Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Operating Mechanic

🎯 Role Definition

This role requires an experienced Operating Mechanic to join our industrial maintenance team. The Operating Mechanic is responsible for performing preventive and corrective maintenance on production equipment, diagnosing and repairing mechanical, hydraulic and pneumatic systems, and supporting safe, efficient plant operations. This role requires strong mechanical troubleshooting, hands-on repair skills, and a commitment to continuous improvement and safety compliance. Ideal candidates will have trade certifications or technical training and a proven track record in maintaining heavy rotating equipment, conveyors, pumps, gearboxes and related industrial machinery.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Maintenance Technician or Maintenance Apprentice with 1–3 years of hands-on experience
Industrial Millwright or General Mechanic transitioning into rotating and production equipment roles
Technical school or vocational program graduate in mechanical or industrial maintenance

Advancement To:

Senior Operating Mechanic / Lead Mechanic
Maintenance Supervisor or Shift Maintenance Lead
Reliability Technician / Reliability Engineer (with additional training)
Plant Maintenance Manager or Operations Manager

Lateral Moves:

Instrumentation & Controls Technician (with PLC training)
Welding/Fabrication Specialist
Shift Supervisor / Production Lead

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Perform scheduled preventive maintenance inspections and services on pumps, motors, gearboxes, compressors, conveyors, and other production equipment to maximize uptime and extend component life, following established maintenance plans and lubrication schedules.
Diagnose, troubleshoot and repair mechanical failures using systematic diagnostic techniques, hand tools and specialized test equipment to rapidly restore equipment to safe operating condition.
Disassemble, inspect, repair and reassemble complex mechanical assemblies such as bearings, seals, couplings, shafts, and gear trains, ensuring correct clearances, torque values and alignments per manufacturer specifications.
Conduct precision shaft alignments, balance rotating equipment, and perform vibration checks to reduce wear and prevent long-term failures, documenting results in maintenance logs and CMMS.
Service hydraulic and pneumatic systems by locating leaks, replacing seals, rebuilding cylinders, adjusting valves and testing system pressures to ensure consistent and safe system performance.
Install, troubleshoot and maintain mechanical drives and variable frequency drives (VFDs) in coordination with controls technicians to ensure integrated mechanical-electrical reliability.
Read and interpret mechanical blueprints, engineering drawings, schematics and parts lists to fabricate, repair and install components with accuracy and compliance to design specifications.
Perform welding, cutting and fabrication tasks (MIG/TIG/Stick) to fabricate brackets, guards and pipe spools or to repair structural and mechanical components, following welding procedures and quality standards.
Lead and participate in plant shutdowns and turnarounds, executing planned maintenance scopes, coordinating trades, sequencing work and ensuring safety and quality for timely restart.
Follow lockout-tagout (LOTO), confined space and other safety procedures during all maintenance activities, actively participating in safety audits and hazard assessments.
Maintain accurate maintenance records, create detailed work orders and update the computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) with labor, parts and diagnostic findings to support planning and spare parts management.
Support root cause analysis initiatives using structured problem-solving techniques (5 Whys, fishbone) to identify underlying failure modes and implement corrective and preventive actions.
Fabricate, modify and install machine guards, fixtures and jigs to improve safety, productivity and maintainability, collaborating with engineering where required.
Monitor critical spare parts inventory, provide recommendations for stocking levels, and assist in the procurement process to minimize equipment downtime due to parts shortages.
Perform operational testing and calibrations of pressure, temperature and flow control devices after repairs to confirm performance meets production and quality standards.
Mentor and train junior mechanics and apprentices on safe maintenance practices, troubleshooting methods and proper use of tools and PPE to build team capability.
Coordinate with production and planning to schedule maintenance activities that minimize impact to operations while meeting maintenance objectives and KPIs.
Participate in continuous improvement projects (Kaizen, TPM) to reduce mean time between failure (MTBF) and mean time to repair (MTTR) and to improve equipment reliability and throughput.
Respond to emergency breakdowns and after-hours callouts as assigned, providing rapid, decisive repair actions and communicating status to operations leadership for safe resumption of production.
Inspect and maintain building mechanical systems and plant utilities (steam traps, pumps, HVAC mechanical components) as required to support safe and efficient plant operations.
Ensure compliance with environmental, health and safety regulations during maintenance activities, including proper handling and disposal of oils, coolants and hazardous materials.
Collaborate with external contractors and OEM service technicians during major repairs or overhauls, ensuring contractor work meets company standards and contractual scope.
Document and update standard operating procedures (SOPs), maintenance instructions and troubleshooting guides to capture institutional knowledge and enhance response consistency.
Evaluate and recommend upgrades or retrofits to older equipment to improve reliability, ergonomics and maintainability, providing cost-benefit insights to maintenance leadership.

