Maintenance Electrician
Location: Janesville, WI
Openings: 1- Day Shift
Union: UFCW Local 1473
Urgency: ASAP
Employment Type: Full-time, hourly, union
Role overview
You’ll support a large, highly automated vegetable and pouch packaging operation. This is a hands-on maintenance electrician role focused on electrical troubleshooting, controls/PLC fault-finding, and keeping production running.
They need people who can do the work, not just talk about it. This plant has had a hard time filling these spots for years due to skill mismatch.
What you’ll work on
- Vegetable processing and packaging (peas, corn, carrots, mixed veg, potatoes, beans)
- Pouch area (pasta/beans) based on orders
- Equipment and lines that are heavily PLC-driven (Allen-Bradley)
Pay and shift details
Base rate (Maintenance Electrician): $37.14/hr
Journeyman rate: $38.42/hr (if you carry a WI journeyman credential)
Shift differential: $0.90/hr (night shift)
Pay frequency: Weekly
Off-peak typical schedules
- Day Shift: Monday–Friday, 6:00am–2:30pm
- Occasional overtime, sometimes Saturdays. Rare Sundays.
Pack/peak seasons
- Schedules can flex based on workload.
- This opening is intended to stay consistent shifts and are not affected by pack season like some other departments, but you still need to be flexible. There can be times where schedules extend (ex: 6:00 to 6:00).
What you’ll do
- Troubleshoot and repair industrial electrical systems and controls under production pressure
- Diagnose faults on PLC-driven equipment and restore operation quickly
- Work with motors, sensors, VFDs, relays, starters, control panels, and plant power distribution (as applicable)
- Perform electrical PMs and document work completed
- Support minor mechanical troubleshooting as needed (expect roughly 75% electrical, 25% mechanical)
- Follow all safety policies and lockout/tagout procedures
What they want to see
Must-haves
- Strong industrial electrical troubleshooting experience (manufacturing preferred, but not required)
- Comfort working around PLC-controlled equipment (Allen-Bradley experience is a plus)
- Proven ability to explain what you did during a breakdown (they screen hard for skill inflation)
- Reliability and flexibility with overtime/weekends when needed
Nice-to-haves
- Controls-heavy experience, instrumentation, or automation exposure
- Food manufacturing, high-volume packaging, or high-speed equipment experience
- Journeyman credential (not required for industrial work, but it affects pay if you have it)
Why this role is hard to fill
- Candidates have been overselling electrical/controls capability, then not backing it up on the floor
- The plant needs real troubleshooting strength and dependable follow-through
Benefits Overview
This role offers a comprehensive union benefits package that includes:
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage
- Prescription drug coverage
- Retirement and pension benefits
- Paid time off and paid holidays
- Overtime opportunities during peak production
- Safety equipment and ongoing training provided