Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Multi-Skilled Maintenance Engineer

🎯 Role Definition

The Multi-Skilled Maintenance Engineer is a hands-on maintenance professional responsible for delivering safe, reliable plant and facility operations through preventative, predictive and reactive maintenance across mechanical, electrical, hydraulic and pneumatic systems. This role requires strong fault-finding, systems commissioning, and continuous improvement capability, working with CMMS/SAP and cross-functional teams to maximise equipment uptime and reduce total cost of ownership.

Key keywords: Multi-Skilled Maintenance Engineer, preventative maintenance, reactive maintenance, preventative & predictive maintenance, PLC fault-finding, CMMS, reliability engineering, plant maintenance, mechanical fitting, electrical troubleshooting.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Maintenance Technician / Multi-Skilled Technician (apprentice trained)
Mechanical Fitter or Electrical Technician
Industrial Electrician / Instrumentation Technician

Advancement To:

Senior Maintenance Engineer / Lead Multi-Skilled Engineer
Maintenance Supervisor / Shift Maintenance Manager
Reliability Engineer / Continuous Improvement Engineer
Engineering Manager / Head of Maintenance

Lateral Moves:

Facilities Engineer
Process Technician / Production Support Engineer
Commissioning Engineer / Project Engineer

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Plan, coordinate and execute planned preventative maintenance (PPM) activities across mechanical, electrical, pneumatic and hydraulic assets to meet KPI targets for uptime and mean time between failures (MTBF).
Diagnose and repair complex mechanical and electrical faults on production lines, conveyors, pumps, gearboxes, motors and gear reducers using structured fault-finding techniques and diagnostic tools.
Perform PLC, HMI and control system fault-finding, ladder logic interpretation and basic PLC program troubleshooting for major manufacturers (Siemens, Allen-Bradley, Schneider, Mitsubishi).
Carry out emergency reactive maintenance and rapid root-cause analysis during breakdowns to minimise production downtime and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence.
Execute planned shutdown and turnaround activities including mechanical installations, alignment, bearing/pulley changes, conveyor rebuilds and major equipment overhauls.
Use CMMS/SAP to create, update and close work orders, log parts usage, update asset histories and schedule recurring maintenance tasks to ensure traceability and regulatory compliance.
Install, commission and validate new equipment, modifications and upgrades in partnership with engineering and production teams; produce commissioning reports and handover documentation.
Lead or participate in reliability improvement initiatives such as vibration analysis, thermography, oil analysis, condition monitoring and predictive maintenance programs to proactively identify failing components.
Fabricate, modify and repair components using mechanical fitting skills including welding, cutting, machining and bench work to keep assets operational.
Maintain and test safety systems and interlocks, perform LOTO (lock-out/tag-out) procedures and ensure all maintenance activities meet H&S legislation and site permit-to-work processes.
Diagnose and repair pneumatic and hydraulic systems including valve packs, actuators, cylinders, filters and hydraulic power units; perform pressure and leak testing.
Support inventory management by identifying spare parts requirements, sourcing long lead items, maintaining critical spares lists and recommending stocking levels to minimise downtime risk.
Implement continuous improvement suggestions and 5S/Lean maintenance practices to reduce maintenance costs, improve MTTR and optimise spare parts usage.
Mentor and train apprentices and junior technicians in multi-skilled techniques, site procedures, safe working practices and troubleshooting methodology.
Prepare and maintain accurate maintenance records, calibration logs and regulatory documentation to support audits, ISO standards and compliance inspections.
Participate in shift handovers and maintenance planning meetings, ensuring clear communication of outstanding defects, planned works and safety issues.
Perform routine inspections, condition monitoring and asset health checks, escalate issues promptly and recommend asset replacement or refurbishment where appropriate.
Liaise with external contractors and vendors for specialist repairs, warranty claims, spare parts procurement and equipment commissioning while ensuring contractor safety compliance.
Carry out electrical testing and inspection work including insulation resistance tests, earth loop testing, motor winding checks and reporting in line with statutory requirements.
Support energy management and sustainability initiatives by identifying opportunities to reduce waste, improve efficiency and extend asset life through maintenance best practices.
Contribute to CAPEX projects by providing maintenance input for design for maintainability, spares strategy, and installation sequencing to improve long-term reliability.

