Job Description

Overview

Zekelman Industries is a family of companies and the largest independent steel pipe and tube manufacturer in North America, with a legacy dating back to 1877. As a Production Material Handler, you will support production by safely handling raw materials and finished products while maintaining continuous material flow throughout the facility.

Responsibilities

  • Perform all duties in accordance with company safety policies and immediately report unsafe conditions.
  • Operate overhead cranes to unload master coils from trucks, stage materials, and transport slit coils to storage locations.
  • Work from rolling schedules and SAP to ensure the proper master coils and slit coils are available for the slitter and mill.
  • Load and unload raw materials and finished products safely and efficiently.
  • Communicate with mill personnel to maintain continuous production flow.
  • Perform daily inspections of cranes and other assigned equipment.
  • Report equipment irregularities or malfunctions to management and maintenance in a timely manner.
  • Maintain proper inventory levels of production materials.
  • Support other production team members and assist with additional operational tasks as needed.
  • Maintain clean, organized, and safe work areas through proper housekeeping practices.
  • Participate in training and cross-training activities to support workforce flexibility.
  • Perform preventive maintenance (PM) activities as assigned.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.
  • Maintain regular, full-time, predictable onsite attendance.

Requirements

  • High school diploma or equivalent required.
  • Associate degree, Bachelor's degree, or Trade Certification preferred.
  • 5+ years of manufacturing experience preferred.
  • Strong mechanical aptitude.
  • Basic math skills.
  • Good communication and interpersonal skills.
  • Experience using precision measuring instruments such as micrometers and calipers preferred.
  • Ability to read production schedules and work instructions.
  • Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
  • Ability to work independently while contributing effectively to a team environment.
  • Commitment to maintaining a safe and productive workplace.
  • Overhead Crane Certification required (or ability to obtain certification as required by company policy).

Benefits

  • 401k
  • Health Insurance
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • PTO

Additional Information

  • Shift: Midnight - 11pm - 7am

Benefits

401k
Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
PTO

How this job compares in Chicago, IL

Pay in context

At roughly $27/hr, this posting comes in about 30% below the $38/hr median for welding jobs in Chicago, IL, where the middle half runs $31–$47/hr across 90 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 13% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. That gap is worth raising directly — in a market this size there is normally room to negotiate toward the median, particularly if you already hold the certifications the posting asks for.

The local market in Chicago, IL

We're tracking 104 other active welding openings in Chicago, IL right now, from 65 different employers. 56 of them were added in the last week. Across Illinois as a whole we're tracking 371 other active welding openings from 240 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in Chicago, or widen the search to Illinois.

The most active employers in Illinois at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are Staff on Site (13), S&C Electric Company (12), and Gerber Collision & Glass (11). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within Illinois, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Chicago at $38/hr, Itasca at $36/hr, and Downers Grove at $36/hr. Chicago is among them.

Similar openings near Chicago, IL

Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Production Material Handler figures were last recalculated when this page was built.