Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Oven Technician
💰 $40,000 - $90,000
MaintenanceField ServiceManufacturingMechanicalElectrical
🎯 Role Definition
An Oven Technician is a field-service and plant-based maintenance professional who installs, commissions, and maintains industrial and commercial oven systems. This role focuses on mechanical, electrical and control system troubleshooting including PLCs, HMIs, gas burners, thermocouples and temperature controllers. The Oven Technician ensures reliable oven performance through preventive and predictive maintenance, safety compliance (OSHA/NFPA), thermal profiling, parts replacement and close coordination with production teams and customers.
📈 Career Progression
Typical Career Path
Entry Point From:
- Maintenance Technician
- HVAC / Refrigeration Technician
- Appliance or Bakery Equipment Mechanic
Advancement To:
- Senior Oven Technician / Lead Field Technician
- Reliability / Maintenance Engineer
- Service Manager or Technical Account Manager
Lateral Moves:
- Controls Technician (PLC/HMI specialist)
- Mechanical Maintenance Technician
- Field Service Engineer – Thermal Processing
Core Responsibilities
Primary Functions
- Install, commission and startup industrial and commercial oven systems at customer sites, including mechanical assembly, electrical wiring, control system configuration and initial temperature profiling to verify performance against OEM and customer specifications.
- Perform comprehensive preventive maintenance on ovens (belt/conveyor systems, drive motors, bearings, heating elements, burner assemblies, fans and ducting) according to manufacturer schedules and company CMMS procedures to maximize uptime and extend equipment life.
- Diagnose and repair mechanical failures such as worn bearings, gearboxes, conveyor chains, drive belts, rollers and cam assemblies using hand tools and power tools while following safety and lockout-tagout (LOTO) protocols.
- Troubleshoot electrical malfunctions including motor starters, control relays, contactors, fuses, variable frequency drives (VFDs), wiring faults and replace or repair electrical components to restore oven operation.
- Troubleshoot and repair control systems (PLCs and HMIs), update ladder logic or function blocks, deploy firmware or configuration changes, and collaborate with controls engineers to resolve logic or sequencing issues.
- Inspect and service gas and combustion systems: tune burners, replace electrodes, check ignition systems, perform combustion analysis, adjust air-fuel ratios and ensure compliance with NFPA and local gas codes.
- Calibrate and maintain temperature sensors (thermocouples, RTDs), temperature controllers, PID loops and data-logging systems; perform thermal profiling and generate reports verifying oven uniformity and process capability.
- Respond to emergency service calls and after-hours breakdowns, perform diagnosis and execute field repairs to minimize production losses while documenting actions and long-term corrective recommendations.
- Replace worn or failed heating elements, insulation, panels and refractory materials; perform sheet-metal repairs and minor welding where required to restore oven integrity and thermal efficiency.
- Carry out mechanical adjustments and alignments of conveyor systems, belts and ovens to prevent product jams, reduce wear and maintain throughput specifications.
- Maintain accurate service records in the company's CMMS or ERP (e.g., SAP, Maximo, Maintenance Connection), close work orders with detailed notes, parts used and recommended follow-ups.
- Maintain inventory of commonly used spare parts and consumables at the service vehicle or on-site storeroom; reorder parts as needed and provide parts recommendations to purchasing or the customer.
- Perform safety audits and inspections, verify guards, interlocks, emergency stops and LOTO procedures, and ensure ovens meet OSHA, NFPA and local regulatory requirements.
- Support installation of retrofits and upgrades to increase efficiency or functionality (e.g., new burners, controls upgrades, conveyor modifications) including cost/time estimates, material lists and installation planning.
- Conduct root cause analysis on repeat failures and implement corrective actions or design improvements to reduce mean time between failures (MTBF) and improve reliability.
- Train customer operators and maintenance personnel on safe operation, basic troubleshooting, routine preventive maintenance tasks and best practices to reduce operator error and downtime.
- Prepare and present technical reports, service summaries, and commissioning documentation to customers and internal stakeholders; provide recommendations for spare parts stocking and maintenance contracts.
- Coordinate with vendors and subcontractors for specialized services such as high-temperature insulation replacement, advanced welding, or third-party inspections; act as on-site technical liaison during projects.
- Use diagnostic and test equipment (multimeter, clamp meter, oscilloscope, infrared camera, thermal profiler, combustion analyzer) to validate repairs and confirm oven performance.
