Lead Mechanic - Custom

Skyline Windows is a fourth-generation, family-owned and operated business and one of the premier custom window manufacturers in the United States, employing over 350 people. We design, manufacture, install, and service custom windows, window wall systems, and terrace doors — all made to order to our clients’ project specifications.

For four generations we have installed windows across New York City — landmarks and historic properties, new construction, high-end residential, and high-volume commercial. Our products and designs meet the most exacting standards of architects, engineers, construction management firms, and building ownership.

Who We Are Looking For

We are looking for well-rounded window mechanics who already know the trade. If you can rip out an existing opening, set and install the new unit, and finish it out clean and watertight, we want to hear from you. You should also be comfortable reading a shop drawing, shooting and setting benchmarks with a laser, and working safely at elevation on an active construction site.

If you can also run a crew, hold a schedule, and be the point of contact on a building, then we encourage you to apply for the Lead Mechanic position.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Removal & Installation

• Perform full window and terrace door removals — brick-to-brick rip-outs on occupied, landmark, and active construction sites.
• Install replacement and new-construction units: double hung, casement, slider, tilt-and-turn, window wall, receptors, and terrace doors.
• Level, shim, plumb, and square openings to tolerance; anchor per approved details.
• Set up and shoot benchmarks and control lines with a laser level; transfer lines floor to floor and verify against the drawings.
• Glaze windows; install locks and hardware on window and door frames.
• Cut and fit capping, angles, tubes, panels, panning, and other extrusions; complete trimming of panning.

Finish & Weatherproofing

• Caulk and silicone frames, perimeters, and joints to a clean, finished, watertight condition — correct backer rod, joint prep, tooling, and material selection.
• Cap and trim out openings so the finished work is presentable to a homeowner or building owner.
• Perform adjustments, troubleshooting, and repair; correct punch-list and warranty items to the customer’s satisfaction.

Drawings, Planning & Paperwork

• Read and work from approved shop drawings, elevations, and installation details — identify field notes, detail flags, and conditions that don’t match the field before starting.
• Set up material and plan the next day’s work to ensure the crew starts productive.
• Complete all orders and daily reports accurately and on time.

Safety & Site

• Perform all duties in accordance with OSHA and NYC DOB standards; remain alert to unsafe conditions and stop work when something isn’t right.
• Proper use of fall protection, staging, and PPE when working at elevation.
• Load and unload materials from the truck onto the work site.
• Keep company tools in good working order.
• Protect the customer’s space; responsible for cleanup inside and outside of every job location.
• Represent Skyline professionally with tenants, building staff, GCs, and ownership.

Lead Mechanic Responsibilities

• Run a crew of 2–6 mechanics on a building or a full job; assign work and hold the daily production schedule.
• Serve as the on-site point of contact for the supervisor, general contractor, building staff, and ownership.
• Walk and verify openings against the approved drawings before the crew starts; flag discrepancies and field conditions early.
• Own layout — establish benchmarks and control lines and confirm the crew is working to them.
• Coordinate material deliveries, hoisting, and staging; confirm the right material is on the floor for the next day.
• Enforce safety on the crew and hold quality on rip-out, install, and caulking before an opening is called complete.
• Train and develop less experienced mechanics — a bonus is available when a mechanic you mentor is successfully promoted to Lead Mechanic.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated hands-on experience removing and installing windows — window wall, receptors, retrofit, and replacement work.
• Familiar with commercial and residential window types (double hung, casement, slider, tilt-and-turn, terrace doors) and their hardware systems.
• Proven caulking and weatherproofing ability — clean, finished, watertight joints.
• Able to read shop drawings and detailed work orders.
• Experience setting benchmarks and layout with a laser level.
• Working knowledge of hand and power tools — hammer, pry bar, chisel, pinch bar, hack saw, lump hammer, and other rip-out tools.
• Strong safety awareness and a clean work ethic.
• Able to work in a collaborative manner with a partner and with multiple crews.
• Professional, courteous, and customer-service oriented — much of our work is in occupied homes and buildings.
• Good communication skills to raise problems and ask questions early.

Experience, Education & Certification

• High School Diploma or GED required.
• Prior experience with glass and aluminum windows and crew leadership
• NYC DOB 40-Hour Site Safety Training (SST) card required; 62-Hour SST Supervisor card required for Lead Mechanics.
• Valid OSHA safety training cards required.
• Own hand tools required.
• Candidates with mechanical, construction, or carpentry backgrounds and strong window experience are encouraged to apply.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift, pull, push, and carry up to 75 lbs, multiple times daily.
• Ability to stand for extended periods on a consistent basis.
• Ability to bend and squat on a consistent daily basis.
• Ability to walk stairs and ramps multiple times daily.
• Ability to work on an open construction site, which may include high elevation.
• Must be able to work in all five boroughs.

Compensation and Benefits

• Competitive compensation based upon a 37.5 hour work week with OT as available.
• Represented by Local 522, Teamsters — benefits provided per union contract.
• Tool Reimbursement Program.
• Steady, year-round work with a company that has been building in New York for four generations.

Skyline Windows is an equal opportunity employer.