Furnace Operator

Oerlikon; Plymouth Charter Township (MI); On-site; USD 52,000 - 76,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical + Rx

Dental & Vision

Employee assistance

401(k) match

Tuition reimbursement

Paid time off

Paid holidays

Life and disability insurance

Employee referral bonus

Job summary

Oerlikon is seeking a Furnace Operator for its Plymouth, MI facility to safely prepare, melt, and atomize metal powder in a coreless induction furnace. You will load materials, purge with inert gas, monitor temperatures and pour molten metal following precise instructions.

Responsibilities include maintaining records, performing routine maintenance, and ensuring cleanliness. The role requires a High School diploma or technical training, basic mechanical skills, and willingness to work overnight

Qualifications

• High school diploma or vocational technical training.
• Basic mechanical knowledge and ability to perform physical tasks.
• Willingness to work overnight shifts and operate cranes/forklifts.
• Foundry experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Operate and monitor induction melting equipment for gas atomization of nickel/cobalt alloys.
• Measure, weigh and blend raw materials per instructions.
• Clean furnace and atomization tank between alloys.
• Perform routine maintenance and support activities (replace power leads, disassemble tank, install gas delivery).
• Maintain cleanliness of the work area and accurate heat records (start/stop times, gas pressures, temperatures).
• Identify in-process atomized material and transfer to screening area; submit samples to QC per job traveler.
• Perform other duties as required.

Skills

Foundry experience

Basic mechanical knowledge

Basic math skills

Crane and forklift operation

Overnight shift

Lifting and physical tasks

Education

High School diploma or vocational technical training

Job description

Requisition ID105224-Posted10/23/2026-Production/Facility Management

We are looking for a Furnace Operator for our Plymouth, MI facility. In this role you will safely prepare, melt, and atomize metal powder following job instructions. This will include loading the furnace with raw materials, purging down with inert gas, power-up, taking temperatures, inspecting, and pouring the molten metal from a coreless induction furnace.

We offer:

Aside from a dynamic global culture and leading market position, we are proud to offer our employees developmentopportunities, competitive salary and a robust benefit program ALL available on first day of employment!

The perks and benefits of working at Oerlikon include the following:

• Comprehensive medical and prescription drug plan with low premiums, company sponsored HSA contributions and without cumbersome waiting periods to keep you going strong.
• Excellent Dental and Vision coverage.
• Employee Assistance, Financial and Wellness programs to help improve all aspects of your life journey.
• 401(k) retirement savings plan with significant company match and financial planning and education options to help you achieve your retirement goals
• Tuition reimbursement and internal education resources to satisfy your love of learning so you can continue to grow with us!
• Generous paid time off to support your physical and mental wellbeing.
• 12 paid company holidays to occasionally extend your weekends or time off.
• 100% company paid life insurance and disability insurance
• Employee Referral Bonus program because why not to bring your friends to work every day!

Your Responsibilities:

• Operation and monitoring of induction melting equipment used for the gas atomization of nickel and cobalt based alloys
• Measure, weigh, and combine raw materials based on specific instructions
• Clean the furnace and atomization tank between alloys
• Perform routine maintenance andsupport activities (e.g. replacement of power leads,disassembly of atomization tank, installation of gas delivery system).
• Maintain cleanliness of the work area
• Maintain accurate records of heats poured noting characteristics such as start and stop time, gas pressures, temperatures, and melt characteristics
• Responsible for the identification of in-process atomized material,transfer of atomized product to the screening area, and submission of samples to the QC laboratory per instructions on the job traveler
• Performs other duties as required

Your Profile:

• High School diploma or vocational technical training
• Basic mechanical knowledge
• Foundry experience preferred
• Basic math skills and organization ability
• Ability to safely operate cranes and powered industrial vehicles
• Ability to work an overnight shift
• Ability to perform physical tasks, i.e. lifting, bending

Why Oerlikon:

Team Spirit is one of our core values. Collaborating across borders, languages and cultures is key to us delivering results. Supporting our people’s growth and development is a top priority. We believe in the creative power of a team that draws strength from welcoming a broad expanse of knowledge, experience and perspectives.

About us

Oerlikon is a global leader in material science engineering. Through the right combination of surface technologies, advanced materials, coating equipment, engineered components and advanced manufacturing, we help customers improve the performance, efficiency, durability and sustainability of their products and processes. Our technologies are often invisible to the end user, but mission-critical to the industries that power modern life: aerospace, energy, semiconductors, medical, luxury, tooling, automotive and general industries. Headquartered in Pfaeffikon, Switzerland, Oerlikon operates in 38 countries with a global workforce of around 10,000 people. In 2025, Oerlikon achieved sales of CHF 1.6 billion.

Equal Opportunity Employment

Oerlikon is an Equal Opportunity Employer. If you’d like more information on your EEO rights under the law, please click here: Know Your Rights.

If you are unable to complete an application or respond to a job opening because of a disability, please contact us at [e-mail] or [e-mail] . This contact information is for accessibility requests only and is not intended for inquiries about the status of applications or for third-party vendor/agency requests.

Oerlikon will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)

Oerlikon only accepts agency resumes for positions that have been explicitly approved by HR for third-party support. We work exclusively with our approved vendors who have agreed to Oerlikon’s terms and conditions and have an executed contract in place. Any resumes or profiles submitted to Oerlikon employees for roles not approved and requested by HR will be considered unsolicited, and Oerlikon will not be obligated to pay a placement fee.