Electroplating Laboratory Shift Leader - Metal Processing

Job Description

Job Description

Job Posting: Electroplating Laboratory Shift Leader

Company: Entech Staffing Solutions

Location: Detroit, MI area

Position Type: Full-Time, Hourly (Direct Hire)

Pay Rate: $25.00 $30.00/hour (commensurate with experience) + Profit Sharing

Shifts Available: 1st Shift (7:00 AM 3:00 PM), 2nd Shift (3:00 PM 11:00 PM), & 3rd Shift (11:00 PM 7:00 AM)

Note: All new hires will undergo comprehensive onboarding and training on the 1st shift before transitioning to their permanent off-shift schedule.

Why Join Our Team?

The laboratory is the backbone of our partner's plating operation. Every analysis directly impacts product quality, process capability, and customer satisfaction. As an Electroplating Laboratory Shift Leader, you will not just run testsyou will own the chemistry, lead a dedicated team, and have a direct hand in the plant's operational success. We provide hands-on training, modern analytical equipment, and a clear path for professional growth in a stable, thriving manufacturing environment.

Position Summary

Entech Staffing Solutions is seeking an experienced, hands-on Electroplating Laboratory Shift Leader to provide technical ownership and leadership for a premier plating process laboratory.

This is a working leadership position . You will lead laboratory technicians, oversee chemical testing and additions, and take direct responsibility for laboratory performance during your assigned shift. The successful candidate must be capable of independently performing wet chemistry testing, titrations, Atomic Absorption (AA) analysis, and chemical calculations while troubleshooting processes on the fly.

We are currently hiring three Shift Leaders to ensure seamless, high-standard laboratory coverage across all three production shifts (1st, 2nd, and 3rd).

Key Responsibilities Laboratory Performance & Shift Ownership

• Take direct ownership of laboratory performance, safety, and compliance during your assigned shift.

• Ensure all required process tanks are sampled, analyzed, and recorded at the established frequencies.

• Confirm chemical results remain within approved operating ranges; calculate, verify, and promptly execute required chemical additions.

• Lead effective shift handoffs (reviewing open chemistry concerns, out-of-range tanks, pending additions, and equipment issues) to maintain operational continuity.

• Prevent plating lines from operating with overdue testing or unresolved out-of-range chemistry unless formally authorized.

Team Leadership & Training

• Lead, coach, and hold laboratory technicians accountable for testing accuracy, timeliness, safety, and documentation.

• Assign daily laboratory responsibilities and establish testing priorities based on production needs and process risks.

• Train technicians on titrations, AA spectrometer operation, sampling methods, and safety protocols; verify competency before authorizing independent work.

Analytical & Technical Hands-On Work

• Perform and oversee volumetric titrations, pH testing, conductivity testing, and other wet chemistry analyses.

• Operate, calibrate, and maintain Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (or comparable) equipment.

• Review analytical results for accuracy, identify chemistry drift, and calculate precise chemical additions based on tank volumes and approved procedures.

• Oversee the safe preparation and addition of chemicals to electroplating process tanks.

Production & Quality Support

• Serve as the primary laboratory contact for production personnel during your shift.

• Support troubleshooting of plating defects and participate in chemistry-related nonconformance investigations.

• Partner with Operations and Quality to determine containment, corrective actions, and process adjustments.

• Support plating line startups, bath rebuilds, new chemical makeups, and process validations.

What Success Looks Like

Our Laboratory Shift Leaders jointly own overall plating laboratory performance. Success in this role is measured by:

• Jointly reducing waste process chemistry by at least 10% through tighter analytical control and improved bath management.

• Reducing process chemistry-related nonconformances by at least 20% .

• Successfully developing laboratory technicians to independently perform analyses and approved chemical additions.

• Consistently completing required process testing on schedule, minimizing overdue tests.

Qualifications Minimum Qualifications:

• Experience: Minimum of 5 years of experience in an industrial laboratory, chemical process, metal finishing, or electroplating environment.

• Leadership: Prior experience leading, supervising, or directing laboratory technicians/personnel.

• Technical Skills: Proven experience performing wet chemistry analyses, volumetric titrations, and operating Atomic Absorption (AA), ICP, or comparable analytical equipment.

• Math & Chemistry: Strong capability to calculate chemical additions and interpret analytical results to determine corrective actions.

• Environment: Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, production-focused industrial environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior electroplating, metal finishing, or plating laboratory experience is highly preferred.

• Specific experience controlling zinc-nickel , zinc chloride, alkaline zinc, tin, phosphate, chromate, cleaners, or acids.

• Knowledge of Statistical Process Control (SPC), process capability, and data trending.

• Experience supporting root cause investigations (ISO 9001 or IATF 16949 quality systems).

Training & Shift Structure Details

• Initial Onboarding & Training: To ensure your success and safety, training must be completed on the 1st shift (Monday Friday, 40 hours/week). This paired, supervised training ensures no critical elements are omitted before you transition to working independently.

• Off-Shift Transition: Upon successful completion of training on the day shift, team members will transition to their permanent 2nd or 3rd shift schedules. Off-shift leaders must be comfortable making independent, timely decisions regarding process risks, testing, and escalation when management oversight is limited.

Benefits & Compensation

• Competitive Hourly Wage: $25.00 $30.00/hour (dependent on experience)

• Bonus: Profit Sharing program

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

• 401(k) with company match

• Paid vacation and holidays

• Company-paid training and career advancement opportunities

• Direct Hire opportunity with a stable, growing manufacturer

  Apply now!

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PandoLogic. Keywords: Chemical Technician, Location: Detroit, MI - 48207 , PL: 603860215