Machine Shop

Virtual Assistant / Office Admin — Machine Shop (Full-Time, US Hours)
Pay: $6.00/hour to start, USD (room to grow as the shop grows — see below) Hours: Full-time, 40 hrs/week, US Pacific business hours (PST/PDT) Schedule: Monday–Friday Type: Long-term, full-time independent contractor position

About the Shop
We're a small but growing CNC machine shop. Right now it's a tight team — the owner is both the lead machinist and the person fielding every phone call, email, and quote request. That's about to change.

We're looking for our first dedicated Virtual Assistant to take over the admin side of the business completely, so the owner can get back on the floor doing what he does best: running machines. This is a foundational hire — as the shop adds more machinists, your role grows with it. You won't be one of many VAs lost in a big team; you'll be the backbone of how this shop runs day to day.

If you've worked in a machine shop, manufacturing, or fabrication environment before — even better. You'll already understand the language, the urgency, and what "the customer needs this part by Friday" actually means.

What You'll Be Doing
Client Communication

Answer incoming phone calls from clients (yes, real phone calls — comfort and confidence on the phone is a must)
Make outbound calls when needed (quote follow-ups, scheduling, payment reminders)
Manage the email inbox: respond to client inquiries, route questions, keep things from falling through the cracks
Quoting & Sales Support

Manage incoming quote requests and keep the quoting pipeline organized
Follow up with prospects who haven't responded to a quote
Track quote status from "sent" to "won/lost" so nothing goes stale
Accounts Receivable / Payment Follow-Up

Send polite, professional payment reminder emails and calls to clients with outstanding invoices
Keep a simple log of who's been contacted and when
Office & Task Management

Keep the shop's task boards (Trello/Notion) up to date and organized
Manage the owner's inbox and calendar so he's not buried in admin between machine cycles
General office admin: filing, data entry, document organization, ordering supplies, whatever keeps the shop running smoothly
Communicate daily with the owner via Slack for updates, questions, and priorities
What We're Looking For
Required:

Strong professional English — written and spoken. You don't need a "perfect" accent, but clients need to understand you clearly and you need to sound confident and competent on the phone
Comfortable and confident making/answering phone calls to US clients — this is a core part of the job, not occasional
Solid experience as a Virtual Assistant or office admin (2+ years preferred)
Proficient with Outlook (email/calendar), Slack, Trello, and Notion — or able to pick these up fast
Highly organized self-starter — you'll often be managing your own priority list with light supervision
Reliable internet connection, backup power/internet solution, and a quiet space for calls
Available to work US Pacific business hours, full-time
Strongly Preferred:

Previous experience as an office admin, customer service rep, or VA for a machine shop, fabrication shop, manufacturing company, or similar industrial/technical business
Familiarity with manufacturing terms (tolerances, materials, lead times, quotes/POs) — or genuine willingness to learn them quickly
Experience handling accounts receivable or payment follow-up communications
Experience managing a quoting or sales pipeline
Why This Role
You're the first VA hire — you'll help shape how the admin side of this business runs as it scales, not just follow a rigid playbook
Real growth path — as the shop adds machinists and volume increases, your responsibilities (and pay) grow with it. This isn't a static, capped role
Direct line to the owner — no layers of management, no corporate bureaucracy. You'll work closely with the person making the decisions
Stability — this is a long-term position for the right person, not a short-term project
How to Apply
Please apply with the following so we can move quickly:

A short cover message telling us about your experience — specifically mention if you've worked in a machine shop, manufacturing, or industrial business before
Your resume
A short voice recording (1–2 minutes) introducing yourself — we want to hear how you sound on a call
Your available start date and confirmation you can work US Pacific hours full-time
We're hiring soon — applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.