Join Amsted Rail — Petersburg, VA

Brenco Bearing & Amsted Seals Divisions

Starting pay: $18/hour with a planned increase after your 90-day qualification period.

Amsted Rail Company is a global leader in freight rail solutions and a 100% employee-owned business. In Petersburg, our team manufactures tapered roller bearings and precision sealing systems that keep freight moving. As an employee-owner at one of the top five ESOPs in the U.S., you’ll share directly in the value you help create through annual stock awards and competitive pay.

Day in the life

As our Metallurgical Thermal-Processing Technician, you’ll run the heart of our operation: the heat-treat line. You’ll set parameters, load parts, and guide components through furnaces, induction systems, flame-hardening stations, soaking pits, and vacuum equipment to harden, temper, and anneal critical steel parts used in bearings and seals. You’ll move confidently between stations, coordinating with teammates and the Control Room to hit quality, safety, and throughput targets.

What you’ll tackle

• Follow all Amsted Rail safety, ergonomics, and environmental practices outlined in our Health & Safety program.
• Set furnace and line controls to the correct recipes based on material and process requirements.
• Load/unload parts, monitor line performance, and verify that parameters match operational settings.
• Interpret operational sequences and final dimensions; read blueprints to confirm specifications.
• Conduct in-process quality checks: visual inspection, gauge measurements, SPC tracking, and hardness testing.
• Perform equipment and tooling changeovers; safely use hand and power tools to set up presses.
• Remove, clean, and replace tooling to maintain quality and uptime.
• Complete preventive maintenance and inspection routines on heat-treat equipment and fork trucks.
• Accurately fill out production forms and quality records.
• Segregate and tag nonconforming parts per quality standards; monitor scrap containers.
• Troubleshoot product and equipment issues, collaborating with the Control Room Operator, Specialists, and Maintenance as needed.
• Operate with minimal supervision, consistently producing repeat and first-run parts within specification.
• Support daily 6S and housekeeping to keep the area clean and safe.

What you bring

• Ability to regularly stand and move through the department over a full shift.
• Strength to lift, push, and pull 10–50 lbs.
• Comfort wearing company-provided PPE.
• Mechanical aptitude; prior industrial or manufacturing experience is a plus.

Schedule & location

• Site: Petersburg, VA (Brenco Bearing & Amsted Seals)
• Pattern: 3-2-2-3 schedule
• Hours: 7:00 p.m.–7:00 a.m.

Ownership, pay, and benefits

• Employee Ownership: Annual stock awards (10% of compensation)
• 401(k) Match: Up to 4% dollar-for-dollar
• Comprehensive Benefits: Medical, dental, vision, HSA with company contributions, life insurance, disability coverage, and pet insurance available after 30 days
• Competitive Pay: Competitive hourly rate plus annual bonus eligibility potential
• Career Growth: On-the-job training, pay-for-skill, and advancement opportunities
• Work-Life Balance: PTO starting at 3 weeks, 11 paid holidays
• Additional Offerings: Tuition reimbursement, referral bonuses, and employee discount programs

Compliance & notices

Amsted Rail’s commitment to Affirmative Action:

Amsted Rail is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.

To review our EEO Policies or to request assistance please go to www.amstedrail.com/careers/ and select EEO Compliance/Statements. To learn more about us, please visit us online at www.amstedrail.com.

• Successfully pass a pre-employment drug & background screening