Maintenance technician job description template: industrial, facilities or property, lockout and electrical lines
On this page
- Pick the setting and the crafts
- Safety training and licensing lines, with sources
- The maintenance technician job description template
- Pay and EEO
- From must-haves to screening questions and scorecard rows
- Common mistakes in maintenance technician job descriptions
- Before you publish
- Questions people ask
"Maintenance technician" can mean someone who troubleshoots PLC-controlled packaging lines at 3 a.m., someone who keeps an office building's air handlers and doors working, or someone who turns apartments between tenants. Postings that list "electrical, mechanical, plumbing and HVAC experience" draw all three and screen out none. A useful maintenance technician job description names the setting, the equipment, the crafts the technician actually uses, the split between planned and breakdown work, and the on-call pattern. It also states the safety training you provide and any license the work requires. Below are the setting choices, the OSHA and licensing lines with sources, a copy-ready template, screening and scorecard rows, and common mistakes. The phone screen is covered in maintenance technician screening questions.
Pick the setting and the crafts
| Setting | Typical equipment and work | Must-have that separates it |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial or manufacturing | Production lines, conveyors, motors and drives, PLC controls, hydraulics and pneumatics, preventive maintenance routes | Troubleshoots a stopped line using prints and a meter; PLC experience at the level the line needs |
| Food or beverage plant | Washdown equipment, fillers, packaging, sanitation schedules, food safety rules | Works to food safety and sanitation procedures as well as machine repair |
| Facilities or commercial building | Air handlers, boilers, pumps, lighting, doors and locks, work order system, vendor oversight | Building systems experience; manages contractors and tenant requests |
| Property or apartment maintenance | Make-readies, appliances, plumbing fixtures, minor electrical, resident service requests | Completes make-readies on schedule; works in occupied homes politely |
| Multi-craft lead | All of the above for one site, planning PM work, training newer techs | Plans and assigns PM work; mentors |
Settle with the maintenance manager: the main equipment by name, the share of planned versus breakdown work, the maintenance system (CMMS) used for work orders, the shift and on-call pattern, and whether technicians bring their own hand tools. "About 60 percent PM and 40 percent breakdown on two packaging lines" (an invented example) tells a candidate more than a list of crafts.
Safety training and licensing lines, with sources
Not legal advice. The OSHA, EPA and BLS points were checked against the agency pages linked here as of October 2026. State plans, state and local licensing rules and your own safety program may add more.
Lockout/tagout. Under OSHA's control of hazardous energy standard, employers must train authorized employees (the people who lock out machines to service them) to recognize hazardous energy sources and the methods to isolate them, retrain them when assignments, equipment or procedures change, certify that training with names and dates, and inspect each energy control procedure at least once a year (29 CFR 1910.147). The posting line: "Follows lockout/tagout procedures; we train and certify you on ours." Asking about lockout experience on the screen is fair; a card from another site does not replace your training.
Electrical work. OSHA requires extra training for "qualified persons" who work on or near exposed energized parts: distinguishing live parts, determining nominal voltage and knowing the required clearance distances (29 CFR 1910.332(b)(3)). If the job includes troubleshooting live control panels, say so and say that you provide qualified-person training.
Licenses. BLS notes that for more complex tasks, maintenance workers may need a license in a specialty such as electrical or plumbing work, and that requirements vary by state and locality (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, last modified August 27, 2026). Ask your compliance lead which work requires a license on your site, and only then decide whether a license is a must-have.
Refrigerant. If technicians will attach gauges, add or recover refrigerant on cooling or refrigeration equipment, EPA Section 608 certification of the matching type is required (EPA). If a contractor does that work, leave it out.
The maintenance technician job description template
Maintenance Technician — [Industrial / Facilities / Property /
Multi-Craft Lead], [Day / Swing / Night / Rotating] Shift
[Company], [site, city, state]
Pay: $[min]–$[max] per hour, plus [shift differential, on-call pay
$N per [week / call-in], overtime pattern].
[Benefits summary, if required.]
SUMMARY
You will keep [two packaging lines / a 300,000-square-foot office
campus / a 250-unit apartment community] running. Work is about
[N] percent planned maintenance and [N] percent breakdown repair
on [main equipment by name]. You will use [CMMS] for work orders
and report to the [maintenance manager / chief engineer]. On-call
is [one week in N / none].
WHAT YOU WILL DO
- Troubleshoot and repair [motors, drives, conveyors, PLC-controlled
equipment / air handlers, boilers, pumps / appliances, plumbing
fixtures] using prints, meters and manuals.
- Complete preventive maintenance on schedule and record it in
[CMMS].
- [Rebuild hydraulic and pneumatic components.]
- [Make minor electrical repairs within [voltage / scope] after our
qualified-person training.]
