Shop Technician

Hennepin Made • Full-time • Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States • $25 - $32 / hour • 1d ago

JOB TITLE: Shop Technician

DEPARTMENT: Production

SUPERVISOR: Production Manager

Position Overview

The Shop Tech (Hotshop Focused) is a key operational support role responsible for daily shop readiness, equipment maintenance, mold management, and physical infrastructure upkeep across Hennepin Made’s artisan glass manufacturing facilities. Working closely with the Production Manager and glassmaking teams, this position ensures seamless shop continuity—from morning light-up and batch prep to kiln servicing, tool care, and new equipment assembly.

The Shop Tech bridges creative craftsmanship and mechanical reliability by maintaining optimal furnace and kiln operations, managing mold life cycles, solving technical design challenges, and maintaining a clean, safe, and efficient hotshop environment.

Areas of Focus & Scope

Repairs & Maintenance

Equipment, kilns, furnaces, and core manufacturing infrastructure or physical space. Focuses on structural integrity, electrical/mechanical reliability, and equipment uptime (excludes consumables and molds).

Consumables & Mold Maintenance

Routine and recurring operational needs anticipated with regular frequency. Covers blow molds, graphite press molds, wood molds, mold tanks/pits, color setup, and shop supplies.

Manufacturing Process Improvements

Iterative design and engineering challenges that act as barriers to output goals. Involves continuous technical learning, product development support, and equipment optimization.

Predetermined Objectives

100% On-Time Daily Hotshop Readiness: Execute morning light-up protocols, batch charging, kiln shelf setting, blowpaper prep, and tool staging to enable uninterrupted glass production schedules.
Maximize Equipment Uptime (95%+ Target): Prevent unscheduled hotshop downtime through proactive inspection, routine maintenance, and prompt mechanical/electrical repairs on furnaces, kilns, and mold machinery.
Quality Control via Mold & Tool Integrity: Maintain all blow, graphite, and wood molds, as well as mold tanks and pits, to minimize mold-related glass defects and keep rework/scrap rates at or below 10%.
Consumable & Color Inventory Precision: Maintain steady stock levels of raw batch, color, shop consumables, and spare hardware to prevent stockouts and support smooth inventory flow.
Zero Safety Compromise: Ensure full compliance with OSHA standards, high-heat PPE guidelines, material handling protocols, and clean hotshop housekeeping standards.

Key Responsibilities1. Hotshop Daily Operations & Setup

Morning Light-Up & Furnace Operation: Conduct daily furnace and equipment light-up routines, bringing furnaces and kilns to required glassmaking operating temperatures safely and on schedule.
Batch Prepping: Stage, weigh, and prep batch materials to support glass furnace charging schedules and maintain melt consistency.
Kiln & Shelf Setup: Set kiln shelves, furniture, and annealers daily based on scheduled production orders and product dimensions.
Color & Tool Staging: Prepare daily color setups, blowpapers, and wax; clean and condition hand tools; ensure blowing pipes and tools are fully prepared for the glassmakers.
Housekeeping & Scrap Management: Empty waste bins, collect and recycle scrap glass (cullet), and maintain a safe, organized hotshop environment throughout the shift.

2. Equipment, Kiln & Furnace Maintenance (Repairs & Infrastructure)

Furnace & Kiln Servicing: Perform scheduled preventive maintenance and emergency troubleshooting/repairs on hotshop furnaces, annealers, and kilns, including element, burner, thermocouple, and refractory care.
Mold Tank & Pit Maintenance: Inspect, clean, and service wood mold soaking tanks, water filtration/circulation systems, and pit areas to maintain optimal mold conditioning.
Welding & Light Fabrication: Execute welding, sheet metal work, and light structural fabrication to support shop projects, tool repairs, and custom machinery builds.
New Equipment Build & Wiring: Project manage, assemble, wire, and test new production equipment, custom machinery, and electrical controls.
Shop Expansion & Subcontractor Coordination: Manage external contractors, tradespeople, and installers during facility expansions, major equipment overhauls, or infrastructure updates.

