The Opportunity

This role is for someone who wants to do more than watch a machine run. The Production Line Technician learns the process, responds when conditions change, helps solve problems, and develops greater technical responsibility.

Role Purpose

The Production Line Technician is the first-level technical responder for an assigned steering production line. The technician operates and maintains equipment, identifies abnormalities, protects product quality, supports downtime recovery, and works with Production, Quality, Maintenance, and Engineering to prevent recurring issues.

During product transfer and launch, the technician will train at supporting manufacturing locations and bring that knowledge back to Hamilton.

Key Responsibilities

Safety, Quality, and Response

• Follow safety and environmental requirements, use required PPE, report hazards and near misses, and promote safe behavior.
• Respond quickly to abnormal conditions. Protect people and product, contain the issue, repair within your qualifications, and escalate when additional expertise is needed.
• Inspect products and equipment, identify deviations, and support root-cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Maintain 6S conditions and avoid shortcuts, undocumented changes, or temporary fixes that create risk.

Equipment and Production Support

• Set up, calibrate, operate, clean, lubricate, inspect, and perform routine maintenance on manufacturing equipment.
• Serve as the first response to machine issues and downtime. Troubleshoot methodically and involve Maintenance or Engineering when needed.
• Complete changeovers according to the production schedule and verify readiness before production resumes.
• Support preventive maintenance and qualified emergency repairs.
• Monitor safety, quality, delivery, and productivity performance and identify developing problems early.

Teamwork, Launch, and Improvement

• Support the Production Team Lead with daily execution, workflow, and schedule adherence.
• Communicate line status, risks, actions, and shift handoffs clearly.
• Participate actively in S2QDC activities, raise concerns respectfully, and help convert discussion into action.
• Maintain accurate production records, check sheets, repair information, and lessons learned.
• Complete extended training and knowledge-transfer assignments supporting the steering product line.
• Document process standards, best practices, failure modes, and critical launch requirements.
• Travel significantly during transfer and launch, including extended assignments in Terre Haute, Indiana. Travel should become occasional after stabilization.
• Identify and help standardize improvements to safety, quality, output, or equipment maintainability.

The Mindset We Are Hiring For

• Humble learner: Listens, asks questions, accepts coaching, and learns from operators and technical experts.
• Hungry contributor: Finds the next useful action and follows through without repeated reminders.
• People-smart teammate: Communicates directly and respectfully and works through disagreement constructively.
• Ownership through closure: Contains risk, engages the right help, verifies results, and closes the loop.
• Constructive challenger: Questions weak evidence, repeated workarounds, unsafe assumptions, or unclear readiness using facts and possible solutions.
• Integrity and discipline: Follows standards, reports performance honestly, protects the customer, and refuses shortcuts under production pressure.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required. Technical coursework, certification, or manufacturing experience is helpful but not mandatory.
• Reliable work history, initiative, safe work habits, and mechanical curiosity.
• Ability to develop skills in equipment operation, setup, calibration, troubleshooting, and basic maintenance.
• Ability to read and learn technical drawings, work instructions, quality criteria, check sheets, graphs, and production data.
• Basic Windows, Microsoft Office, math, measurement, and communication skills.
• Ability to work independently, collaborate across departments, manage priorities, and adapt under pressure.
• Availability for different shifts and substantial overtime during peak periods.

Physical and Work Environment

• Stand and walk for extended periods, generally eight hours per shift, and lift up to 40 pounds.
• Perform repetitive motions and reach, bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, or use stairs and ladders as needed.
• Possess the dexterity, grip strength, and visual ability needed to operate tools and inspect components.
• Work around moving equipment, industrial noise, fumes, airborne particles, and varying temperatures while using required PPE.

Growth and Candidate Potential

We value capability and potential, not only years in a similar role. Candidates with limited technical experience may still be competitive if they demonstrate mechanical aptitude, dependable work habits, rapid learning, teamwork, and ownership through closure.

A successful technician will grow in troubleshooting, changeovers, measurement, preventive maintenance, problem-solving, launch support, and peer training. The role can build a foundation for advanced technician, team leadership, maintenance, quality, manufacturing engineering support, or other skilled manufacturing opportunities.

Bilstein has great benefits to offer!

A state-of-the-art OE manufacturing plant with a strong focus on safety and cleanliness.

Multiple competitive Health, Dental & Vision Coverage options.

401K matching program.

Paid time off + 13 paid holidays.

Paid volunteer hours.

Tuition reimbursement program.

Gym reimbursement.

Company-paid short-term disability and life insurance.

Internal growth opportunities.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

Discounted BILSTEIN products.

We only accept online applications submitted through the 'Apply Now' button on this job posting. You can find all current job openings on our career site at: https://jobs.thyssenkrupp.com/en Thank you for your interest in joining our team!

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