A mechanical maintenance technician plays a vital role in keeping the mechanical equipment up and running. When hiring for this position, it’s crucial that you attract, select, and recruit the ideal profile. And in order to do that, the first of the many steps is to craft a comprehensive mechanical maintenance technician job description.
To help you out, in this article, we’ll provide a complete breakdown of a typical mechanical maintenance technician job description.
We’ll also guide you to narrow down your options when evaluating profiles based on their skill set and qualifications.
Let’s dive right in.
What Does a Mechanical Maintenance Technician Do?
A mechanical maintenance technician maintains mechanical systems, troubleshoots their problems, and repairs them.
They're qualified to handle all general maintenance tasks and equipment maintenance activities, including, but not limited to, maintaining factory machines, medical equipment, heavy-duty machinery, automobiles, and industrial maintenance.
Mechanical Maintenance Technician Job Description – Template
Mechanical maintenance technicians are usually needed by companies with heavy machinery that need consistent upkeep.
With an appropriately crafted job posting via the right channels, you can find skilled mechanical maintenance technicians for your company.
You can use our template, refine it according to your requirement, and use it to attract competent job seekers.
Roles and Responsibilities
After going through many mechanical maintenance job descriptions online, we’ve compiled the following list of a general mechanical maintenance technician’s essential duties:
- Fulfill the work orders on time.
- Properly document every maintenance and repair session and give a regular report to the manager and/or other stakeholders by filling out a maintenance report form.
- Craft standard operating procedures for machinery under the supervision of a superior and ensure that every team member follows these procedures while operating the machinery.
- Inspect and analyze the functionality of mechanical and electrical systems. If a fault is diagnosed, troubleshoot and repair that part.
- Maintain all the electro-mechanical and control systems within the building.
- Apply preventative maintenance programs to foresee potential safety hazards.
- Clean and maintain the HVAC system's mechanical parts (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) like refrigeration and heating systems.
- Follow OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) guidelines when on duty.
- Communicate with maintenance managers regularly and immediately report complex issues.
- Ask for help (where and when) required.
- Cooperate with co-workers and provide the best services while being a part of the team.
In addition to all the duties stated above, a senior/experienced mechanical maintenance technician’s job is to train new employees and effectively utilize their energies.
Required Skills
A mechanical maintenance technician requires mechanical knowledge and technical skills to perform their daily routine tasks.
Here’s a list of the required soft and hard skills:
- Proficient at operating hand tools and power tools, including forklift, hammered tools, pneumatic tools, drills, heat guns, etc.
- They must fulfill the job’s physical demands, which require them to have ample physical strength, manual dexterity, and stamina.
- Adept at using mechanical instrumentation like analytical, pressure, valves, temperature, and water purification equipment.
- Excellent problem-solving skills with a keen eye for detail is required. They must have a proactive approach when solving problems so that their solutions have a long-term effect.
- They must keep the machines functioning at optimal efficiency.
- Time management skills are a must.
- They must be able to work under pressure and keep the quality of their work uncompromised.
- The ideal candidate should be poised when dismantling and assembling heavy machinery.
- They must show excellent interpersonal and communication skills while dealing with employers or clients.
- They must know how to align the quality of their work with the end party’s requirements.
- The perfect profile should stay laser-focused when working alone or in a noisy environment.
- They must have good management skills and motivate their team members to deliver quality work.
- They must have a professional attitude toward their work, keep a log of their maintenance and repair work, and provide regular feedback to their maintenance supervisors.
- He or she should be able to adapt to the circumstances and work environment.
- They should be able to read and understand repair manuals, blueprints, mechanical schematics of a machine.
Most importantly, a mechanical maintenance technician should have a curious mind that allows them to fabricate enduring solutions.
Required Qualifications
An entry-level mechanical maintenance technician requires a high-school diploma to start working in the field.
However, to excel at their job, they should gain experience and additional degrees and diplomas in industrial maintenance technology and mechanical engineering.
Many employers prefer candidates who have certificates/degrees from vocational schools and know the basic type of machinery and have hands-on repair experience.
Finding the Best Mechanical Maintenance Technician
The risk factor is very high when you have to rely on a worker and trust them with your expensive machines and equipment.
However, by finding the right person who can tackle this responsibility, you can rest assured and focus on what matters – scaling your business.
Craft an appropriate mechanical maintenance job description and post it on relevant job boards (Glassdoor, Indeed, etc.) to find the perfect fit for this job.
Ask for a detailed resume from the interested candidates, and review their past experiences, expertise, and qualifications before getting them on board.
If you’re a service providing organization, train your employees well before appointing them any assignments.
Josh is a partner at Maintenance Manager HQ.
