Maintenance Engineer-Team Lead - John Deere Contract Role - 1324756

Are you a high-caliber technical leader who thrives on the challenge of troubleshooting complex production machinery, guiding skilled trades, and keeping a heavy manufacturing line running at peak performance? As Cerebral Staffing , we are looking for a dedicated Maintenance Engineer-Team Lead to join our team supporting our client, John Deere , at Harvester Works in East Moline, IL . If you have the technical grit to diagnose advanced assembly equipment down to root cause and the leadership presence to manage a large union workforce, we want to hear from you. Maintenance Engineer-Team Lead - John Deere Harvester Works This is a high-visibility, hands-on leadership role offering a long-term 1+ year contract paying up to $44/hr , including 2 Weeks of PTO . In this position, you will step onto the shop floor as a vital supervisor, providing engineering analysis, project management, and advanced troubleshooting support to ensure high equipment reliability and an uncompromised safety culture.

Position Details & Compensation Pay Rate:

Up to $44/hr (W2).

Location:

100% Onsite at Harvester Works in East Moline, IL.

Duration:

1+ Year.

Shift:

2nd Shift (2:00 PM - 10:00 PM).

Overtime:

Required as needed; includes potential extended weekday hours and Saturdays for line coverage.

Benefits:

2 Weeks PTO, Health, Dental, Vision, Life, 401k, and Referral Bonuses.

Visa Sponsorship:

Not available now or in the future.

Core Responsibilities Frontline Supervision:

Assign, schedule, and monitor the daily work of a team of 20-25+ union skilled-trades personnel to execute customer requests, preventative maintenance schedules, and project deadlines.

Advanced Troubleshooting:

Diagnose complex production machinery, assembly equipment, and tooling fixtures down to root cause and support the immediate execution of repair plans (

Note:

This role focuses strictly on production equipment, not facility/building maintenance).

Safety & HSE Compliance:

Enforce health, safety, and environmental policies; instruct the team in safe working methods, proactively identify and correct risky behaviors, and escalate serious issues when appropriate.

Reliability Planning:

Plan engineering-driven maintenance strategies that systematically improve equipment reliability, operational efficiency, part quality, and operator ergonomics.

Documentation Review:

Provide expert technical review and analysis of equipment spare parts lists, manuals, and preventative maintenance (PM) documentation.

Required Skills & Experience Supervisory Background:

Proven experience directly supervising a large team (20-25 or more) of union skilled-trades personnel.

Technical Maintenance & Diagnostics:

3+ years of general maintenance, mechanical engineering, or factory automation experience, paired with 3+ years of hands-on equipment troubleshooting within a manufacturing environment.

Shift & OT Flexibility:

Absolute willingness and ability to work a consistent 2nd shift alongside mandatory weekday and weekend overtime.

Communication:

Highly effective written and verbal communication skills required to interface across engineering and operations functions.

Education:

High School Diploma or GED required; a formal degree is not required if backed by strong technical work history. What Makes You Stand Out Bachelor's degree in an Engineering discipline (Mechanical, Electrical, or related field). Technical experience with the design or diagnostics of mechanical, electrical, and hydraulic systems. Automation and controls troubleshooting experience using Allen-Bradley components and Rockwell Automation PLC software. 1+ years of experience interfacing with machines through multiple communication protocols (e.g., Ethernet, DeviceNet, Profibus, Modbus). Experience utilizing the SAP PM (Plant Maintenance) module. Deep knowledge of machinery and equipment safety standards (e.g., OSHA 29 CFR 1910, NFPA 79, NFPA 70E).

APPLY NOW

to lead the 2nd shift maintenance engineering team at John Deere Harvester Works!

Pay:

Up to $44.00 per hour

Benefits:

401(k) Dental insurance Health insurance Life insurance Paid time off Referral program Vision insurance

Work Location:

In person