Job Description

Overview

Sims Limited is a global leader in metal recycling and circular solutions, founded in Australia in 1917. The Shredder Mechanic Lead is responsible for leading troubleshooting, repairs, preventive maintenance, and continuous improvement activities for production equipment and plant facilities.

Responsibilities

  • Diagnose, troubleshoot, and repair production and plant equipment.
  • Perform scheduled preventive maintenance on production equipment.
  • Lubricate production equipment and monitor equipment performance.
  • Monitor, inspect, and adjust oil levels and conditions on a daily and weekly basis.
  • Replace worn or damaged components, including belts, bearings, motors, and related equipment.
  • Calibrate and align production equipment to ensure proper operation and synchronization.
  • Conduct visual and audible inspections to identify equipment deficiencies and potential failures.
  • Report equipment, electrical, and control system issues to management and recommend corrective actions.
  • Maintain general housekeeping and organization of maintenance work areas.
  • Lead the maintenance team in daily troubleshooting, inspections, repairs, and preventive maintenance activities while working alongside team members.
  • Provide technical guidance, coaching, and support to maintenance personnel.
  • Coordinate daily work assignments and ensure maintenance tasks are completed safely, efficiently, and to quality standards.
  • Communicate equipment conditions, repair status, material requirements, delays, and safety concerns to the Shredder Manager.
  • Support collaboration between maintenance and operations teams to minimize downtime and maximize productivity.
  • Lead project preparation activities, including reviewing job scope, identifying required materials, tools, equipment, labor needs, and safe work procedures.
  • Perform and oversee fabrication, welding, torching, equipment modifications, and installation work.
  • Assist the Shredder Manager in planning and coordinating scheduled outages and unplanned shutdowns.
  • Support outage planning by helping establish work priorities, sequencing activities, allocating resources, and ensuring operational readiness upon completion.
  • Develop and implement equipment modifications and process improvements as directed by management.
  • Adhere to all company safety policies, procedures, and environmental requirements.
  • Promote safe work practices and ensure maintenance activities are performed in accordance with applicable regulations and company standards.
  • Identify and communicate workplace hazards and participate in corrective actions.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

Additional Information

  • Work is performed primarily outdoors in an industrial metals recycling facility.
  • Employee is regularly exposed to moving mechanical equipment, vibration, dust, noise, and varying weather conditions.

How this job compares in Chicago, IL

Pay in context

This employer didn't publish a rate. For reference, welding jobs in Chicago, IL currently run a median of $37/hr in our index, with the middle half of them falling between $31–$47/hr across 77 postings with published pay. That median is a reasonable floor to anchor on when a recruiter asks what you're looking for.

The local market in Chicago, IL

We're tracking 96 other active welding openings in Chicago, IL right now, from 54 different employers. 32 of them were added in the last week. Across Illinois as a whole we're tracking 333 other active welding openings from 206 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 (10), and Gerber Collision & Glass (10). 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 $37/hr, Elk Grove Village at $36/hr, and Bedford Park at $33/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. Shredder Mechanic - Lead figures were last recalculated when this page was built.