Job Title: Maintenance Lead

Job Description

This Maintenance Lead role is a 100% hands-on, multi-craft position responsible for performing mechanical, electrical, and PLC preventative and reactive maintenance on a wide range of industrial equipment. You will serve as the primary troubleshooting expert on the shift, supporting and guiding two other maintenance technicians while ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient operation of production machinery and systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead and perform hands-on mechanical, electrical, and PLC preventative and reactive maintenance on industrial equipment, including hydraulics, pneumatics, pumps, motors (50–1500 HP), bushings, bearings, shafts, gear sets, flywheels, transmissions, cylinders, safety sensors, switches, shears, rotary knives, turn style tables, spindles, turrets, uncoilers, pickling lines, cold roll mills, furnaces (including confined space), coolers/chillers, and air compressors.
• Serve as the primary troubleshooting resource and working lead for the 2nd shift, acting as the go-to person for two other technicians when complex issues arise.
• Diagnose and repair mechanical issues such as hydraulic and pneumatic failures, motor and gear problems, bearing system issues, valves, and cylinder rebuilds, including adding safety curtains when necessary.
• Perform electrical maintenance and troubleshooting on systems ranging from 12V to 480V 3-phase, using lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures, multimeters, and a solid understanding of AC/DC principles, valve schematics, electrical schematics, and electrical symbols.
• Troubleshoot and repair safety circuits, sensors, switches, and other electrical components to maintain safe and reliable equipment operation.
• Conduct PLC troubleshooting (primarily Allen-Bradley/Rockwell platforms), including reading and following ladder logic, checking inputs and outputs, swapping and changing drives and sensors, identifying and correcting switch errors, and resolving safety circuit faults.
• Read and interpret valve schematics and electrical schematics to guide diagnostics and repairs, ensuring accurate and efficient problem resolution.
• Inspect, tear down, repair, and reassemble large mechanical components such as long rods (up to approximately 12 feet), ensuring precision and confidence in working with large-scale equipment.
• Access elevated equipment using manlifts to perform maintenance tasks at heights up to approximately 60 feet, including work on top of large machines, furnaces, and silos.
• Support maintenance needs across multiple plants on the same campus, adapting to different equipment types, layouts, and conditions as needed.
• Follow and promote strict safety practices, including proper LOTO procedures, safe use of tools and lifts, and adherence to plant safety policies and guidelines.
• Collaborate with other maintenance and production team members to minimize downtime, prioritize work orders, and maintain high levels of equipment availability and reliability.
• Participate in preventative maintenance activities, inspections, and documentation to extend equipment life and prevent unplanned failures.
• Maintain tools, equipment, and work areas in a clean, organized, and safe condition, despite the inherently dirty, oily, or greasy nature of some operations.
• Provide input on continuous improvement opportunities related to equipment performance, safety enhancements, and maintenance processes.

Essential Skills

• 8–10+ years of industrial multi-craft maintenance experience in a heavy industrial or manufacturing environment.
• 3+ years of experience in a Maintenance Lead or similar leadership-type role supporting other technicians.
• Strong mechanical troubleshooting skills with hydraulics, pneumatics, motors, gears, bearing systems, valves, and cylinder rebuilds, including the ability to add safety curtains when needed.
• Demonstrated ability to tear down, repair, and reassemble large mechanical components such as long rods (sometimes up to approximately 12 feet), without hesitation or intimidation.
• Proficient electrical troubleshooting skills on 12V to 480V 3-phase systems, including experience with lockout/tagout (LOTO), AC/DC fundamentals, multimeters, valve schematics, electrical schematics, and electrical symbols.
• Ability to troubleshoot and repair electrical safety circuits, sensors, switches, and related components.
• PLC troubleshooting experience, primarily with Allen-Bradley/Rockwell-type systems, including reading and following ladder logic, checking inputs/outputs, changing drives and sensors, identifying switch errors, and resolving safety circuit issues.
• Ability to read and interpret valve sc