Secondary Functions

Assist production and engineering teams with fault diagnostics, temporary workarounds and process adjustments to maintain product quality during asset repairs.
Create and update standard operating procedures (SOPs), maintenance manuals and troubleshooting guides for common equipment failures.
Support continuous improvement programs such as Root Cause Analysis (RCA), 5 Whys and Ishikawa diagrams to document corrective and preventive actions.
Undertake periodic training to stay current with new technologies, control system updates and industry best practices such as predictive maintenance analytics.
Support environmental, health and safety (EHS) initiatives by participating in toolbox talks, safety audits and hazard identification risk assessments.
Help coordinate and schedule planned maintenance to align with production windows to minimise impact on throughput.
Provide technical input to procurement for specification of replacement machinery, critical spares and maintenance tools.
Carry out basic calibration and verification of instrumentation and sensors to ensure process control accuracy.
Support digital maintenance initiatives such as CMMS optimisation, mobile maintenance workflows and data-driven maintenance planning.
Participate in on-call rota for out-of-hours emergency support and post-maintenance performance checks.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proven fault-finding and diagnostic skills across mechanical, electrical, hydraulic and pneumatic systems.
PLC/HMI troubleshooting and basic programming knowledge (Siemens S7, Allen-Bradley/Rockwell, Schneider).
Strong experience with CMMS/SAP/EAM systems for work-order management, asset records and planned maintenance scheduling.
Ability to read and interpret mechanical and electrical schematics, P&IDs, wiring diagrams and maintenance manuals.
Hands-on mechanical fitting skills including alignment, bearing replacement, coupling and conveyor maintenance.
Experience with condition monitoring techniques: vibration analysis, thermography, oil analysis and ultrasonic testing.
Competence in electrical testing & compliance checks (insulation resistance, earth loop, motor testing).
Hydraulic and pneumatic component servicing and repair, including hydraulic hose work and pressure testing.
Experience with preventive and predictive maintenance programs and reliability-centered maintenance principles.
Welding, fabrication and basic machining skills to effect onsite repairs.
Knowledge of LOTO procedures, permit-to-work systems and practical application of health & safety standards.
Familiarity with ISO standards, EHS regulations, and quality management systems applicable to maintenance activities.

Soft Skills

Strong analytical and structured problem-solving skills for root cause analysis and long-term corrective actions.
Excellent communication skills to coordinate cross-functional teams and report to production and engineering leaders.
Time management and organisational skills to prioritise reactive and planned maintenance effectively under pressure.
Team player with mentoring ability to develop junior technicians and promote knowledge sharing.
Attention to detail and a methodical approach to record-keeping, compliance and safety-critical tasks.
Adaptability and resilience to work across multiple shifts, changing priorities and fast-paced manufacturing environments.
Proactive, customer-focused mindset with a drive to reduce downtime and improve asset reliability.
Commercial awareness to balance repair vs replace decisions and recommend cost-effective solutions.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

NVQ Level 3 / City & Guilds or equivalent vocational qualification in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering, or completed apprenticeship.

Preferred Education:

HNC / HND in Electrical, Mechanical or Manufacturing Engineering, or similar technical diploma.
Professional certifications such as NEBOSH General Certificate, IOSH Managing Safely or manufacturer PLC training.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Mechanical Engineering
Electrical Engineering / Industrial Electronics
Mechatronics / Instrumentation & Control
Manufacturing Engineering

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3 - 7 years of hands-on multi-skilled maintenance experience in manufacturing, processing, FMCG, packaging or heavy industry.

Preferred:

5+ years of demonstrable experience in a multi-skilled role with ownership of PPM programs, CMMS work-order management and complex fault-finding.
Experience working with automation and control systems, leading shutdowns/turnarounds and delivering reliability improvement projects.

If you would like this tailored to a specific industry (food & beverage, automotive, petrochemical, pharmaceuticals) or region (UK, US, EU), I can adapt the responsibilities, certifications and salary range accordingly.