Sustaining Engineer

Sustaining Technician

Client: Lincoln Electric

Location: Euclid, OH (Onsite 5 days/week)

Structure: Contract-to-Hire

Pay: $25-45/hr (pay dependent on experience)

About the Client

Our client is a leading manufacturer of arc welding and plasma cutting equipment, producing a broad range of systems from commercial plug-in machines to engine-driven portable welding sources. Their products are used across industrial, commercial, and field applications worldwide.

About the Role

The Sustaining Engineering Technician sits within a newly formed Sustaining Engineering group inside R&D — built specifically to own products post-launch. Once New Product Development (NPD) hands a product off to production, this team is responsible for catching and resolving anything that goes sideways on the floor.

What sets this group apart from traditional QA-side troubleshooting is direct embedding with NPD during new product development. Technicians build hands-on familiarity with equipment before it ever reaches the production floor — that cross-pollination is a core expectation of the role, and what makes the team significantly more effective when something breaks.

Job Description – Duties & Responsibilities

Production Support

• Troubleshoot and resolve advanced technical issues on the production floor, with ownership of outcomes.
• Track and resolve First Pass Yield (FPY) failures; surface non-design-related issues through established continuous improvement processes.
• Collect and catalog electrical measurement data from PC boards and field failure returns; monitor corrective actions post-implementation to verify effectiveness.
• Review non-conforming components for root cause and recommend corrective actions.
• Partner with cross-functional teams (Quality, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Service) to resolve operational challenges and minimize production disruptions.
• Support component obsolescence by testing and qualifying alternate components in a timely manner.
• Engage with NPD teams on an ongoing basis to build product knowledge as new equipment is introduced — this cross-pollination is a core expectation of the role.
• Performs all other duties as assigned.

Design Optimization & Validation

• Test design changes to verify product performance, durability, and compliance with specifications.
• Build and modify functional prototypes in the lab as directed by engineers.
• Identify cost reduction opportunities through design optimization, material changes, or manufacturing process improvements.

Experience, Skills and Abilities Needed

Required:

• Level II: Vocational/trade school training plus 3 years of relevant experience — OR — GED plus 5 years of relevant experience.
• Level III: Vocational/trade school training plus 5 years of relevant experience — OR — GED plus 7 years of relevant experience — OR — Associate’s degree in a related field.
• Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics and prints.
• Basic digital multimeter (DMM) proficiency.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to author clear, accurate technical documentation.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to manage a constantly changing set of priorities.
• Ability to perform hands-on work in a production and lab environment.

Preferred:

• Oscilloscope use and PC board electrical measurement experience.
• Background in electronics, electrical engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Experience in a manufacturing or production floor environment.
• Familiarity with arc welding, plasma cutting, or engine-driven power systems.
• Experience with root cause analysis and structured problem-solving methodologies.

Other:

• Comfortable working through live production failures independently and connecting findings back to design.
• Able to collect and catalog data with precision in support of engineering root cause analysis.
• Collaborative and communicative across teams — from production operators to R&D engineers.
• Receptive to feedback and able to adapt approach based on evolving priorities.