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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Mechanical Maintenance Engineer

💰 $60,000 - $95,000

MaintenanceEngineeringMechanicalReliability

🎯 Role Definition

The Mechanical Maintenance Engineer is a hands‑on technical leader who plans, executes, and improves mechanical maintenance activities across production equipment and facility assets. This role blends preventive and predictive maintenance strategy, root cause analysis, failure mode mitigation, and hands‑on repair to drive equipment reliability, safety compliance, and cost control. The ideal candidate brings deep mechanical expertise in rotating equipment, conveyors, pumps, gearboxes, bearings, hydraulics and pneumatics, combined with proficiency in CMMS, PLC basics, vibration analysis, thermography and continuous improvement methodologies (Lean/Kaizen).

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Maintenance Technician / Mechanical Fitter
  • Reliability Technician or Specialist
  • Field Service Engineer (mechanical)

Advancement To:

  • Reliability Engineer / Senior Reliability Engineer
  • Maintenance Manager / Plant Maintenance Manager
  • Plant Engineering Manager / Operations Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Process Engineer
  • Project Engineer / Maintenance Project Lead
  • Facilities Engineer

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Develop, implement and continuously refine the preventive maintenance (PM) plan for mechanical assets (rotating equipment, gearboxes, pumps, compressors, conveyors, HVAC, hydraulic and pneumatic systems) to reduce unplanned downtime and extend asset life.
  • Lead and execute root cause analysis (RCA) for recurring mechanical failures using structured problem‑solving techniques (5 Whys, Fishbone, Fault Tree) and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
  • Perform hands‑on diagnosis, disassembly, repair, alignment, and reassembly of mechanical systems and rotating equipment, including precision shaft alignment, bearing replacement, coupling checks, and gearbox inspection.
  • Plan and coordinate predictive maintenance programs including vibration analysis, thermography, ultrasound, oil analysis and condition monitoring to identify degradation before failure and prioritize repairs.
  • Manage and optimize the CMMS (e.g., SAP PM, Maximo, Infor EAM) — create and update PM tasks, routings, BOMs, work orders, downtime codes, and maintenance history to ensure accurate asset records and KPI reporting.
  • Execute scheduled shutdowns and turnarounds for mechanical scope work: develop scope, estimate hours, procure consumables and spare parts, schedule trades, and ensure safe, on‑time completion.
  • Troubleshoot mechanical/electromechanical failures in coordination with electrical/control technicians and PLC/SCADA teams to restore production quickly while diagnosing root causes.
  • Lead reliability improvement projects (bearing life improvements, seal upgrades, lubrication strategy changes, protective modifications) and quantify savings in downtime, labor and spare parts costs.
  • Design and supervise mechanical modifications, retrofits and capital improvement projects to improve maintainability and safety; create technical specifications, vendor quotes and installation oversight.
  • Monitor spare parts inventory levels and critical spares strategy; coordinate procurement, shelf‑life management and parts standardization to reduce lead times and costs.
  • Ensure mechanical work is executed in compliance with safety regulations and site procedures (lockout/tagout, confined space entry, PPE, hot work permits) and support incident investigations when applicable.
  • Provide technical mentorship and training to maintenance technicians on mechanical best practices, alignment, bearing handling, shaft coupling installation, and lubrication management.
  • Develop and present key maintenance KPIs and reliability metrics (MTTR, MTBF, OEE impact, maintenance backlog, PM compliance) to operations and leadership; recommend evidence‑based actions.
  • Collaborate with operations to perform risk assessments of equipment criticality, update asset criticality matrices and prioritize maintenance and capital spend based on business impact.
  • Implement lubrication management programs including selection of lubricants, reformation of grease schedules, use of grease guns/ automated lubrication systems and trending of oil analysis results.
  • Oversee vendor management for outsourced mechanical repairs, bearing reconditioning, gearbox shop work and field service contractors; ensure work quality and cost control.
  • Perform mechanical design reviews for new equipment installations, ensuring maintainability, access for service, and compliance with engineering standards and plant layout constraints.
  • Apply change management for maintenance procedure updates, engineering change orders (ECOs), and as‑found/as‑left documentation so teams have accurate, approved practices.
  • Drive continuous improvement initiatives (Kaizen events) focused on maintenance efficiency, toolbox standardization, PM optimization and spare parts consolidation to lower total cost of ownership.
  • Conduct failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) and use data from condition monitoring to create predictive strategies and targeted PMs for high‑risk assets.
  • Coordinate cross‑functional work with production, quality, engineering and safety to minimize production interruptions and ensure mechanical work supports product quality and capacity goals.
  • Support capital budgeting and life cycle cost analysis for mechanical assets — prepare technical input, cost estimates, ROI calculations and scheduling for replacement vs. repair decisions.

