres, calipers) to confirm dimensions and compliance with specifications.

• Record production data, job reports and material usage accurately in company systems; ensure traceability of parts and scrap reporting.

• Work with nesting/CAD/CAM programmers to optimise nesting, reduce material waste and improve cutting efficiency.

Qualifications & Experience

• Qualification in engineering, fabrication or manufacturing, or relevant on-the-job experience.

• Proven experience operating fibre or CO2 laser cutting machines in a production environment (typically 2+ years).

• Good understanding of sheet metal fabrication processes, material properties (steel, stainless steel, aluminium) and suitable cutting parameters.

• Knowledge of cutting consumables, gas handling and laser safety standards.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with CNC Fiber Laser Cutting Machine, specifically an open-table flatbed model designed for precision sheet metal fabrication.

• Familiarity with automated part handling, conveyors and CNC material storage systems.