- Participate in continuous improvement initiatives and reliability-centered maintenance programs; propose process changes to increase oven throughput, reduce energy consumption and improve product quality.
- Adhere to company policies, vehicle maintenance schedules, and maintain a professional appearance and customer-focused attitude during on-site service visits.
- Provide input to product development and engineering teams by documenting field issues, common failure modes and suggested design improvements for future oven models.
- Support decommissioning, relocation and reinstallation of ovens, ensuring safe removal, transportation, re-assembly and re-qualification at new locations.
- Assist with quotations and service proposals by estimating labor, parts, travel time and potential risks for repair or upgrade projects.
Secondary Functions
- Participate in cross-functional meetings with production, quality and engineering teams to prioritize service work and align maintenance activities with production schedules.
- Support condition-based monitoring programs by collecting run-time data, vibration readings and thermal trends to inform predictive maintenance.
- Contribute to safety training sessions, toolbox talks and LOTO audits to strengthen the site safety culture.
- Help develop SOPs, maintenance checklists and operator guides for new and existing oven equipment.
- Assist sales and service coordinators by providing technical clarifications during contract negotiations and warranty reviews.
Required Skills & Competencies
Hard Skills (Technical)
- Proficient in diagnosing and repairing industrial oven mechanical systems: conveyors, rollers, bearings, gearboxes, belts, chains and drive systems.
- Strong electrical skills: wiring, motor control circuits, contactors, starters, VFDs, troubleshooting AC/DC motors and industrial sensors.
- Controls expertise: programming and troubleshooting PLCs (Allen-Bradley, Siemens, Mitsubishi or similar), HMIs and ladder logic diagnostics.
- Gas burner and combustion system experience: burner tuning, ignition troubleshooting, combustion analysis and knowledge of gas safety codes (NFPA).
- Temperature instrumentation and calibration: thermocouples, RTDs, PID tuning, thermal profiling and thermal uniformity testing.
- Experience using diagnostic tools: multimeter, clamp meter, insulation tester, oscilloscope, infrared camera, thermal profiler and combustion analyzer.
- Competence with preventive and predictive maintenance programs and CMMS systems (e.g., SAP, Maximo, Maintenance Connection).
- Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics, P&IDs, mechanical drawings and wiring diagrams.
- Welding and fabrication basics for minor repairs to ovens and ductwork (MIG/TIG or oxy-acetylene as applicable).
- Knowledge of safety standards and regulatory compliance: OSHA, NFPA, local gas and electrical codes.
- Experience with retrofit and upgrade projects including BOM preparation and installation planning.
- HVAC/ducting and airflow knowledge related to oven ventilation and exhaust systems.
Soft Skills
- Strong problem-solving skills with methodical troubleshooting and root-cause analysis approaches.
- Excellent communication skills for clear interaction with production teams, customers and engineering staff.
- Customer-focused mindset: professional demeanor, timely updates and effective on-site communication.
- Time management and prioritization skills to manage multiple service calls and maintenance tasks.
- Teamwork and collaboration: ability to work with engineers, electricians and outside contractors.
- Attention to detail and quality orientation when performing calibrations, alignments and safety checks.
- Adaptability and resilience for field service work, travel and after-hours emergency support.
- Documentation and reporting skills: concise service reports and recommendations for continuous improvement.
Education & Experience
Educational Background
Minimum Education:
- High school diploma or GED with vocational training in industrial maintenance, electrical technology or HVAC preferred.
Preferred Education:
- Associate degree or technical certificate in Industrial Maintenance, Electrical Technology, Mechatronics or related field.
- Manufacturer-specific certifications for ovens, burners or controls (preferred).
Relevant Fields of Study:
- Industrial Maintenance
- Electrical Technology / Electronics
- HVAC / Refrigeration
- Mechatronics / Controls Engineering
Experience Requirements
Typical Experience Range: 3–7+ years of hands-on experience maintaining and repairing industrial ovens, bakery ovens, thermal processing equipment or related production machinery.
Preferred:
- 5+ years experience with field service, oven commissioning and preventive maintenance.
- Demonstrated experience with PLCs/HMIs, gas burner systems and temperature calibration.
- Valid driver's license and ability to travel to customer sites; forklift or scissor-lift certification a plus.