Secondary Functions

  • Support continuous documentation improvements: standard operating procedures (SOPs), maintenance manuals and mechanical inspection checklists for the team.
  • Assist operations with equipment changeovers and mechanical setup to ensure repeatable, safe procedures that reduce changeover time.
  • Participate in safety committees and contribute to mechanical safety audits and corrective action plans.
  • Provide input to procurement on technical specifications for critical mechanical components and vendor qualification.
  • Contribute to training programs for new hires and seasonal workforce surges to increase bench strength and reduce reliance on external contractors.
  • Participate in cross‑site knowledge sharing and reliability forums to propagate proven fixes, BOM standardization and best practices.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Preventive and predictive maintenance program development and execution (PM optimization).
  • Hands‑on mechanical repair: bearings, couplings, shafts, gearboxes, seals, pumps, compressors and conveyors.
  • Condition monitoring skills: vibration analysis, infrared thermography, oil analysis, ultrasound.
  • CMMS proficiency: creating and maintaining PMs, work orders, asset hierarchies and downtime tracking (SAP PM, Maximo, Infor EAM or similar).
  • Basic PLC and electrical collaboration knowledge to isolate mechanical vs. control issues.
  • Root cause analysis (RCA) and structured problem solving (5 Whys, Fishbone analysis, FMEA).
  • Precision alignment and shaft alignment techniques (laser/optical or dial indicator).
  • Hydraulic and pneumatic systems troubleshooting and repair.
  • Mechanical drawings and fabrication interpretation; familiarity with CAD drawings and BOMs.
  • Welding basics and knowledge of fabrication techniques and standards.
  • Lubrication strategy development and oil/grease specification experience.
  • Mechanical test equipment use: vibration meters, thermal cameras, ultrasonic detectors, tachometers.
  • Knowledge of rotating equipment maintenance best practices and API/ISO standards.
  • Experience with maintenance planning & scheduling, shutdown scope development and contractor oversight.
  • Familiarity with Lean, Kaizen or TPM methodologies for continuous improvement.

Soft Skills

  • Strong analytical and problem‑solving mindset with attention to detail.
  • Clear verbal and written communication to document repairs, report failures and present to stakeholders.
  • Ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects and emergency breakdowns under pressure.
  • Leadership and mentoring skills to coach maintenance technicians and promote skills transfer.
  • Collaborative teamwork with operations, engineering, procurement and safety teams.
  • Continuous improvement orientation and willingness to challenge the status quo with data‑backed solutions.
  • Time management and organizational capability to maintain PM compliance and reduce backlog.
  • Vendor negotiation and contractor management skills.
  • Customer focus — ability to align maintenance activities to production schedules and business priorities.
  • Adaptability to changing schedules, shift work and occasional emergency call‑outs.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or equivalent plus technical diploma/certificate in mechanical, industrial maintenance or similar; or equivalent military trade experience.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Technology, Mechatronics or Industrial Engineering.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Industrial Maintenance / Industrial Technology
  • Mechatronics / Electro‑Mechanical Technology
  • HVAC / Fluid Power / Tribology
  • Reliability Engineering

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3–8 years of mechanical maintenance experience in manufacturing, process, or heavy industry environments.

Preferred: 5+ years in a reliability or mechanical maintenance engineer role with documented achievements in downtime reduction, PM optimization, or implementation of predictive maintenance programs.

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