Robotic Welding Technician Lead

Job Details

Job Location:

SMF Minonk - Minonk, IL 61760.

Position Type:
Full Time.

Salary Range: $30.50 - $45.76 Hourly.

Job Category:
Manufacturing.

Build Your Future with SMF!

At SMF, we don't just offer jobs—we build careers. As part of Etnyre International, we have a 50-year legacy in high-quality metal fabrication, serving industries like construction, power generation, agriculture, and mining.

We take pride in being a Tier One supplier to Fortune 500 OEMs, which means high standards, excellent quality, and rewarding work. Our team of skilled professionals and state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities (spanning 200,000+ square feet) make SMF one of the top ½ percent of machine shops nationwide.

In 2020, SMF joined Etnyre International, fueling even more growth and opportunity—and we want YOU to be part of it!

Starting Pay Rates on Experience & Pre-Employment Test Results:

Robotic Welding Technician Lead: $34.75

• Provide day-to-day technical leadership to Robotic Welding Technicians.
• Coordinate technician assignments and support coverage based on production requirements and individual skill levels.
• Monitor safety, quality, productivity, downtime, and equipment performance.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for complex robotic welding problems.
• Ensure consistent operating practices across robotic welding cells and shifts.
• Assist Production leadership with identifying training and staffing needs.
• Mentor and develop Technician I, II, and Senior Technicians.
• Support technician skill evaluations and advancement recommendations.
• Serve as the technical owner for robotic welding processes.
• Establish and maintain best practices for robot operation and welding processes.
• Analyze recurring quality, downtime, and productivity issues.
• Lead or support root-cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Recommend improvements to robot programs, fixtures, tooling, equipment, and processes.
• Work with Engineering and Quality to validate process changes.
• Drive continuous improvement in cycle time, weld quality, uptime, and productivity.

• Lead troubleshooting of complex robotic welding problems.
• Determine whether issues are related to programming, equipment, tooling, fixtures, welding processes, materials, or maintenance.
• Coordinate with Maintenance on mechanical, electrical, controls, and equipment-related problems.
• Coordinate with Engineering on process, programming, and automation issues.
• Provide hands-on technical support during major production interruptions.
• Identify recurring problems and develop permanent corrective actions.

• Ensure robotic welding processes meet established quality requirements.
• Support weld-quality investigations and corrective actions.
• Monitor recurring weld defects and process variation.
• Work with Quality and Engineering to improve process capability and consistency.
• Ensure robot programs and process parameters remain controlled and documented.

• Perform routine inspections of robotic welding equipment, fixtures, tooling, welding guns, wire-feed systems, and consumables.
• Identify equipment conditions that could affect safety, quality, or productivity.
• Perform operator-level preventive-maintenance activities as required.
• Coordinate with Maintenance when equipment requires technical repair.

• Promote and enforce safe robotic welding practices.
• Ensure technicians follow required PPE, machine safety, lockout/tagout, robotic-cell, and hot-work requirements.
• Immediately address unsafe conditions or practices.
• Ensure safety devices, guarding, and interlocks are not bypassed outside approved procedures.
• Participate in safety investigations and improvement initiatives.