Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Lead Maintenance Technician

🎯 Role Definition

Are you a seasoned maintenance professional ready to take the next step in your career? This role requires a proactive and highly skilled Lead Maintenance Technician to guide our dedicated maintenance team. In this pivotal role, you will act as the primary technical expert and front-line leader, responsible for coordinating daily maintenance activities, troubleshooting complex equipment failures, and driving our preventative maintenance program. You will be instrumental in minimizing downtime, enhancing equipment longevity, and fostering a culture of safety and continuous improvement. This is a hands-on leadership position where you will mentor junior technicians while actively participating in the repair and upkeep of our facility's critical systems.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Senior Maintenance Technician
Industrial Maintenance Mechanic / Electrician
Field Service Engineer

Advancement To:

Maintenance Supervisor
Facilities Manager
Maintenance Planner / Scheduler

Lateral Moves:

Reliability Engineer / Technician
Controls & Automation Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead, mentor, and provide technical guidance to a team of maintenance technicians, fostering a collaborative and high-performance work environment.
Prioritize, assign, and oversee the completion of work orders through our Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) to ensure timely and effective repairs.
Perform advanced, hands-on troubleshooting and repair of complex industrial machinery, including mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, and hydraulic systems.
Diagnose and resolve issues with programmable logic controllers (PLCs), variable frequency drives (VFDs), and other automated control systems.
Execute and champion the preventative and predictive maintenance programs to increase equipment uptime and reduce reactive maintenance needs.
Serve as the primary point of contact for complex equipment breakdowns, leading the diagnostic process and coordinating the repair strategy.
Read and interpret complex electrical schematics, mechanical blueprints, and technical manuals to facilitate accurate repairs and installations.
Ensure all maintenance activities are performed in strict adherence to safety protocols, including Lockout/Tagout (LOTO), arc flash, and other OSHA standards.
Manage and maintain a critical spare parts inventory, identifying necessary parts, sourcing from vendors, and organizing storage for efficient access.
Coordinate and oversee the work of external contractors and vendors for specialized repairs, installations, or facility projects.
Conduct root cause analysis (RCA) on recurring equipment failures to identify and implement long-term corrective actions.
Install, commission, and test new production equipment, ensuring it meets operational and safety standards before handover to production.
Perform skilled maintenance tasks such as welding, fabrication, pipefitting, and basic carpentry to support facility and equipment needs.
Operate and maintain material handling equipment, including forklifts, aerial lifts, and scissor lifts, ensuring proper certification and safe usage.
Maintain detailed and accurate records of all maintenance work, equipment history, and parts usage within the CMMS.
Develop and update standard operating procedures (SOPs) and work instructions for key maintenance tasks.
Lead daily team huddles to communicate priorities, safety alerts, and ongoing project statuses.
Inspect facility infrastructure, including HVAC systems, compressors, fire suppression systems, and general building upkeep, and coordinate necessary repairs.
Provide on-the-job training and skill development for junior technicians, particularly in areas of electrical and controls troubleshooting.
Respond to emergency maintenance calls during and outside of regular hours to ensure continuous plant operation.
Champion continuous improvement initiatives (e.g., 5S, Kaizen) within the maintenance department to enhance efficiency and workplace organization.

Secondary Functions

Support the Maintenance Manager in budget tracking and resource planning for parts, services, and labor.
Assist in developing and refining maintenance KPIs, and generate reports on key metrics like MTTR (Mean Time To Repair) and MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures).
Participate in cross-functional project teams to provide maintenance and engineering input for new capital projects or process improvements.
Conduct regular safety audits and risk assessments on equipment and maintenance procedures.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Advanced Electrical Troubleshooting: Expertise in diagnosing and repairing 480V/3-phase motor circuits, control systems, and industrial wiring.
PLC & Automation: Proficient in troubleshooting and making minor edits to PLC programs (e.g., Allen-Bradley, Siemens) and diagnosing issues with HMI and VFDs.
Mechanical Systems: Strong ability to diagnose and repair mechanical components including gearboxes, pumps, conveyors, bearings, and power transmission systems.
Hydraulics & Pneumatics: In-depth knowledge of reading schematics and repairing hydraulic and pneumatic systems, including cylinders, valves, and pumps.
CMMS Proficiency: Experience using a Computerized Maintenance Management System (e.g., Maximo, SAP PM, eMaint) for work order management and reporting.
Welding & Fabrication: Competency in MIG, TIG, or Stick welding for equipment repair and fabrication tasks.
Blueprint & Schematic Reading: Ability to fluently read and interpret complex electrical, mechanical, and hydraulic diagrams.

Soft Skills

Leadership & Mentoring: Proven ability to guide, motivate, and develop a technical team.
Problem-Solving: A systematic and analytical approach to troubleshooting complex and urgent issues under pressure.
Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills to clearly convey technical information to technicians, management, and other departments.
Time Management & Prioritization: Ability to effectively manage competing priorities and delegate tasks in a fast-paced environment.
Attention to Detail: Meticulous in diagnosing faults, performing repairs, and documenting work to ensure quality and accuracy.
Adaptability: Flexible and able to respond effectively to unplanned equipment failures and shifting production schedules.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High School Diploma or GED coupled with significant on-the-job experience.

Preferred Education:

Associate's Degree or certification from a technical trade school.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Industrial Maintenance Technology
Mechatronics or Electromechanical Technology
Electrical Engineering Technology

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

5-8 years of progressive experience in an industrial maintenance role, preferably in a manufacturing or distribution environment.

Preferred:

At least 2 years of experience in a formal or informal leadership capacity (e.g., Lead Technician, Senior Technician, Team Coordinator). Experience with implementing or driving preventative maintenance programs is highly desirable.