CNC Programmer
Posted Aug 20, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026
Likely interview questions for this role
Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.
About your past
Tell me about a time you had to edit G-code or M-code on the fly at the machine to fix a problem during a run.
What they are checking: real hands-on troubleshooting experience versus theoretical knowledge
Describe a program you improved for efficiency or reliability after it was already running in production. What did you change and how did you measure the improvement?
What they are checking: initiative and understanding of cycle time, tool wear, and material removal optimization
Tell me about a time an operator was struggling to run a program you wrote. How did you handle training them?
What they are checking: ability to communicate technical detail to less experienced staff and patience under pressure
Tell me about a time you disagreed with an engineer about how a part should be designed for manufacturability. How did that conversation go?
What they are checking: collaboration style with engineering and ability to advocate for machinability without being difficult
What would you do
Say you're proving out a new program on a horizontal machining center and the part is coming out slightly out of tolerance on one feature. What's your process for chasing that down?
What they are checking: systematic troubleshooting approach versus guessing or trial and error
Have you dealt with a DNC system going down or losing communication between a machine and the server? What did you do?
What they are checking: real exposure to shop floor networking issues, not just machine-level programming
A machine is causing repeated downtime and nobody can pin down whether it's the program, the tooling, or the machine itself. How would you go about isolating the cause?
What they are checking: root cause analysis skill across program, tooling, and mechanical variables
About the work
Walk me through how you'd program a part that starts as steel bar stock and needs complex geometry held to close tolerances on a 4-axis lathe with live tooling.
What they are checking: whether the candidate actually understands the full workflow from raw stock to finished part, not just button-pushing
What CAM software have you used day to day, GibbsCAM, MasterCAM, or Partmaker, and where does your comfort level actually stop?
What they are checking: honesty about depth of tool knowledge versus surface familiarity
How do you decide on tooling and fixturing for a brand new job when you're starting from a casting versus starting from bar stock?
What they are checking: depth of process planning knowledge across different material starting points
How have you used SolidWorks in your programming work, and how do you handle a job where the model doesn't quite match the print?
What they are checking: practical CAD fluency and judgment when drawings and models conflict
What's your experience with SAP or a similar ERP/MRP system for things like tool crib inventory or job routing?
What they are checking: whether they've actually worked inside the administrative side of the job, not just the machine side
How do you document your setups and tooling library so someone else could pick up your job if you weren't there?
What they are checking: whether they build for the team versus keeping tribal knowledge in their own head
Practice this interview out loud.
Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at Regal Rexnord from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.
Practice this out loudThe full job description
As published by Regal Rexnord.