Torchora
Back to Home

Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Operations Technician

💰 $ - $

OperationsTechnicianManufacturingFacilities

🎯 Role Definition

An Operations Technician is a hands-on technical professional responsible for the safe, efficient operation, maintenance and troubleshooting of production equipment, facility systems and supporting infrastructure. This role delivers preventive and corrective maintenance, documents work in CMMS, enforces safety and quality standards, and collaborates with engineering and production teams to drive uptime, reliability and continuous improvement across manufacturing or facility operations.

Primary SEO keywords: Operations Technician, maintenance technician, equipment troubleshooting, preventive maintenance, CMMS, PLC troubleshooting, safety compliance.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Maintenance Apprentice or General Maintenance Worker transitioning to a full Operations Technician role.
  • Production Operator with demonstrated troubleshooting and mechanical aptitude.
  • Facilities Technician or HVAC/Mechanical Helper moving into operations and equipment maintenance.

Advancement To:

  • Senior Operations Technician / Lead Technician
  • Maintenance Supervisor or Shift Supervisor
  • Reliability Engineer or Maintenance Planner

Lateral Moves:

  • Facilities Technician
  • Quality Technician
  • Process Technician

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Perform routine and scheduled preventive maintenance on production machines, conveyors, pumps, compressors, HVAC systems and facility infrastructure using established PM schedules to reduce unplanned downtime and extend equipment life.
  • Diagnose and troubleshoot mechanical, electrical, pneumatic and hydraulic system failures quickly and accurately using multimeters, oscilloscopes, hand tools and diagnostic procedures to restore equipment to service.
  • Respond to unplanned equipment breakdowns 24/7 (as required by shift) to perform corrective repairs, including disassembly, replacement of components, alignment, and reassembly while adhering to safety and lockout/tagout procedures.
  • Execute planned upgrades, changeovers and machine setups to support production scheduling, including tooling change, sensor calibration, belt alignment and mechanical adjustments to meet product specifications.
  • Read and interpret mechanical and electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, P&IDs and PLC ladder logic to locate faults, perform repairs and implement improvements in collaboration with engineering.
  • Use computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS) such as Maximo, SAP PM or Infor EAM to create, update and close work orders, record parts used, log labor hours and capture failure modes and corrective actions.
  • Perform preventive calibration and verification of instrumentation and control devices (pressure, temperature, flow, level transmitters) to maintain process accuracy and compliance with quality standards.
  • Collaborate with production, quality and engineering teams to investigate root causes of recurring failures, propose corrective actions, lead small improvement projects and validate corrective countermeasures.
  • Maintain an organized spare-parts inventory, forecast parts needs, order critical components, and manage stock rotation to minimize lead time for repairs and prevent extended production interruptions.
  • Conduct routine facility inspections (roof, drains, electrical rooms, fire suppression, emergency lighting) and coordinate repairs with contractors or internal teams to ensure regulatory and safety compliance.
  • Implement, follow and improve standard operating procedures (SOPs), safety procedures and maintenance checklists to ensure consistent, repeatable maintenance practices and compliance with ISO/OSHA standards.
  • Install, wire and test new equipment and instrumentation during capital projects or line expansions, coordinating with vendors and contractors to ensure safe and code-compliant installations.
  • Monitor process parameters and machine performance trends using data logging tools, vibration analysis, thermography and other condition-monitoring technologies to detect early signs of failure and schedule proactive maintenance.
  • Perform basic PLC troubleshooting and minor ladder logic edits under supervision to resolve automation issues and return lines to production; escalate complex control problems to automation engineers.
  • Execute lockout/tagout (LOTO), confined space entry and other safety-critical procedures during maintenance activities while coaching coworkers on correct safety practices.
  • Carry out quality checks and first-article inspections after maintenance or setup activities to ensure product meets dimensional and functional requirements before full production restart.
  • Document maintenance activities, failures, root cause analyses, and corrective actions in operational logs and handover reports to ensure continuity across shifts and to support continuous improvement initiatives.
  • Support commissioning and start-up activities for new equipment, performing pre-start inspections, functional testing, and adjustments to achieve validated process conditions.
  • Provide hands-on training and mentoring to new technicians and production operators on basic troubleshooting, PM tasks and safe work practices to build cross-functional capability.
  • Coordinate and schedule third-party vendors, contractors and calibration services when specialized skills or certification are required, ensuring scope, safety and quality expectations are met.
  • Operate forklifts, cranes or scissor lifts as needed to move heavy components and equipment for maintenance tasks while following all site-specific operator training and certification requirements.
  • Maintain housekeeping of mechanical rooms, tool cribs and maintenance areas to ensure tools and equipment are stored and tracked, minimizing safety hazards and loss of critical tools.
  • Participate in daily shift handover meetings, maintenance planning sessions and continuous improvement kaizen events to align priorities and reduce mean time to repair (MTTR).
  • Perform environmental, health and safety (EHS) checks and report hazards, near-misses and corrective actions to site EHS leads to maintain a zero-harm working environment.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
  • Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Preventive and corrective maintenance planning and execution for mechanical, electrical and fluid power systems.
  • Troubleshooting electrical circuits, motor controls, drives and basic PLC ladder logic; familiarity with Allen-Bradley, Siemens or Mitsubishi controllers preferred.
  • Proficient use of CMMS (e.g., Maximo, SAP PM, Infor EAM) to manage work orders, parts and maintenance history.
  • Ability to read and interpret blueprints, wiring diagrams, P&IDs and technical manuals.
  • Hands-on experience with pneumatics, hydraulics, bearings, belts, gearboxes, and shaft alignment tools.
  • Instrumentation calibration and verification (pressure, temperature, flow, level) and familiarity with calibration documentation.
  • Competence with diagnostic tools: multimeter, clamp meter, infrared thermography, vibration analyzer and hand tools.
  • Basic welding, brazing or mechanical fastening skills for field repairs (as applicable to facility).
  • Experience with safety systems, lockout/tagout, confined space entry and NFPA/OSHA compliance.
  • Forklift, scissor lift or crane operation certifications (site dependent).
  • Familiarity with continuous improvement methodologies (5S, Kaizen, TPM, root cause analysis).
  • Basic computer skills including Microsoft Excel, CMMS interfaces and maintenance reporting tools.

