Torchora
Back to Home

Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Electrical Maintenance Technician

💰 $45,000 - $85,000

MaintenanceElectricalManufacturingTechnician

🎯 Role Definition

The Electrical Maintenance Technician is responsible for maintaining, troubleshooting, repairing, and optimizing industrial electrical systems and equipment to ensure safe, reliable, and efficient plant operations. This role focuses on preventive and corrective electrical maintenance for motors, drives, control systems (PLCs), switchgear, transformers and associated power distribution up to medium-voltage levels. The ideal candidate applies electrical code and safety standards (NFPA 70E, NEC), uses CMMS tools, performs root-cause analysis, and supports continuous improvement initiatives to reduce downtime and improve reliability.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Maintenance Helper / General Maintenance Technician
  • Electrician Apprentice or Journeyman Electrician
  • Industrial Mechanic or Maintenance Mechanic
  • Field Service Technician

Advancement To:

  • Senior Electrical Maintenance Technician / Lead Technician
  • Maintenance Supervisor / Team Lead
  • Reliability Engineer / Predictive Maintenance Specialist
  • Maintenance Manager / Plant Engineering Supervisor
  • Electrical Engineer (with additional education)

Lateral Moves:

  • Instrumentation & Controls Technician / PLC Programmer
  • Mechatronics Technician / Automation Technician
  • Facilities Maintenance Technician

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Perform preventive, predictive and corrective maintenance on electrical distribution systems, including motors, motor control centers (MCCs), variable frequency drives (VFDs), transformers, switchgear and panelboards to maximize uptime and equipment life.
  • Troubleshoot and repair PLCs (Allen‑Bradley, Siemens, etc.), relays, contactors, programmable logic controllers, and control circuits using electrical schematics and ladder logic interpretation to restore automated systems quickly.
  • Diagnose electrical faults using multimeters, clamp meters, megohmmeters/insulation testers, oscilloscopes and thermal imaging cameras to pinpoint failures and prioritize corrective actions.
  • Execute lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures and ensure compliance with NFPA 70E and company electrical safety policies before performing work on energized or potentially energized equipment.
  • Read, interpret and update electrical drawings, single-line diagrams, P&IDs, riser diagrams and wiring schematics for installation, troubleshooting and documentation purposes.
  • Plan and execute electrical installations and upgrades, including conduit bending, cable pulling, cable tray installation and proper termination of wires and lugs to code standards.
  • Commission new electrical equipment and control systems, perform start-up checks, fine-tune settings (VFD, motor starters, sensors), and validate proper operation under load conditions.
  • Conduct infrared thermography inspections of electrical distribution equipment and prioritize follow-up maintenance for overloaded or failing components to prevent unplanned outages.
  • Use computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS) such as SAP PM, IBM Maximo, or equivalent to schedule work orders, record repairs, update asset histories and track spare parts consumption.
  • Perform motor troubleshooting and repair including alignment, bearing replacement, rotor/stator inspections and evaluation of motor protection devices to maintain motor reliability.
  • Implement and execute predictive maintenance programs (vibration analysis, thermography, motor current analysis) in coordination with reliability teams to reduce mean time between failures (MTBF).
  • Perform emergency electrical repairs during production outages, coordinate resources and communicate status to operations and management to minimize downtime and production loss.
  • Troubleshoot and maintain instrumentation and control loop components (sensors, transmitters, PID controllers) to ensure accurate process measurement and control.
  • Maintain accurate maintenance documentation, standard operating procedures (SOPs), electrical schematics, and as-built drawings to support future troubleshooting and audits.
  • Test and calibrate electrical protective devices, relays and safety interlocks to verify functionality and compliance with operational and safety requirements.
  • Inspect and maintain lighting systems, emergency power circuits, UPS systems and battery backups to ensure facility safety and continuity.
  • Support planned plant shutdowns, turnarounds and capital projects by providing electrical expertise, executing work packages and assisting contractors to meet schedule and quality targets.
  • Coordinate with vendors and contractors for specialized electrical repairs, procure OEM parts and evaluate replacement options to control costs and improve equipment performance.
  • Perform root cause analysis (RCA) for recurring electrical failures, develop corrective actions and lead improvement projects to eliminate chronic issues and improve reliability KPIs.
  • Manage spare parts and electrical consumables inventory, recommend critical spares, and optimize stocking levels to reduce lead-time for emergency repairs.
  • Train and mentor junior electricians, apprentices, and operations personnel on safe electrical practices, basic troubleshooting and preventive maintenance tasks.
  • Ensure compliance with environmental, health and safety (EHS) regulations by participating in safety audits, hazard assessments, and continuous improvement of electrical safety programs.
  • Assist engineering with electrical design reviews, specification writing and estimating for small capital projects or process upgrades that require electrical scope definition.
  • Monitor and report maintenance metrics (MTTR, MTBF, downtime) and contribute to weekly/monthly maintenance performance reviews and reliability meetings.

