Utility Machine Operator

Utility Machine Operator

Wahoo, NE | $25–$28 per hour | Monday–Thursday, 10-hour shifts

Rebellion Fabrication is a structural and architectural steel fabricator and one of the region’s fastest-growing shops. We build stairs, structural steel, and architectural steel for demanding commercial and industrial clients, and we’ve grown by hiring great people and holding a high bar.

We’re looking for a Utility Machine Operator who can move from machine to machine and keep material flowing. This isn’t a seat on one machine. You’ll be our designated floater, stepping in wherever the shop needs you: covering an operator, helping run a backlog, or supporting a primary operator to keep a job on schedule. You should be comfortable on several pieces of equipment and ready to learn the rest.

What you’ll do

• Run multiple machines. Operate the press brake, band saw, angle line, laser table, tube laser, and pipe bender as the schedule calls for.
• Keep things flowing. Move to where the work is backing up, support primary operators, and cover when someone is out so material keeps moving to fabrication on time.
• Set up your work. Set up machines with the right tooling, fixtures, and programs to run material efficiently.
• Build to print. Read shop drawings and cut lists, verify steel dimensions, and measure, mark, and check parts so they’re right the first time.
• Handle material. Move, stage, and track material accurately so inventory stays correct and the next station has what it needs.
• Maintain equipment. Do routine cleanup and basic maintenance, and flag machine problems early to keep downtime low.
• Speak up early. Raise drawing questions, material problems, or anything that could hold up the job before it becomes rework.
• Work safely. Keep your area clean, stay aware of the people and equipment around you, and follow shop safety procedures.

What we’re looking for

• 2–4 years of machine operating or material processing experience in a steel fabrication or manufacturing shop.
• Hands-on experience with several of the following (experience on all of them is a plus):
  • Press brake
  • Band saw
  • Angle line
  • Laser table
  • Tube laser
  • Pipe bender
• Solid blueprint reading and the ability to measure accurately with tapes, squares, and calipers.
• Comfort setting up a machine with minimal instruction.
• Flexibility. You’re happy to switch tasks during a shift and pick up a new machine quickly.
• Someone who takes responsibility for their work, helps the team, and addresses problems when they see them.

What we’ll teach you

We train our team to help them succeed, and everyone on our team helps with our success.

• How to run the machines on our floor you haven’t run before, so you can cover any of them.
• Setups, tooling, and techniques specific to our shop and the projects we build.
• How processing affects the schedule and health of each project, including the performance measures you’ll use to evaluate yourself.
• Clear, direct communication with operators, fabricators, and leaders.

How we’ll measure success

• Parts processed correctly the first time (fewer recuts and rework).
• Keeping material moving: no stations waiting on processed parts when you’re covering.
• Number of machines you can run independently, growing over your first 90 days.
• Working independently, at our pace, within your first 30 days.

Who thrives here

• You like variety. You’d rather move between machines than run the same one all day.
• You’d rather keep learning. Skill matters. A willingness to grow, and to help the people around you grow, matters more.
• You own your results. When something goes wrong, you fix it. You don’t look for someone to blame.
• You’re confident without being arrogant. You can talk shop, ask good questions, and take feedback without getting defensive.
• You pay attention. You notice what’s happening on the floor and keep yourself and your teammates safe.

Working at Rebellion

Our expectations are straightforward: do good work, take ownership, and treat people with respect. We live out our core values every day, in real conversations, not on a wall.

• Excellence: Precision, directed at the right target.
• Thrive or Die: Own your seat, rise above, forward motion.
• Teamwork: Humble, teachable, respectful.

We run on EOS, and we’ve committed to becoming an ESOP. The people building this company will have the opportunity to own it.

You can expect clear direction, the tools to do your job, and regular conversations with your leader. If something isn’t working, or you see a better way to do it, we want to hear it.

Pay, schedule, and benefits

• Pay: $25–$28 per hour, depending on experience.
• Schedule: Full-time, 40 hours per week. Four 10-hour shifts, Monday–Thursday.
• Location: In person in Wahoo, Nebraska.
• Benefits: 401(k), 401(k) matching, and paid time off, health benefits starting 1/1/2027

How to apply

Apply through this posting and tell us which machines you’ve run and what kind of shop you ran them in. Candidates who move forward can expect a phone conversation, then an in-person interview with a walk of our shop floor.

We’d rather find out early, on both sides, whether this is the right fit. Come prepared, and come with questions.

Application question: Did an employee from Rebellion Fabrication refer you?