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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Electrical Maintenance Engineer

💰 $60,000 - $95,000

EngineeringMaintenanceElectrical

🎯 Role Definition

The Electrical Maintenance Engineer is responsible for ensuring reliable operation, safety, and continuous improvement of electrical systems in industrial facilities. This role focuses on preventive and corrective electrical maintenance, troubleshooting complex electrical and control systems (PLCs, motor control centers, drives), performing root cause analysis, and driving reliability initiatives to reduce downtime and optimize asset performance. Ideal candidates combine hands-on field experience with strong technical documentation, electrical design understanding, and a continuous-improvement mindset.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Electrical Technician / Maintenance Technician with 2-5 years of industrial experience
  • Junior Electrical Engineer or Controls Technician transitioning from site support
  • Apprenticeship-completed Electrician moving into engineering/maintenance roles

Advancement To:

  • Senior Electrical Maintenance Engineer
  • Reliability Engineer / Asset Reliability Manager
  • Maintenance Manager / Engineering Manager
  • Electrical Engineering Project Lead

Lateral Moves:

  • Controls Engineer / PLC Programmer
  • Instrumentation & Control Engineer
  • Industrial Automation Engineer

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Plan, execute and oversee preventive, predictive, and corrective electrical maintenance activities for medium- and low-voltage systems, motor control centers (MCCs), switchgear, transformers, and distribution networks to ensure 24/7 plant reliability and safety.
  • Troubleshoot complex electrical faults on production equipment, conveyors, motors, variable frequency drives (VFDs), and servo systems using structured diagnostics, wiring diagrams, oscilloscope/multimeter testing, and failure mode analysis to restore operations quickly.
  • Perform root cause analysis (RCA) on repeat electrical failures, document findings, implement corrective actions, and track results through maintenance management systems to reduce mean time between failures (MTBF).
  • Maintain and program PLC and HMI systems (Allen-Bradley, Siemens, Schneider, or equivalent), troubleshoot control logic issues, coordinate with controls engineers for safe changes, and support production during software/firmware upgrades.
  • Lead and execute electrical safety programs including lockout/tagout (LOTO), arc-flash assessments, electrical hazard mitigation, PPE enforcement, and compliance with NFPA 70E and local electrical codes.
  • Develop, review and optimize preventive maintenance (PM) plans, electrical inspection checklists, and predictive maintenance routines (infrared thermography, vibration analysis, oil analysis) to maximize equipment uptime and minimize reactive work.
  • Design, specify and supervise electrical installation and upgrade projects including cable tray, conduit, motor replacements, control panels, and lighting upgrades while coordinating with contractors and site teams to meet schedule and budget.
  • Inspect and test batteries, UPS systems, emergency power supplies, and critical power distribution systems; perform load testing, capacity planning, and emergency response for power-loss scenarios.
  • Manage spare parts inventory for critical electrical components, recommend inventory optimization, and drive obsolescence mitigation plans to ensure fast repairs and reduce production risk.
  • Prepare and maintain accurate technical documentation, one-line diagrams, schematics, maintenance records, and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for electrical systems to support audits and knowledge transfer.
  • Lead cross-functional troubleshooting during production incidents, facilitate technical root-cause reviews with operations and reliability teams, and propose engineering changes to prevent recurrence.
  • Train and mentor junior electricians and maintenance technicians on safe electrical practices, diagnostic techniques, proper testing procedures, and reading electrical drawings to build team capability.
  • Coordinate emergency response and outage planning for scheduled and unscheduled shutdowns, prepare detailed job plans and risk assessments, and lead electrical scopes during turnarounds and capital projects.
  • Evaluate legacy equipment and recommend modernization or retrofit projects (motor upgrades, VFD installations, PLC modernization) to improve energy efficiency, control, and maintainability.
  • Ensure compliance with statutory inspections, corrective actions from audits/inspections, and timely renewal of certifications related to electrical systems and personnel.
  • Work with procurement and vendors to evaluate technical bids, approve electrical equipment specifications, and validate vendor installations or factory acceptance tests.

