Lead Production Technician

Lead Production Technician

Job Responsibilities:

- Adhere to all safety procedures and promote a strong safety culture while maintaining good housekeeping standards.

- Serve as the lead technician on the production floor, responsible for coordinating and overseeing the daily activities of the production team while remaining actively engaged in hands-on production work.

- Perform assigned job duties in accordance with all written work instructions, procedures, and quality requirements.

- Safely operate and maintain tools and equipment used for Thermal Spray applications.

- Provide technical guidance, on-the-job support, and mentoring to production technicians to ensure proper execution of tasks and adherence to standards.

- Assist with daily work assignments, workflow coordination, and task prioritization to meet production targets.

- Maintain quality control procedures and required documentation; ensure team compliance with visual quality and performance criteria.

- Respond to tool alarms or non-standard conditions per work instructions and escalate issues that cannot be resolved immediately.

- Perform and oversee preventive maintenance inspections and services on machines and support equipment.

- Thoroughly clean machines and machine parts, removing and reinstalling parts as necessary.

- Oil and lubricate moving parts to ensure effective machine performance.

- Record and report damaged, worn, or broken parts; assist with identifying root causes of equipment issues.

- Order, install, and verify replacement parts for machines as needed.

- Identify causes of unexpected machine breakdowns and support timely, efficient repairs.

- Ensure effective communication across shifts and foster teamwork, accountability, and engagement within the production team.

- Ensure waste materials are discarded in designated containers and containers are properly sealed.

- Collect, review, and report data related to daily tool and production performance.

- Perform all assigned preventive maintenance (PMs) on Thermal Spray and support equipment.

- Work independently at times without direct supervision while remaining accountable for team performance, quality, and safety targets.

- Support training of new hires and cross-training of team members.

- Serve as a point of contact between production technicians and leadership regarding daily operations, issues, and improvement opportunities.

- Other duties as assigned.

No regular travel is required outside of Vital’s work site.

Experience & Qualifications:

- High School Diploma or GED required.

- Driver’s License or State-issued ID.

- Demonstrated experience as a production technician or similar role; prior informal or formal lead experience preferred.

- Strong mechanical aptitude with effective troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.

- Organized with strong attention to detail.

- Safety-first mindset with the ability to influence safe behaviors in others.

- Basic math skills.

- Ability to work effectively in a team-oriented, fast-paced environment.

- Ability to use hand tools and perform mechanical tasks.

- Understanding of visual quality criteria and performance target requirements for certified areas.

- Ability to clearly communicate expectations, issues, and performance targets to team members.

- Good written and verbal communication skills.

- Ability to use mobile systems, communication devices, and simple tool interfaces.

- Fundamental computer application knowledge.

- Ability to obtain and maintain forklift certification as required.

Location:

Bowling Green, Ohio

Working Conditions and Physical Demands:

- Ability to sit, stand, or walk short distances for the duration of the shift.

- Occasional stair climbing.

- Ability to lift up to 50 pounds.

- Must be able to visually inspect machines and equipment.

- Frequent use of hands to grasp, lift, handle, carry, or feel objects.

- Frequent reaching above shoulder height and below the waist.

- Occasional stooping, kneeling, or bending.

- Must comply with all safety standards and procedures.

- Ability to wear required personal protective equipment (PPE), including but not limited to steel-toed shoes, cut-resistant gloves, jackets, aprons and/or arm guards, safety glasses, and hearing protection.

- All technicians working on the production floor may be required to wear a respirator at any time; the ability to wear a respirator is a condition of employment and continued employment (requires little or no facial hair).

- Temperature fluctuations may occur due to heat or cold conditions in the building.

Additional Information:

Potential candidates must meet the education and experience requirements and demonstrate the ability to successfully perform the responsibilities of this role. All offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of a background check, pre-employment drug screen, and any additional testing required for the position.

About Vital: Vital Materials is a global materials technology and equipment company. Established in 1995 in China, Vital Materials has vertically integrated industrial and commercial operations located in North and South America (Head Office in US), Europe (Head Office in Belgium), and Asia (Head Office in China) with over 6,000 employees worldwide. Vital Materials evolved rapidly since our founding, yet we remain focused in the areas of rare-metals-based advanced materials and resource recycling. We are the world's leading manufacturer of selenium and tellurium products as well as being a key producer of gallium, indium, germanium, bismuth, and cadmium products for diverse end markets and hi-tech applications including semiconductors, displays, electronics, photovoltaics, LED, infrared materials, acousto-optics, thermoelectrics, photosensors, radiation detectors, pharmaceuticals, feed additives, glass, ceramics, and metallurgy. In addition, we produce custom manufacturing equipment for many industries like the energy, semiconductor, and automotive industry just to name a few. Vital's persistent emphasis in R&D supports our endless efforts in quality excellence and our continuous development on clean technologies. This enables us to fulfill our motto, "Working for a better world", and continue growing as a responsible and sustainable materials technology group.