Lead Automation Maintenance Technician – Allen-Bradley / Siemens PLCs

True North Consultants, Inc.; Brown Deer (WI); On-site; USD 43,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

True North Consultants, Inc. is seeking a Lead Automation Maintenance Technician to support Allen-Bradley and Siemens PLCs in a high-tech manufacturing setting near Milwaukee, WI.

The role offers shifts across first, second, or third, with compensation up to $38/hour plus bonuses and comprehensive benefits. Ideal candidates will have 3+ years of hands-on maintenance, strong PLC diagnostic skills, and the ability to read schematics.

Qualifications

• 3+ years hands-on maintenance in high-speed production or heavy automation.
• Familiar with PLC environments, I/O monitoring, and fault tracing.
• Ability to read electrical schematics and mechanical drawings without hand-holding.
• Proven history of steady employment, attendance, and safety focus.
• Residence within a 45-minute drive of Greater Milwaukee, WI.
• Must be a US citizen or lawful permanent resident.

Responsibilities

• Diagnose automated production lines with real-time mechanical, electrical, and pneumatic diagnostics.
• Interface with Allen-Bradley or Siemens PLCs to trace faults and clear line stoppages.
• Read electrical schematics and blueprints to perform emergencies and preventative maintenance.
• Maintain and service fluid power systems including pneumatic valves and cylinders.
• Work with 480V power systems, motors, VFDs, sensors and control circuits.
• Perform light fabrication and welding to modify or repair equipment.

Skills

Industrial maintenance

PLC troubleshooting

Electrical schematics

Tenure & reliability

Local commute

Legal authorization

Job description

Lead Automation Maintenance Technician - Allen-Bradley / Siemens PLCs

Up to $38.00/Hour + Shift Differentials Greater Milwaukee, WI All Shifts Available Direct-Hire

• Compensation & Earnings: Up to $38.00/hour starting rate (scaling directly with technical depth) + competitive shift differentials + multiple corporate performance bonuses throughout the year + full comprehensive benefits package.
• Work Schedule & Choice: Choice of traditional shifts (Monday - Friday): 1st Shift (7:00 AM - 3:00 PM), 2nd Shift (3:00 PM - 11:00 PM), or 3rd Shift (11:00 PM - 7:00 AM).
• Work Environment & Culture: High-tech, collaborative manufacturing facility in Greater Milwaukee; high-autonomy, non-micromanaged shop floor culture built on technical respect.
• Core Technical Scope: 3+ years of hands-on industrial equipment maintenance; Allen-Bradley or Siemens PLC fault-tracing; robotics; AC/DC electrical up to 480V; VFDs; pneumatics; electrical/mechanical schematic tracing.
• Company Stability & Culture: Established market leader known for long-tenured employees, heavy reinvestment, exceptional employee appreciation, profit sharing, and zero-layoff history.
• Strict Requirements: U.S. Citizenship or Permanent Residency (Green Card); local commute within a comfortable 45-minute daily drive of Greater Milwaukee, WI.

If you are an industrial maintenance professional looking for a stable, high-autonomy career home where your trade skills are respected and micromanagement is left at the door, this is your ideal destination. Operating out of a premier manufacturing facility in the Greater Milwaukee area, this market leader has built a reputation for being genuinely employee-friendly, collaborative, and financially rock-solid.

This role provides a rare opportunity to secure the exact work schedule that fits your life, with openings actively available across all three traditional Monday-through-Friday shifts. You won't just be swapping parts; you will take true technical ownership of complex automation lines, advanced robotic cells, and high-speed processing machinery. Backed by regular profit sharing, performance bonuses, and a history of zero layoffs, this is an environment where technicians regularly plant roots and stay for decades.

What You Will Be Doing (Daily Responsibilities)

• Diagnose Automated Production Lines: Execute real-time mechanical, electrical, and pneumatic diagnostics to keep automated machinery, processing lines, and robotic cells running at peak efficiency.
• Navigate PLC Logic & Controls: Interface directly with Allen-Bradley or Siemens PLCs to trace input/output faults, isolate software/hardware errors, and clear production line stoppages.
• Trace Schematics & Drawings: Utilize complex electrical blueprints, ladder logic, and mechanical drawings to perform emergency breakdown repairs and structured preventative maintenance sequences.
• Maintain Fluid Power Systems: Service, rebuild, and optimize heavy-duty pneumatic valves, cylinders, regulators, and distribution lines.
• Service AC/DC Drives & Power Distribution: Work safely with industrial power systems up to 480V, electric motors, variable frequency drives (VFDs), sensors, and low-voltage control circuits.
• Execute Machinery Fabrication: Perform light structural welding, torching, and metal fabrication to adapt, modify, or repair production equipment components.

What We Are Looking For (Requirements & Qualifications)

• 3+ Years Industrial Maintenance Depth: Verifiable hands-on track record servicing and repairing high-speed production machinery, custom automation, or heavy industrial equipment.
• Automation & PLC Diagnostic Skills: Demonstrated familiarity working around automated equipment, including basic navigation, I/O monitoring, and error tracing in PLC environments.
• Schematic & Electrical Literacy: Proficiency reading electrical schematics, mechanical blueprints, and hydraulic/pneumatic fluid power diagrams without hand-holding.
• Proven Tenure & Reliability: Solid, stable work history showing strong daily attendance, safety dedication, and long-term commitment with previous employers.
• Local Commute: Residence within a comfortable 45-minute daily drive of the Greater Milwaukee, WI area.
• Compliance & Legal Authorization: Must be a United States Citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident (Green Card holder).

Preferred Technical Assets (Bonus Skills)

• Industrial Robotics: Hands-on experience with FANUC, ABB, or Yaskawa robotic arms, teach pendants, or end-of-arm tooling (EOAT).
• Fabrication & Welding: Welding certifications or strong proficiency in MIG/TIG welding for shop equipment modifications.
• Predictive Maintenance: Exposure to thermal imaging, vibration analysis, or computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS).