Manufacturing Engineer – Robotic Weld Programming & Fixture Design - 2nd Shift - 3:00pm to 11:30pm
Big 3 Precision Products Inc · Centralia, IL
- Level
- Engineer
- Team
- Controls
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 3+ years
- Industry
- Industrial
- Posted
- Recently
The role in 30 seconds
An engineer-level controls role at Big 3 Precision Products Inc (industrial) in Centralia, IL. Develop, write, test, and optimize robot programs using both teach-pendant and offline programming and simulation methods on major robotic platforms (Fanuc, ABB, Yaskawa/Motoman, KUKA, or similar).
- They ask for
- 3+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- Root cause, GD&T, Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ), PLC, Robotics, Automation
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Controls Engineer roles in Illinois: typical posted base $87k–$133k.
Median of the low and high ends of 19 live postings that list pay, out of 30 controls engineer openings in Illinois, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Illinois plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 29 other live controls postings in Illinois.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- Less than usual (3+ vs 5+)
Typical $87k–$133k, from 19 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Automation 77%
- ✓ PLC 70%
- ✓ Root cause 40%
- ✓ Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 37%
- ✓ Robotics 37%
- Team leadership 20%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for GD&T, SolidWorks, CATIA / NX, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Controls team at Big 3 Precision Products Inc
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
- 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
Full description from Big 3 Precision Products IncAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Position Summary
The Manufacturing Engineer – Robotic Weld Programming develops, programs, and optimizes robotic welding cells and designs the custom fixtures and tooling that support them. This is a hands-on, floor-based role on 2nd shift: the majority of the shift is spent at the cell — programming, proving out, troubleshooting, and supporting operators — with design and documentation work built around that presence. The position also mentors the design team and serves as a reporting link to project management.
2nd Shift - 3:00pm to 11:30pm
requirements
to the design team, mentoring designers on engineering standards and fixture design best practices.
- ✓Update the status of the design projects to project management, escalating risks, scope changes, and schedule impacts early.
- ✓Collaborate with sales, project management, manufacturing, quality, and customers to translate
requirements
into manufacturable, cost-effective solutions.
Requirements
- ✓Bachelor's degree in Mechatronics, Manufacturing Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Welding Engineering, or Robotics/Automation; an equivalent combination of technical education and directly relevant experience will be considered. A Mechatronics degree is particularly well suited to this role given the mix of mechanical design, controls integration, and robotic programming.
- ✓1-3 years of hands-on robotic weld programming experience in a manufacturing, custom tooling, or automation environment preferred.
- ✓Experience programming at least one major robotic platform (Fanuc, ABB, Yaskawa/Motoman, KUKA, or similar); offline programming and simulation software (Roboguide, RobotStudio, MotoSim, DELMIA, or similar) strongly preferred.
- ✓Experience designing weld fixtures, checking fixtures, or assembly tooling in a 3D CAD environment (SolidWorks, NX, CATIA, or similar).
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Description
Shop Floor Presence & Production Support
- •Maintain an active, visible presence on the manufacturing floor throughout the shift; serve as the primary engineering resource for weld cell issues on 2nd shift.
- •Troubleshoot and resolve robot faults, weld defects (porosity, burn-through, undercut, lack of fusion, spatter), TCP drift, and fixture interference at the cell; drive root cause analysis and permanent corrective action.
- •Coach and train operators, welders, and maintenance technicians on cell operation, basic program edits, fault recovery, and safe work practices.
- •Lead commissioning, run-off, and buy-off of new robotic weld cells, including first-article production and customer acceptance.
- •Drive continuous improvement at the cell to reduce cycle time, scrap, rework, and changeover time.
Robotic Weld Programming & Process Development
- •Develop, write, test, and optimize robot programs using both teach-pendant and offline programming and simulation methods on major robotic platforms (Fanuc, ABB, Yaskawa/Motoman, KUKA, or similar).
- •Establish, tune, and document weld schedules and parameters — voltage, wire feed speed, travel speed, gas flow, torch angle, and stick-out — for GMAW/MIG, flux-cored, and resistance welding processes.
- •Perform cell layout studies, reach and collision analysis, and cycle-time optimization; validate programs offline prior to installation to minimize floor downtime.
- •Maintain weld procedure specifications, operator work instructions, and detailed Work Sheets; define preventive maintenance, calibration, and TCP verification routines for robots, torches, wire feeders, and positioners.
Fixture & Tooling Design
- •Design custom fixture solutions to customer requirements, from concept through detailed design release, using 3D CAD and applying GD&T.
- •Assess mechanical specifications, tolerance stack-up, locating and clamping strategy, thermal distortion, and torch accessibility to ensure the fixture supports a repeatable weld process.
- •Verify design quality and provide detailed Work Sheets to manufacturing, assembly, and quality.
- •Participate in product testing and validation, including first-article inspection, dimensional layout, and validation against customer criteria.
Technical Leadership & Project Support
- •Teach the fundamentals and customer
Knowledge & Skills
- •Working knowledge of welding processes, weld symbols, and basic metallurgy; familiarity with applicable AWS standards (D1.1, D1.3, D8.x, or equivalent). CWI or CWE certification is a plus.
- •Proficiency in GD&T per ASME Y14.5, blueprint reading, and tolerance stack-up analysis.
- •Familiarity with PLC/HMI integration, safety circuits, light curtains, and robot safety standards (ANSI/RIA R15.06).
- •Willingness and ability to work 2nd shift with sustained time on the manufacturing floor.
- •Strong communication skills, with the ability to teach technical fundamentals to designers and present clearly to customers.
- •Bilingual English/Spanish strongly preferred.