We are looking for a Machinist or Industrial Mechanic with experience in power generation or heavy industrial environments. Your primary responsibility will be repairs and reconditioning of power plant equipment. This is not high-volume production machining. It is job shop work with critical tolerances, odd geometries, and components that must return to service and run reliably for years. If you can read a drawing, set up a lathe or mill, and deliver precision under variable demand, this role offers stability and technical challenge.
Company Overview
We are an operating power generation facility not a standalone machine shop. Our maintenance and repair division supports the plant’s continued operation by reconditioning worn components, fabricating replacements for obsolete parts, and performing emergency repairs when failures occur.
This environment is different from a job shop or tool room. You are part of the plant’s reliability strategy. The parts you machine go back into pumps, valves, turbines, and auxiliary systems that run 24/7. Safety protocols are stringent. Downtime is expensive. Precision is mandatory. If you are a machinist who enjoys problem-solving, working from sketches and CAD models, and seeing your work directly contribute to plant availability, you will find this role deeply satisfying.
Key Responsibilities
- Execute machining and reconditioning work on power plant components including pump shafts, valve stems, bearing housings, coupling hubs, flanges, and specialty fasteners.
- Interpret engineering drawings, blueprints, sketches, and CAD models to determine machining sequence, stock removal, tolerances, and surface finish requirements.
- Operate manual and/or CNC lathes, vertical and horizontal milling machines, surface grinders, and drill presses to produce precision components.
- Select appropriate cutting tools, speeds, feeds, and coolants for various materials including carbon steel, stainless steel, alloy steels, and non-ferrous metals.
- Perform precision measurements using micrometers, vernier callipers, bore gauges, thread gauges, and surface roughness comparators.
- Set up workpieces using chucks, collets, faceplates, vices, and fixtures, ensuring proper alignment and rigid support.
- Recondition worn components through build-up welding, machining back to standard, or manufacturing oversized/undersized replacement parts.
- Conduct in-process and final inspections to verify dimensional compliance and surface finish quality.
- Maintain industrial machines and tooling in good operating condition, performing routine cleaning, lubrication, and minor adjustments.
- Adhere strictly to plant safety protocols, including lockout/tagout, hot work permits, confined space entry procedures, and proper use of PPE.
- Document work completed, including materials used, machining times, and as-built dimensions for maintenance records.
- Collaborate with maintenance planners, engineers, and operations staff to prioritize work and communicate completion status.
- Identify opportunities for process improvement in repair methods, tooling selection, or setup efficiency.
Qualifications
Required:
- Trade certification as a Machinist, Industrial Mechanic, or equivalent recognized qualification.
- Demonstrated experience in machining and reconditioning work within a power plant, heavy industrial, or similar maintenance environment.
- Proficient in reading and interpreting engineering drawings, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T), and technical specifications.
- Competent operation of manual lathes and milling machines; CNC experience is an asset but not mandatory.
- Strong knowledge of cutting tool geometries, speeds and feeds calculations, and appropriate coolant applications.
- Precision measurement skills using standard and specialized inspection instruments.
- Understanding of fit classifications, surface finish requirements, and thread forms.
- Physically capable of standing for extended periods, lifting components up to 20 kilograms, and working in industrial plant conditions.
- Commitment to safety protocols and adherence to plant operating procedures.
Preferred:
- Experience with hard facing, chrome plating removal reapplication, or thermal spray coating reconditioning techniques.
- Familiarity with power plant equipment types pumps, valves, turbines, compressors, fans.
- Ability to work from CAD models or create simple sketches for reverse-engineered components.
- Experience with portable machining equipment (line boring, flange facers) for on-site repairs.
- Knowledge of non-destructive examination methods (dye penetrant, magnetic particle) for component inspection.
Benefits and Perks
- Stable, long-term employment within a critical infrastructure sector. Power plants do not relocate and do not shut down.
- Technical variety. You are not running production batches. Every repair job presents different challenges and requires different solutions.
- Purpose-driven work. The component you machine today keeps the lights on tomorrow. Your skill directly contributes to plant reliability.
- Respect for the trade. We understand the difference between a parts changer and a precision machinist and we value the latter.
- Safe, well-maintained work environment with proper equipment, tooling, and lighting.
- Opportunity to work across multiple machine types lathes, mills, grinders, and portable equipment.
- A starting wage of $28.91 per hour.
- Collaborative culture. You will work alongside engineers, planners, and fellow tradespeople who respect technical expertise.
- Competitive compensation commensurate with certification, experience, and demonstrated capability.
How to Apply
If you are a qualified machinist or industrial mechanic with experience in power generation or heavy industrial repair, we encourage you to apply.
Please submit your resume and copies of your trade certification(s) through the application portal or contact details provided in the job posting. In your cover letter or email, briefly describe your experience with repair machining, the types of equipment you have worked on, and your familiarity with power plant components.
Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for a technical interview and, where applicable, a practical skills assessment. Be prepared to discuss your approach to reconditioning worn components, your experience reading engineering drawings, and your commitment to working safely in an industrial environment.