- Follow lockout/tagout and other safety procedures on every job.
- [Coordinate and check work by outside contractors.]
YOU MUST HAVE
- [N] years of maintenance experience in a [manufacturing /
commercial building / multifamily] setting.
- Hands-on experience with [the two or three crafts the job truly
needs].
- [License or certification only if the work requires it: e.g. EPA
Section 608 [type] / state or local license for [work].]
- Availability for [shift, on-call, overtime].
- Ability to perform the duties below, with or without reasonable
accommodation.
NICE TO HAVE
- [PLC platform] troubleshooting; [welding]; [boiler] experience.
- Experience with [CMMS].
If you meet the must-haves and none of these, please apply.
TOOLS
We provide [specialty tools, meters, lifts]. You bring [hand tools
list], with a [tool allowance].
CONDITIONS
- Work at heights on ladders and lifts, in tight spaces, around
running equipment, [in heat / cold / washdown areas].
- Offers subject to [checks] as permitted by law.
[EEO STATEMENT]
To request an adjustment to apply or interview, contact [contact].Pay and EEO
Post the hourly range, differentials, on-call pay and overtime pattern. If the rate depends on skill level, explain what moves someone up (for example, passing a PLC troubleshooting assessment, as an example of a criterion). BLS publishes pay data for general maintenance and repair workers and for industrial machinery mechanics, machinery maintenance workers and millwrights (both last modified August 27, 2026); this page does not quote figures. Close with an EEO statement covering the characteristics the EEOC lists, and keep health questions out of the posting and screen.
From must-haves to screening questions and scorecard rows
| Must-have | Screening question | Scorecard competency | Evidence of a strong answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Troubleshooting method | "A conveyor motor will not start. Walk me through what you check, in order." | Electrical and mechanical troubleshooting | Lockout first, then the control circuit and overloads, measured readings, then the motor and mechanical load |
| Equipment match | "Which equipment did you maintain most in the last year, and what was the hardest repair?" | Relevant experience | Names equipment like yours and a repair with a cause and a fix |
| Lockout habits | "Tell me about a time someone asked you to skip lockout to save time. What did you do?" | Safety judgment | Did not skip it; explained why and involved the supervisor |
| Planned work | "How do you decide what to do first when PM work is due and a line goes down?" | Prioritization | Breakdown first, then reschedules PM in the CMMS and tells the planner |
| On-call | "On-call is one week in four with a 60-minute response. Does that work?" | Not scored | Knockout confirmed |
More questions with red flags are in maintenance technician screening questions, and the hands-on test and panel structure are in the interview guide for skilled trades. If the role leans toward one craft, compare it with electrician screening questions or HVAC technician screening questions.
Common mistakes in maintenance technician job descriptions
Every craft listed as a must-have
Few technicians are strong in electrical, mechanical, plumbing, HVAC and welding at once. Pick the two or three the job relies on.
"Tech II" with no meaning
Level names do not travel between companies. Describe the equipment and the work.
Requiring a license the work does not need
If your technicians do not do licensed work, a license must-have shrinks the pool for nothing. Check first.
Hiding on-call and overtime
On-call rotations and weekend shutdown work matter as much as pay. Put them in the summary.
Before you publish
- Setting, main equipment and the planned-to-breakdown split are in the summary.
- Only the crafts and licenses the job needs are must-haves.
- Lockout and qualified-person training you provide is stated.
- Pay, on-call pay and overtime pattern are clear.
- Conditions, tools, the EEO statement and an accommodation contact close the posting.
Questions people ask
What OSHA training does a maintenance technician need?
It depends on the work, but two standards come up in almost every maintenance job. The lockout/tagout standard requires employers to train authorized employees who lock out machines, retrain them when jobs or procedures change, and certify the training. The electrical safety-related work practices standard sets extra training for qualified persons who work on or near exposed energized parts. The employer provides and documents this training.
Does a maintenance technician need an electrical license?
Not always. Licensing for electrical, plumbing and similar work is set by states and localities, and BLS notes that some complex tasks may require a license in a particular specialty. Ask your safety or compliance lead which work your technicians may do without a license where the site is, and write the posting to match.
Should a maintenance technician posting ask for EPA 608 certification?
Only if the technician will work on refrigeration or air conditioning equipment in ways that could release refrigerant, such as attaching gauges or adding refrigerant. In that case EPA Section 608 certification of the right type is required. If a contractor handles all refrigerant work, leave it out.
How do I describe the skill level for a maintenance technician?
Name the equipment and the skills instead of a level label. For example, say whether the technician will troubleshoot PLC-controlled lines with a laptop, rebuild hydraulic pumps, or mainly change filters and repair doors. Levels such as Tech I and Tech II mean different things at different companies.