Maintenance Mechanic

Maintenance Mechanic

The Maintenance Mechanic sets up molds and production equipment to specification, maintains extrusion and related machinery in a safe and efficient manner, and ensures that quality and production requirements are consistently met. This role applies strong mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, and pneumatic skills to keep equipment running reliably, supports training of other personnel, and follows Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Good Documentation Practices (GDP) at all times.

Responsibilities

• Set up molds and adjust machine cycles to meet production specifications and quality standards.
• Understand and work with various materials, including mixing materials and using automatic color blenders, and explain why different materials require different cycles.
• Identify, understand, and distinguish various product defects and dimensional issues to ensure acceptable quality.
• Apply knowledge of hydraulic and electrical systems on production machines to maintain safe and efficient operation.
• Troubleshoot minor mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, and pneumatic problems and make adjustments to bring machines back into specification.
• Properly shut down and start up extrusion and related machines following established procedures.
• Monitor assigned production lines to ensure compliance with safety, quality, production, and housekeeping standards.
• Apply mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, and hydraulic theory and procedures in the maintenance and repair of extrusion, auxiliary, and support equipment.
• Analyze, set up, and maintain extrusion and mechanical systems to ensure safe and continuous operation.
• Read electrical schematics, identify symbols and control circuits, and understand PLC programs and logic to troubleshoot electrical issues.
• Troubleshoot electrical circuits accurately and perform tasks such as changing motors, installing relays and starters, and installing control circuits.
• Read hydraulic schematics, identify symbols and control circuits, and troubleshoot hydraulic circuits with accuracy.
• Repair, change, or upgrade hydraulic equipment to improve reliability and performance.
• Perform maintenance on all types of equipment in the plant, including refrigeration, drying, conveying systems, fluid pumps, blow and vacuum pumps, pneumatic circuits, and welding/fabrication work.
• Conduct preventive maintenance on molding, extrusion, and packaging equipment to minimize downtime.
• Assist and train other maintenance, production, and technical personnel in areas of expertise.
• Assist other job classifications as needed and perform additional work as assigned.
• Maintain good housekeeping in the work area to support a safe and organized environment.
• Follow Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Good Documentation Practices (GDP) in all maintenance and production-related activities.

Essential Skills

• Demonstrated experience in a maintenance role, with 5+ years of maintenance experience preferred.
• High school diploma or equivalent preferred, or equivalent experience in maintenance.
• Some post-secondary technical or vocational education in a related field preferred.
• Ability to read, write, speak, and understand English.
• Basic math, computer, and organizational skills.
• Ability to read schematics and blueprints for mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, and pneumatic systems.
• Proven maintenance and troubleshooting skills involving mechanical, hydraulic, and pneumatic systems.
• Experience working with systems using electric motors and sensors for operational functions, including automated equipment.
• Ability to read electrical schematics, identify symbols and control circuits, and understand PLC program logic for troubleshooting.
• Ability to troubleshoot electrical circuits with a reasonable degree of accuracy.
• Ability to read hydraulic schematics, identify symbols and control circuits, and troubleshoot hydraulic circuits.
• Capability to perform maintenance on extrusion, blow molding, and plastic processing equipment.
• Hands-on skills with refrigeration, drying, conveying systems, fluid pumps, blow and vacuum pumps, pneumatic circuits, and welding/fabrication.
• Experience with preventive maintenance and machine maintenance in an industrial setting.
• Mechanically inclined with strong repair and troubleshooting capabilities on molding machines, extrusion lines, and packaging equipment.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Technical or vocational education in industrial maintenance, electrical, mechanical, or related fields is a plus.
• Experience working with blow molding, injection molding, and plastic extrusion equipment.
• Familiarity with blow molds, molding machines, and plastic injection processes.
• Ability to interpret and work from blueprints, mechanical drawings, and electrical schematics.
• Knowledge of hydraulics and pneumatics, including hydraulic and pneumatic circuits.
• Experience with packaging operations and labeling equipment in a manufacturing environment.
• Comfort working with PLC-based control systems and automated machinery.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to document work in accordance with Good Documentation Practices (GDP).
• Ability to train and mentor other maintenance and production personnel.
• Organized, self-directed, and able to manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced production environment.

Why Work Here?

Join a global flexible packaging organization that supports a stable, long-term career path and does not plan on laying off employees. You will work in a high-volume manufacturing environment that values safety, quality, and continuous improvement, while offering opportunities to expand your technical skills across a wide range of extrusion and molding technologies. The culture emphasizes teamwork, cross-training, and professional growth, providing a strong foundation for advancement in industrial maintenance.

Work Environment

This role operates on a 3rd shift schedule, Monday through Friday, from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. The facility is a 90,000-square-foot flexible packaging plant focused on plastic extrusion for food and consumer products, including bottles for shampoo, lotion, and cleaning solutions in various sizes and colors. The site runs 15 extrusion lines and 2 labeling lines, with equipment that is predominantly extrusion-based and mechanically, hydraulically, and pneumatically driven. You will work in a manufacturing environment that requires adherence to safety protocols, GMP, and GDP, and involves regular interaction with extrusion, molding, and packaging machinery.

Job Type & Location: This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Itasca, IL.

Pay and Benefits: The pay range for this position is $28.00 - $32.00/hr. Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors. Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: Medical, dental & vision Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital 401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) Short and long-term disability Health Spending Account (HSA) Transportation benefits Employee Assistance Program Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type: This is a fully onsite position in Itasca, IL.

Application Deadline: This position is anticipated to close on Oct 9, 2026.