Secondary Functions

  • Support reliability and continuous improvement programs by providing electrical expertise for root-cause workshops, Kaizen events, and Six Sigma projects that target reduced downtime and cost savings.
  • Contribute to lifecycle and asset management planning by supplying technical input for capital expenditure (CapEx) proposals and total cost of ownership (TCO) analyses for electrical assets.
  • Collaborate with operations to translate production requirements into electrical engineering solutions, balancing safety, uptime, and cost-effectiveness.
  • Participate in shift-change handovers, maintenance scheduling meetings, and weekly planning reviews to ensure alignment between maintenance priorities and production demand.
  • Support ad-hoc technical investigations, data collection and analysis (failure trends, power quality logs), and contribute to the organization’s predictive maintenance strategy and roadmap.
  • Assist project engineering teams during design reviews, commissioning and post-commissioning optimization by providing practical site knowledge and test procedures.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Strong electrical troubleshooting and diagnostic skills across low-, medium-, and high-voltage systems, including hands-on experience with MCCs, switchgear and transformers.
  • Proficient with PLC and HMI systems (Allen-Bradley, Siemens, Schneider), including ladder logic understanding, debugging, and basic programming or modification.
  • Experience with variable frequency drives (VFDs), soft starters, motor control circuits, and motor protection devices.
  • Knowledge of electrical codes and safety standards (NFPA 70E, NEC, IEC) and proven ability to implement electrical safety programs and lockout/tagout procedures.
  • Ability to read, interpret and update electrical one-line diagrams, schematics, wiring diagrams, and control drawings.
  • Skilled in preventive and predictive maintenance techniques—thermal imaging, vibration analysis, insulation resistance testing, and motor circuit analysis.
  • Familiarity with CMMS/EAM systems (SAP PM, Maximo, Infor EAM, or equivalent) for work order creation, maintenance planning and spares management.
  • Competence in using electrical test equipment: multimeter, clamp meter, megohmmeter, power quality analyzer, oscilloscope and insulated tools.
  • Experience with power distribution design, short-circuit calculations, grounding systems, and protection relay coordination.
  • Knowledge of industrial communication protocols and networks (EtherNet/IP, Profibus, Modbus, Profinet) and basic troubleshooting of industrial networks.
  • Hands-on experience with commissioning and decommissioning electrical equipment and performing factory acceptance tests (FAT) and site acceptance tests (SAT).
  • Familiarity with continuous improvement methods (5S, Root Cause Analysis, RCM) and implementing reliability-centered maintenance activities.

Soft Skills

  • Strong analytical and methodical problem-solving skills, with attention to root cause rather than symptom fixes.
  • Clear written and verbal communication for technical reporting, shift handovers, and cross-functional coordination.
  • Leadership and mentoring ability to coach technicians and influence maintenance culture toward safety and reliability.
  • Time management and prioritization skills to balance reactive repairs, preventive tasks and project work in a high-demand environment.
  • Collaborative mindset to work effectively with operations, engineering, procurement and external contractors.
  • Adaptability and resilience under pressure during plant outages and incident response.
  • Detail orientation for accurate documentation, compliance, and safe execution of electrical work.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Associate degree or diploma in Electrical Engineering Technology, Electrical Engineering, or completion of an accredited electrician apprenticeship.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Electrical Engineering, Electrical Engineering Technology, or related engineering discipline.
  • Professional certifications such as Certified Maintenance & Reliability Technician (CMRT), Certified Electrical Safety Compliance Professional (CESCP), or relevant vendor certifications (Rockwell, Siemens).

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Electrical Engineering / Electrical Engineering Technology
  • Industrial Automation / Controls
  • Power Systems / Energy Management
  • Mechatronics / Instrumentation

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3 - 8+ years of industrial electrical maintenance experience, depending on complexity and industry (manufacturing, food & beverage, petrochemical, utilities).

Preferred: 5+ years of experience in electrical maintenance with evidence of PLC/HMI exposure, VFD and motor control expertise, experience leading outage or turnaround electrical scopes, and documented successes in reliability improvement initiatives.

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