3. Consumables, Molds & Purchasing Management

Press & Wood Mold Prep: Swap graphite molds in presses, prep wood molds for daily glassblowing runs, and mount/calibrate molds in press and mold machinery.
Blow Mold Lifecycle Management: Manage blow mold maintenance, spec verification, re-ordering, re-machining, and staging so molds are ready for active production runs.
Color Program Management: Organize raw color bar/frit inventory, manage color coding and storage, and align color prep with daily production plans.
Purchasing & Inventory Control: Purchase shop supplies, color materials, maintenance hardware, and general consumables; conduct regular cycle counts and track inventory turnover.

4. Manufacturing Process Improvements & Studio Projects

Iterative Process Improvements: Partner with the Production Manager and glassmakers to identify physical bottlenecks, solve design and tool constraints, and optimize production throughput.
New Product Prototyping Support: Assist with custom mold setups, tool modifications, and process testing during new product development phases.
Photoshoot Set Construction: Plan, build, set up, and dismantle physical sets, display fixtures, and backdrops for product photography and brand photoshoots.

Qualifications & Skill Requirements

Experience: 3+ years of experience in hotshop technical support, glassblowing studio maintenance, trades, or industrial manufacturing equipment maintenance.
Technical Trades Proficiency: Demonstrated skills in mechanical troubleshooting, welding/metal fabrication, basic electrical wiring, control systems, and plumbing.
Glassmaking Process Knowledge: Strong working knowledge of high-temperature furnace and kiln operations (up to 2,300°F), refractory materials, and wood/graphite/cast-iron mold care.
Equipment & Tools: Hands-on proficiency with hand and power tools, electrical multimeters, forklifts, hoists, pallet jacks, and glass crushing machinery. *Basic Welding and metal fabrication skills are required
Safety & Compliance: Solid understanding of OSHA safety regulations, Lockout/Tagout (LOTO), chemical handling, high-heat PPE usage, and studio ventilation.
Interpersonal & Project Skills: Strong self-motivation, ability to work independently or with subcontractors, attention to detail, and a collaborative team attitude.

Physical Demands & Work Environment

Heat & Environment Exposure: Ability to work comfortably in an industrial hot glass studio environment with exposure to high ambient heat, UV light, dust, and mechanical noise.
Heavy Lifting & Material Handling: Ability to regularly lift and carry up to 50 lbs (molds, raw batch, color, heavy hand tools) and occasionally move up to 100+ lbs utilizing material handling equipment or team lifting.
Physical Stamina: Frequent standing, walking, bending, stooping, reaching, and operating machinery across full shifts.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Commitment to wearing required PPE, including heat-resistant sleeves/gloves, eye protection, steel-toe footwear, and hearing protection as required.
Participation in an on-call rotation is required as needed.
Must be capable of responding to emergency maintenance situations outside normal business hours.
Must be willing to work in manufacturing, warehouse, retail, office, and outdoor environments as needed.

Aligned with Our Core Values

We have a growth mindset: Sees challenges as opportunities and is eager to reflect, learn, and improve.
We craft it at the highest level: Believes in doing it right, not just fast.
Good people: Brings positivity and empathy to the team and to customers.
We over me: Understands that great customer service is a team effort and celebrates shared wins.

Work Environment & Benefits

Job Type: Full Time Hourly, 40hrs per week
Compensation: $25-32/hr
Schedule: Monday–Friday, 6am–2:30pm
Location: Onsite at 144 Glenwood Ave Minneapolis MN 55405
Transportation: Must have own transportation; free parking onsite
PTO: 10 Days
401K Program - Eligibility after 1 year of employment
Health Insurance: Eligible after 60 Days. Company pays 50% premium
PTO: Accrual starts immediately 10 Days (Total estimated 24.5 Days including Holidays and Breaks)
Seasonal PTO Breaks Company Wide: Eligible after 90 days. Week of 4th of July and Week of Christmas to New Year. Average of additional 8 paid days off per year.
Paid Holiday 6.5 Days Eligible after 90 days.
New Year’s Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Eve afternoon
Christmas Day