Secondary Functions

Support continuous improvement by collecting maintenance metrics, analyzing trends and proposing reliability-focused projects.
Assist in the rollout and adoption of new maintenance technologies, digital tools and CMMS enhancements to improve work planning and asset management.
Participate in cross-functional teams to optimize production flows and eliminate repetitive maintenance issues through design or process changes.
Provide technical input for capital projects where mechanical scope, installation sequencing and maintainability are critical.
Help coordinate training plans, safety meetings and toolbox talks related to mechanical maintenance best practices and hazard mitigation.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Mechanical troubleshooting and diagnostics for industrial rotating and reciprocating equipment
Preventive and predictive maintenance practices including lubrication, bearing replacement and alignment
Hydraulic system repair, cylinder rebuilds and pressure testing
Pneumatic system maintenance, valve servicing and leak detection
Basic electrical awareness and ability to collaborate on VFD and motor-related issues (motor mounts, couplings, starters)
Blueprint and mechanical drawing reading, parts identification and measurement interpretation
Welding and fabrication skills (MIG, TIG, Stick) and basic metalworking (cutting, grinding, forming)
Use of hand tools, precision measuring instruments (micrometers, dial indicators), and power tools safely and effectively
Familiarity with CMMS systems for work order management, inventory tracking and maintenance scheduling
Experience with lockout-tagout (LOTO), confined space entry, and other safety certifications and procedures
Precision shaft alignment and balancing techniques, vibration monitoring basics
Knowledge of pumps, gearboxes, compressors and conveyor systems maintenance and repair
Root-cause analysis methodologies and implementation of corrective actions
Preventive maintenance planning, spare parts management and BOM familiarity
Experience participating in planned shutdowns, turnarounds and mechanical overhauls

Soft Skills

Strong problem-solving and analytical thinking to diagnose complex mechanical failures
Clear verbal and written communication skills for reporting, shift handover and documentation
Teamwork and ability to collaborate across maintenance, production and engineering teams
Time management and prioritization to balance preventive tasks and emergency response
Attention to detail to perform high-quality repairs and maintain accurate records
Adaptability and willingness to learn new tools, technologies and processes
Safety-first mindset with commitment to regulatory compliance and best practices
Coaching and mentoring skills to develop junior staff and share technical knowledge
Customer-service orientation toward internal stakeholders such as production and quality teams
Initiative and continuous improvement mindset focused on equipment reliability and cost control

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or GED with relevant industry certifications (e.g., millwright, mechanical maintenance, welding)

Preferred Education:

Technical diploma or associate degree in Mechanical Technology, Industrial Maintenance, or related field
Journeyman certification or vocational trade school graduation

Relevant Fields of Study:

Mechanical Engineering Technology
Industrial Maintenance / Maintenance Mechanics
Millwright / Heavy Duty Mechanics
Welding and Fabrication Technology
Industrial Electricity (basic electrical theory)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3–7 years of progressive hands-on mechanical maintenance experience in a heavy industrial, manufacturing, processing, or utilities environment.

Preferred:

5+ years experience maintaining production line equipment, rotating machinery and hydraulics/pneumatics
Documented experience with planned shutdowns, predictive maintenance tools, and CMMS utilization
Demonstrated track record of improving equipment uptime, safety compliance and maintenance efficiency