Soft Skills

  • Strong problem-solving mindset with the ability to diagnose complex, multi-disciplinary equipment issues.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication to document work, explain technical issues to non-technical stakeholders and conduct shift handovers.
  • Attention to detail and commitment to quality and regulatory compliance.
  • Ability to work effectively under pressure and prioritize tasks during production interruptions.
  • Team player with a collaborative approach to cross-functional problem solving.
  • Time management and organizational skills to balance preventive maintenance and reactive repairs.
  • Initiative and continuous learning orientation to adopt new technologies and maintenance techniques.
  • Customer-service focus to support production teams and minimize operational impact.
  • Safety-first attitude and the ability to coach others in safe work practices.
  • Adaptability to shift work, on-call rotations and changing production demands.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or GED with relevant technical certifications or apprenticeship experience.

Preferred Education:

  • Associate degree or technical diploma in Industrial Maintenance, Electrical Technology, Mechanical Engineering Technology or related trade school certification.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Industrial Maintenance
  • Electrical Technology
  • Mechanical Engineering Technology
  • HVAC/Refrigeration
  • Instrumentation and Control

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 1–5 years of hands-on maintenance or operations experience in manufacturing, processing, facilities or industrial environments.

Preferred: 3–7 years of progressive experience as a Maintenance Technician, Facilities Technician or Operations Technician with demonstrated troubleshooting, CMMS usage and preventative maintenance program ownership.

Explore More Careers