Secondary Functions

  • Support continuous improvement initiatives and Kaizen events focused on electrical reliability and energy efficiency.
  • Assist procurement with technical evaluations of electrical components, vendor quotes and lead-time assessments.
  • Help maintain site asset tagging, labeling and documentation standards for traceability and compliance.
  • Participate in cross-functional teams for facility expansions, relocation of equipment, or layout changes to ensure electrical requirements are met.
  • Maintain clean, organized electrical work areas and adhere to 5S/lean maintenance practices to improve safety and workflow efficiency.
  • Provide on-call support on a rotating basis to respond to after-hours electrical emergencies and critical alarms.
  • Document lessons learned from major repairs and share best practices across maintenance teams.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Strong electrical troubleshooting and diagnostics across AC/DC systems, including single‑phase and three‑phase power up to 480V (and medium voltage exposure as required).
  • PLC troubleshooting and basic programming skills (Allen‑Bradley/ControlLogix, CompactLogix, MicroLogix, Siemens S7, etc.).
  • Hands-on experience with VFDs, motor starters, soft starters and motor control circuits; ability to configure and troubleshoot drive parameters.
  • Proficient reading and interpreting of electrical schematics, one-line diagrams, P&IDs, wiring diagrams and ladder logic.
  • Knowledge of electrical codes and standards including NFPA 70E, NEC, OSHA and local electrical codes; experience with arc-flash hazard mitigation.
  • Experience with CMMS platforms (SAP PM, IBM Maximo, Milvus, eMaint or equivalent) for work order management and asset tracking.
  • Use of electrical test equipment: digital multimeter, insulation resistance tester (megger), clamp meter, oscilloscope, phase rotation meter, thermal camera, vibration meter.
  • Basic instrumentation and control loop understanding: sensors, transmitters, control valves and PID fundamentals.
  • Conduit bending, cable pulling, terminations, crimping, and industrial wiring best practices.
  • Experience performing motor maintenance: alignment, coupling checks, bearing replacement and balancing.
  • Familiarity with electrical protective devices, relays, MCCs, switchgear maintenance and troubleshooting.
  • Ability to perform commissioning, start-up and functional testing of electrical and control systems.
  • Experience with predictive maintenance tools and methodologies (infrared thermography, vibration analysis, motor current signature analysis).

Soft Skills

  • Strong analytical problem-solving and root-cause analysis capabilities.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication to effectively interact with operations, engineering, vendors and management.
  • Safety-first mindset with consistent adherence to LOTO and electrical safety procedures.
  • Team-oriented attitude with ability to train, mentor and collaborate across multidisciplinary teams.
  • Time management and prioritization skills to manage multiple work orders and urgent repairs.
  • Detail-oriented with commitment to accurate documentation and regulatory compliance.
  • Adaptability to shift work, rotating schedules and on-call responsibilities as required.
  • Customer-service orientation toward internal stakeholders and production teams.
  • Initiative and continuous improvement mindset with openness to learning new technologies and automation systems.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or GED plus formal electrical trade training, electrical apprenticeship, or equivalent hands-on experience.

Preferred Education:

  • Associate degree or technical diploma in Electrical Technology, Industrial Maintenance, Electronics or related field.
  • Journeyman electrician license, electrical technician certification (NCCER, IEC), or equivalent trade certification.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Electrical Technology / Electrical Engineering Technology
  • Industrial Maintenance / Mechatronics
  • Electronics Technology / Control Systems
  • Instrumentation & Automation

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 2 to 7 years of electrical maintenance experience in an industrial, manufacturing, or processing environment.

Preferred:

  • 5+ years of progressive electrical maintenance experience with exposure to PLCs, VFDs and complex motor control systems; experience in food & beverage, chemicals, automotive or heavy manufacturing preferred.
  • Certifications such as NFPA 70E, OSHA 10/30, CPR/First Aid, and vendor certifications for PLCs or drives are advantageous.
  • Demonstrated experience using CMMS and performing predictive maintenance (infrared thermography, vibration analysis).
Explore More Careers