Maintenance Tech IV

Maintenance Technician IV (Manufacturing)

The Maintenance Technician IV (Manufacturing) is an advanced skilled trades professional responsible for leading the most complex troubleshooting, repair, and optimization of manufacturing equipment and systems. This role applies mastery-level technical expertise across mechanical, electrical, controls, automation, pneumatic, and hydraulic systems to ensure safe, reliable, and efficient operations. Operating with minimal supervision, the Maintenance Technician IV serves as a technical authority and escalation point, significantly impacting production continuity, safety, equipment reliability, and long-term asset health.

Role Overview The Maintenance Technician IV functions as the highest-level individual contributor within the Manufacturing Maintenance Technician job family. Work frequently involves critical assets, advanced automation, complex failure modes, and high-risk or time-critical situations. The role partners closely with Maintenance Engineering, Reliability, Operations, Controls, and Leadership to resolve chronic issues, support major equipment initiatives, and drive maintenance excellence. While not a formal supervisor, the role provides functional leadership through expertise, mentoring, and standard-setting. The position typically reports to a Maintenance Manager, Reliability Manager, or Manufacturing Operations Leader.

Key Responsibilities

• Expert Troubleshooting & Technical Execution
• Lead diagnosis and correction of the most complex mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, and automation failures
• Troubleshoot advanced PLC-controlled systems, drives, motors, robotics, safety circuits, HMIs, and industrial networks (within training and authorization)
• Resolve chronic, non-routine, or high-impact equipment issues that affect safety or production continuity
• Act as the escalation authority for breakdowns and critical equipment events
• Advanced Reliability, Preventive & Predictive Maintenance
• Optimize preventive and predictive maintenance strategies for critical manufacturing assets
• Identify systemic failure modes and implement durable reliability improvements
• Support root-cause failure analysis (RCFA) and corrective action development
• Partner with Maintenance Engineers and Reliability to improve asset lifecycle performance
• Automation, Controls & Commissioning Support
• Provide advanced diagnostic support for automated and integrated manufacturing systems
• Support commissioning, startup, upgrades, and modifications of new or existing equipment
• Collaborate with Controls, Engineering, OEMs, and vendors on advanced technical issues
• Support system validation and operational readiness for production use
• Safety, Compliance & Risk Leadership
• Champion a strong safety culture and enforce strict adherence to safety standards and lockout/tagout practices
• Identify and mitigate equipment-related safety risks and failure hazards
• Support safety audits, investigations, and corrective action implementation
• Ensure maintenance work complies with environmental, quality, and regulatory requirements
• Process Improvement & Operational Excellence
• Identify and drive improvements in equipment reliability, maintainability, uptime, and performance
• Provide input to equipment design, spare parts strategy, and maintenance standards
• Lead or strongly influence continuous improvement, TPM, or reliability initiatives
• Support development of standard work, troubleshooting guides, and best practices
• Mentorship & Functional Leadership
• Serve as a master-level technical mentor to Maintenance Technician I–III roles
• Support training, cross-qualification, and development of maintenance team skills
• Share technical expertise, lessons learned, and best practices across shifts or sites
• Act as a trusted technical advisor to supervisors, engineers, and leadership
• Documentation & Knowledge Management
• Ensure thorough, high-quality documentation of complex maintenance activities in the CMMS
• Capture failure modes, corrective actions, and reliability insights for future reference
• Support audit readiness and technical documentation accuracy

Scope & Impact

Significant site-level or multi-area impact on manufacturing reliability and safety. Work is highly autonomous, complex, and often time-critical. Errors or misjudgments can materially affect safety, production output, equipment integrity, or customer commitments. Directly shapes maintenance capability, reliability performance, and operational stability.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

High school diploma or GED required. Extensive experience in manufacturing maintenance, skilled trades, or industrial environments required. Advanced technical training, certifications, or apprenticeship completion strongly preferred.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Mastery-level knowledge of industrial mechanical, electrical, and automation systems. Exceptional troubleshooting, analytical, and diagnostic capability. Ability to interpret complex electrical schematics, PLC logic, and technical documentation. Strong judgment in high-risk or time-sensitive situations. Excellent communication, mentoring, and influence skills. Uncompromising commitment to safety, quality, and continuous improvement.