Senior Manufacturing Engineer– Fabrication & Welding

Senior Manufacturing Engineer – Fabrication & Welding

Location: Hazel Crest, IL – Greater Chicago

Company: The Lanco Group of Companies

Products: Industrial Equipment (IEM) Division – Carry Deck Cranes, RTG Cranes, and Forklifts

Focus: Large steel fabrication, advanced welding and facility start‑up

Reports to: Director of Quality

Compensation: Salary, Bonus Eligibility, and Attractive Benefits

Relocation: Yes, Available

Type: Onsite & Full‑time

Websites:  

Company Overview:
Lanco is a private, family‑owned enterprise with over 70 years of experience, strong core values, a collaborative culture, and a global footprint in industrial equipment manufacturing.

As we expand, we are seeking a Senior Manufacturing Engineer to lead the fabrication and welding strategy and implementation at our state‑of‑the‑art brownfield site in Hazel Crest, IL. The role is critical to scaling the production of massive steel structures, ensuring that our next‑generation products meet the highest standards of quality and efficiency.

• Facility Start‑Up & Brownfield Integration:
  Lead the manufacturing launch of a new, state‑of‑the‑art site and transform the brownfield facility into a production hub for massive structural weldments.
• Equipment Acquisition & Integration:
  Identify, specify, and integrate heavy‑duty manufacturing equipment, including large‑scale plasma and laser cutting systems, press brakes, welding stations (MIG/TIG) manual and robotic, and CNC machining centers.
• Process Design & Implementation:
  Develop and optimize production flows for massive steel components; design workstations and material handling processes.
• New Product Introduction (NPI):
  Partner with the engineering team to transition from design to full‑scale production, ensuring manufacturability (DFM).
• Technical Documentation:
  Create and maintain work instructions, welding procedure specifications (WPS), and manufacturing BOMS to ensure repeatable, high‑quality output.
• Quality & Compliance:
  Establish robust quality control processes for welding and fabrication to ensure compliance with AWS and ISO standards.
• Lean & Continuous Improvement:
  Drive operational excellence using Lean manufacturing principles, focusing on reducing cycle times and eliminating waste.
• Multi‑Site Technical Leadership:
  Serve as the subject‑matter expert and technical lead for fabrication and welding processes across other sites in Tennessee, Kansas, and Canada.

• 5‑10+ years of Engineering experience in heavy equipment or automotive, including manufacturing, industrial, mechanical design, process, tooling, etc.
• 3‑5+ years of specialized Heavy Structural Steel Fabrication & Welding processes within Manufacturing Engineering, including:
  • Facility commissioning
  • Capital equipment acquisition per the above
  • Process design and optimization
• Implementation of Lean & CI with improved business metric results, such as metrics, goals, root cause problem solving, visual daily management, VSM, 6S, kaizen, safety, quality, delivery, cost, and inventory.
• Education:
  
  Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering – Manufacturing, Industrial, or Mechanical.
• Travel: 10‑15% to other manufacturing sites, suppliers, customers.
• Technical
  
  Skills:
  
  ERP systems for routing and BOM management, data analysis (Excel, Power BI), proficiency in 3D CAD software and 2D CAD plant layout.
• Soft Skills:
  
  Project management, problem‑solving, and communication.
• Physical:
  Ability to work on the shop floor for extended periods and lift 50 lbs.
• Preferred:
  Experience at leading industry companies such as Caterpillar, John Deere, Toyota, Ford, GM, etc.

We offer a competitive pay package, paid time off, comprehensive benefits—including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and a 401(k) plan—and bonus eligibility. Compensation may vary based on experience, education, skills, and location.

Lanco is an equal opportunity employer. All employment‑related decisions, including but not limited to hiring, compensation, promotion, discipline (including termination), evaluation, training and development opportunities, etc., are made without discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender‑related identity, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, religion, age, military status, protected disability, citizenship, genetic information, or any other category protected by applicable law.