Lead Machine Builder

• Work closely with the Head Design Engineer to review new designs, clarify assembly intent, and provide practical feedback on manufacturability, serviceability, and build sequence.
• Personally build first-build, prototype, and complex custom assembly units by interpreting drawings, BOMs, schematics, and specifications, while creating repeatable work instructions for future production builds.
• Identify design, fit-up, routing, wiring, tooling, and process concerns early and communicate recommended solutions to Engineering and Operations.
• Serve as the senior technical resource for assemblers on design-related questions, assembly approach, build sequence, and troubleshooting.
• Help translate engineering requirements into repeatable assembly practices that can be understood and executed by the production team.
• Develop, document, and improve assembly processes, build sequences, tooling needs, inspection points, and standard work for assigned product lines or custom builds.
• Establish practical assembly methods that improve safety, quality, flow, repeatability, and ease of training.
• Support process validation by confirming that drawings, materials, tools, fixtures, and instructions are complete and suitable for production use.
• Partner with Engineering, Quality, Purchasing, Planning, and Production to resolve build issues, missing information, material concerns, and design changes.
• Maintain strong awareness of production priorities while ensuring technical requirements and quality expectations are not compromised.
• Verify assemblies meet drawings, specifications, customer requirements, and internal quality standards.
• Review work instructions, redlines, markups, and build notes for accuracy, completeness, and usability.
• Support first-article reviews, inspections, fit checks, functional checks, and corrective action activities as needed.
• Document assembly lessons learned and communicate recurring issues to Engineering to improve future designs and releases.
• Train and mentor assemblers on complex builds, proper assembly methods, tool usage, quality expectations, and safe work practices.
• Provide hands-on assistance during critical builds, rework, troubleshooting, and process changes.
• Promote clear communication between assemblers, supervisors, and engineering resources to keep builds moving efficiently.
• Model professional behavior, accountability, and attention to detail while reinforcing safety and quality expectations.
• Recommend design-for-assembly improvements that reduce complexity, improve accessibility, shorten build time, and reduce rework.
• Identify opportunities to improve assembly flow, ergonomics, tooling, fixture use, kitting, labeling, and visual controls.
• Participate in lean, 5S, root-cause, and corrective action activities related to assembly process performance.
• Support a culture of practical problem solving, collaboration, and continuous improvement between Engineering and Operations.

Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience in mechanical, electrical, industrial, or custom equipment assembly
• Advanced ability to read and interpret mechanical drawings, electrical schematics, BOMs, specifications, and work instructions
• Strong hands-on assembly skills with the ability to troubleshoot fit, function, routing, tooling, and process issues
• Experience supporting first builds, prototypes, custom builds, or engineering change implementation
• Demonstrated ability to guide, train, and mentor other assemblers in a production environment