Furnace Melt Operator – High-Pressure Aluminum Foundry (1st Shift)
Up to $31.00/hr ($64,480/yr) • Cedarburg, WI Area • 1st Shift (6:00 AM – 2:15 PM) • Direct-Hire
- Pay & Incentives: Starting pay up to $31.00/hr ($64,480/yr baseline depending on experience) + pay-for-performance bonus opportunities, 401(k) with company match, full health/dental benefits, and opportunities to earn additional hours of bonus PTO per year for strong attendance.
- Work Pattern/Schedule: Dedicated 1st Shift schedule (6:00 AM – 2:15 PM, Monday – Friday) providing convenient daytime routine stability.
- Environment & Company Profile: Direct-hire seat with one of North America's largest independent die casting manufacturers; ISO-certified facility featuring exceptional stability (40% employee tenure over 10+ years) and premier tier-one OEM partnerships.
- Core Functional Scope: Operate and maintain industrial melting furnaces, charge raw materials (ingots, sows, internal scrap), skim molten metal, and pull lab samples to ensure exact alloy quality for high-pressure aluminum die-casting operations.
- Strict Requirements & Authorization: Requires strict job stability (minimum 2+ years per employer), foundry or heavy manufacturing melt/furnace experience, mobile equipment proficiency, US work authorization, and a local commute within 45 minutes of Cedarburg, WI.
A premier, North American market leader in high-precision die casting is seeking a reliable Furnace Melt Operator to support 1st shift foundry operations. Responsible for tapping, charging, and skimming melting furnaces, this seat is vital for providing continuous, high-quality molten metal to high-pressure aluminum die-casting cells.
Joining an ISO-certified facility where 40% of the team boasts over a decade of tenure, this direct-hire position offers excellent hourly compensation, long-term stability, strong 401(k) matching, and structured career development paths in an employee-centric workplace.
What You Will Be Doing (Daily Responsibilities)
- Operate & Charge Furnaces: Set up, load, and operate industrial melting furnaces with raw ingot, sows, and internal scrap metal according to strict melt specifications.
- Tap & Skim Molten Metal: Tap furnaces as directed by leadership and skim impurities from molten metal, taking care to maintain strict temperature and cleanliness standards.
- Pull Samples for Quality Analysis: Remove liquid metal samples, label them, and submit them to the metallurgy lab for chemical composition testing and alloy verification.
- Perform Basic Furnace Maintenance: Clean furnaces, burner wells, and metal transfer equipment; perform basic mechanical troubleshooting and preventative maintenance work orders.
- Operate Material Handling Equipment: Safely operate powered industrial forklift trucks and overhead electric hoists to transport ingots, sows, containers, and finished product.
- Track Production & Documentation: Count, weigh, and record material quantities moved on daily production logs while maintaining accurate attendance and quality reporting.
- Enforce Safety & 5S Standards: Follow all OSHA safety rules, strict Lockout/Tagout protocols, proper PPE requirements for hot metal environments, and 5S workplace organization.
What We Are Looking For (Requirements & Qualifications)
- Job Stability Required: Demonstrated career stability with a strict requirement of at least 2+ years of tenure at each previous employer.
- Foundry/Melt Operations Background: Prior experience operating industrial furnaces, melting aluminum/zinc/magnesium alloys, or working in a heavy industrial foundry/metalworking environment.
- Mechanical & Math Skills: Solid mechanical aptitude, basic math proficiency for weighing and counting materials, and the ability to operate material handling equipment.
- Commutable Radius: Must reside within a 45-minute maximum commute of the Cedarburg / Greater Milwaukee, WI area.
- Education & Authorization: High School Diploma or GED required; must be fully authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.
Preferred Technical Assets (Bonus Skills)
- Die Cast & Mold Theory: Working knowledge of high-pressure aluminum die-casting processes, vacuum systems, or molten metal thermal management.
- Quality Systems Knowledge: Experience operating within ISO/TS or IATF 16949 quality systems and applying 5S methodology on the shop floor.
- Forklift & Hoist Certification: Hands-on experience operating heavy-capacity forklifts, overhead bridge cranes, or specialized ladle hoists.
