Lead Die Repair Technician

Madison-Kipp Corporation•Madison, WI

8d•Onsite

About The Position

The Lead Die Repair Technician is responsible for leading daily die repair and tooling maintenance activities while serving as the primary technical resource for die repair technicians and tool room personnel. This position performs advanced troubleshooting, repair, modification, and preventative maintenance of aluminum die casting dies while coordinating workload priorities to support production requirements. The Lead Die Repair Technician works closely with Production, Process Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, and Tooling teams to improve die performance, reduce downtime, extend die life, and support continuous improvement initiatives. This position provides technical leadership, training, and guidance while ensuring tooling repairs are completed safely, efficiently, and to established standards.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED required.
Ability to read, write, and understand English.
Proficient written and verbal communication skills.
Advanced understanding of aluminum die casting tooling and repair methods.
Strong troubleshooting and root cause analysis skills.
Ability to read engineering drawings, tooling prints, and specifications.
Experience with welding, spotting, grinding, machining, and precision measurement techniques.
Demonstrated leadership, mentoring, and team-building capabilities.
Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Nice To Haves

Journeyman Tool & Die Maker certification strongly preferred.
Technical training, apprenticeship, or vocational education in Tool & Die, Machining, Welding, or related field preferred.
Minimum 2 years of experience serving in a lead, trainer, or senior technician capacity preferred.
Aluminum die casting tooling experience strongly preferred.
Ability to obtain MKC forklift, crane, and rigging certifications.

Responsibilities

Serve as the lead technical resource for die repair operations.
Assign and prioritize daily die repair activities based on production needs.
Provide training, coaching, and mentoring to Die Repair Technicians and apprentices.
Support the development of standard repair procedures and best practices.
Assist management with workload planning and staffing priorities.
Perform advanced maintenance, repair, refurbishment, and troubleshooting of aluminum die casting dies and tooling.
Diagnose tooling issues including flash, solder, porosity, dimensional variation, thermal cracking, and premature wear.
Disassemble, inspect, repair, modify, and reassemble dies according to specifications.
Perform precision fitting, spotting, grinding, polishing, welding, and bench work.
Conduct root cause analysis of recurring tooling failures and implement corrective actions.
Support emergency tooling repairs to minimize production downtime.
Verify tooling dimensions and tolerances using precision measuring instruments.