Plating Tech I

Cooper Machinery Services; Stockdale (TX); On-site; USD 32,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Life and disability coverage

401(k) with company match

Parental leave

EAP for mental health

Job summary

Cooper Machinery Services in Houston is seeking a Plating Technician I to operate tanks, rectifiers, and racks for a precision chrome finish on cylinders used worldwide. No prior plating experience is required; we will train the right person.

You will read meters and temperature gauges, record data, coordinate with the VaporHone team to keep cylinders moving and production flowing on schedule. This hands-on role rewards accuracy, teamwork, and safe operation on a busy shop floor with growth

Qualifications

• High school diploma with 0–1 years of related work experience — we'll train the right person.
• Basic understanding of electrical, hydraulic, and other mechanical systems.
• Hands-on maintenance or technician experience.
• Comfortable operating forklifts, cranes, scissor lifts, and small hand tools.
• Strong grasp of general maintenance processes and methods.
• Excellent manual dexterity and a problem-solver's instinct.
• Clear communicator who can flag repair issues to the right people.
• Physically able to lift 50 pounds and stay on your feet for extended periods.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and plate scheduled cylinders — cleaned, vapor-honed, and defect-free — ready for plating or stripping.
• Follow ICP Standard Operating Procedures for every plating process, including correct use of rectifiers, racks, anodes, and robber rings.
• Match racks, anodes, and cylinders to ICP guidelines to ensure proper plating or stripping every time.
• Record plating data — time, rate, amperage — and complete work tickets accurately.
• Read meters and temperature gauges, making adjustments on the fly to keep processes on spec.
• Coordinate with the VaporHone team to communicate plating needs and keep scheduled cylinders moving.
• Spot capacity constraints or bottlenecks and adjust workload to keep production flowing.
• Load and maintain tanks at optimal capacity for smooth, continuous production.
• Add chromic flake based on lab analysis and monitor tank solution levels, adjusting as needed.

Skills

Electrical basics

Hydraulic systems

Mechanical systems

Manual dexterity

Communication

Education

High school diploma

Tools

Forklift operation

Crane operation

Scissor lift operation

Hand tools

Job description

Since 1833, Cooper Machinery Services has built the engines and compressors that keep the energy industry running. Behind every Cooper-Bessemer™, Ajax™, and Superior™ cylinder that leaves our Houston shop is a plating team that gets the finish exactly right — because in this business, close enough isn't good enough.

As a Plating Technician I, you'll run the tanks, rectifiers, and racks that put a precision chrome finish on cylinders serving more than 22,000 units worldwide. If you like hands-on work where the details matter and the results are visible in every part you touch, this is your shop floor.

What You Will Do

• Prepare and plate scheduled cylinders — cleaned, vapor-honed, and defect-free — ready for plating or stripping.
• Follow ICP Standard Operating Procedures for every plating process, including correct use of rectifiers, racks, anodes, and robber rings.
• Match racks, anodes, and cylinders to ICP guidelines to ensure proper plating or stripping every time.
• Record plating data — time, rate, amperage — and complete work tickets accurately.
• Read meters and temperature gauges, making adjustments on the fly to keep processes on spec.
• Coordinate with the VaporHone team to communicate plating needs and keep scheduled cylinders moving.
• Spot capacity constraints or bottlenecks and adjust workload to keep production flowing.
• Load and maintain tanks at optimal capacity for smooth, continuous production.
• Add chromic flake based on lab analysis and monitor tank solution levels, adjusting as needed.

Who You Are

• High school diploma with 0–1 years of related work experience — we'll train the right person.
• Basic understanding of electrical, hydraulic, and other mechanical systems.
• Hands-on maintenance or technician experience.
• Comfortable operating forklifts, cranes, scissor lifts, and small hand tools.
• Strong grasp of general maintenance processes and methods.
• Excellent manual dexterity and a problem-solver's instinct.
• Clear communicator who can flag repair issues to the right people.
• Physically able to lift 50 pounds and stay on your feet for extended periods.

Preferred

• Prior experience in electroplating, metal finishing, or a related plant process.
• Familiarity with reading technical specs, work tickets, or QA documentation.
• Current certification for forklift, crane, or scissor lift operation.

Why Join Us

• Most benefits start on day one — no waiting period.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Company-paid life, AD&D, short-term, and long-term disability coverage (6-month waiting period for short-term disability).
• Voluntary life, AD&D, and long-term disability buy-up plans.
• Voluntary accident, critical illness, and hospital indemnity insurance.
• 401(k) with up to 5% company match — 100% vested from day one.
• Maternity and parental leave, Arc Fertility Benefits, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for mental health support.

Cooper Machinery Services is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.