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Machine Builder & Precision Assembler – 1st Shift
All, Manufacturing
Pewaukee, WI
Location: Pewaukee, WI | Schedule: Full-time, 1st Shift, 7:00 AM – 3:30 PM, Monday through Friday, 100% Onsite | Compensation: Up to $40.00/hour + overtime
Overview
An established, premier custom automation builder in the Pewaukee, WI area is seeking a skilled Machine Builder & Precision Assembler to join its team on 1st Shift. This long-standing custom machinery leader designs and builds complex, one-of-a-kind automation assets for global manufacturers, and this opening was created due to an upcoming long-term employee retirement. The shop features a modern facility with on-floor 3D modeling workstations and a collaborative, non-siloed culture where builders work directly with mechanical engineers and wiremen.
What you'll do
- Build, fit, align, and assemble diverse, high-value custom automated machinery, robotic cells, assembly presses, and packaging lines from the ground up
- Read and build from highly detailed multi-view mechanical drawings, assembly blueprints, and pneumatics and hydraulics fluid power schematics to establish proper build sequencing
- Access 3D CAD digital models directly at shop-floor workstations to verify spatial relationships, check mechanical clearances, and inspect complex sub-assemblies in real time
- Layout, bend, route, and mount complex pneumatics manifolds, valve blocks, and high-pressure hydraulics circuits neatly onto machine frames
- Shim, scrape, adjust, and tune precision components to exact tolerances, utilizing toolmaking-level techniques to guarantee flawless mechanical motion and cycling
- Partner directly with mechanical design engineers on-site to troubleshoot assembly bottlenecks, verify tolerances, and resolve design deviations on the fly
- Oversee the tactical breakdown, match-marking, packing, and crating of completed custom machines to prepare them for customer transport and field installation
Required qualifications
- 5+ years of progressively responsible experience executing ground-up mechanical machine builds, OR 2+ years of experience backed by a formal background in precision toolmaking, die building, or custom fixture assembly
- Demonstrated background building high-speed material handling systems, precision automated lines, or custom packaging machinery (not component-level bench assembly)
- Expert ability to read, interpret, and assemble complex machinery directly from multi-page mechanical assembly prints and fluid power schematics covering pneumatics and hydraulics
- Expert, safe operation of hand and power tools, shop equipment (mills, lathes, surface grinders), and precision measuring instruments (calipers, micrometers, dial indicators)
- Strong interpersonal skills and a team-first work ethic to partner effectively with wiremen, controls engineers, and plant leadership
- Residence established within a comfortable daily 45-minute driving radius of Pewaukee, WI, and status as a US Citizen or Green Card holder
Preferred qualifications
- Formal apprenticeship completion or Journeyman credentials in Tool & Die or Precision Machining
- Ability to mount, align, and wire basic 24V proximity sensors, photoeyes, and limit switches during mechanical assembly
- Hands-on experience mounting and mechanically squaring end-of-arm tooling (EOAT) or camera mounting frames
Compensation and benefits
- Up to $40.00/hour starting base rate, commensurate with trade experience and toolmaking depth
- Overtime availability
- Comprehensive benefits package
Why this role
This role offers end-to-end ownership of complex custom builds, a collaborative on-floor culture with engineers and wiremen, modern CAD-equipped workstations, and excellent job security from an opening created by a long-term employee's retirement.
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