Maintenance Engineer Job Description
Use this template to create a clear, practical vacancy for a Maintenance Engineer who will keep plant, machinery and building systems running reliably. The copy is written for UK employers and includes job advert text, responsibilities, essential criteria and candidate questions.
What does a Maintenance Engineer professional do?
A Maintenance Engineer installs, inspects, troubleshoots and repairs mechanical, electrical and control systems to maintain safe, reliable production and building operations.
Maintenance Engineer job description template
Use this employer-ready example as a starting point, then replace the placeholders and adjust the content so it accurately reflects your vacancy.
Maintenance Engineer
About the role
We are recruiting a Maintenance Engineer for our [LOCATION] site to provide planned and reactive maintenance across mechanical, electrical and control equipment. You will carry out fault-finding, repairs, preventive maintenance and small installations, record work accurately and support continuous improvement. This role may include shift patterns and occasional on-call duties; salary [SALARY RANGE] and full details will be discussed at interview.
Key responsibilities
- Carry out routine preventive maintenance and inspections of plant and building services
- Respond to breakdowns and perform timely fault-finding and repairs to minimise downtime
- Diagnose mechanical, electrical and control faults using test equipment and schematics
- Install, commission and modify equipment and minor upgrades as required
- Maintain accurate maintenance records, job sheets and parts inventories
- Order, label and store spare parts and consumables as directed
- Work with production and engineering teams to support root-cause analysis and reliability improvements
- Ensure all work complies with statutory regulations and company safety procedures, including lock-off/tag-out and risk assessments
Essential skills and experience
- Practical experience in plant or equipment maintenance (mechanical and/or electrical)
- Ability to carry out fault-finding and use hand tools, multimeter and basic diagnostic equipment
- Ability to read engineering drawings, wiring diagrams and maintenance manuals
- Knowledge of safe working practices including isolation/lock-off procedures and risk assessments
- Good written and verbal communication and basic IT literacy for maintenance records
- Willingness to work required shift patterns, overtime or occasional on-call duties
Desirable
- Experience with PLCs, HMIs and simple control systems
- Familiarity with hydraulics, pneumatics or variable speed drives
- Formal engineering qualification (NVQ, BTEC, HNC/HND) or apprenticeship in electrical/mechanical discipline
- Experience of CMMS/electronic maintenance systems
- Experience working within a regulated manufacturing environment (food, pharmaceuticals, automotive etc.)
What we offer
- Pension contribution scheme (details to be confirmed)
- Paid annual leave – company standard entitlement
- Overtime or shift premiums where applicable
- On-the-job training and technical development support
- Uniform / PPE and tools allowance (if applicable)
- Employee assistance programme or wellbeing support (where offered)
How to apply
Apply with your CV and any additional information requested. Make the interview process, closing date and any assessment stages clear where known.
Use this as a starting point rather than a final advert. The strongest version will reflect the real role, salary, location, systems, responsibilities, benefits and working arrangements.
What is a Maintenance Engineer role?
A Maintenance Engineer is responsible for ensuring equipment and building systems operate reliably and safely. They perform routine preventative maintenance, diagnose and repair faults on mechanical and electrical systems, support installations and upgrades, and keep accurate maintenance records. They work closely with production and engineering teams to reduce downtime and improve equipment reliability.
Typical environment
Manufacturing plant, production lines, workshops, or building services and facilities with indoor site-based work and access to mechanical and electrical equipment.
Hours
May include standard day shifts, early/late shift rosters, planned overtime and occasional on-call cover depending on the employer's operating model.
Equipment worked on
Mechanical assemblies, motors, pumps, conveyors, electrical panels, control systems and ancillary building services (heating, ventilation, compressed air).
Line management
Typically reports to Engineering Manager, Maintenance Supervisor or Plant Manager and works as part of a multi-discipline maintenance team.
Typical Maintenance Engineer responsibilities
Responsibilities should reflect the real scope of the vacancy rather than every task someone in this profession might ever complete.
Carry out routine preventive maintenance
Carry out routine preventive maintenance and inspections of plant and building services
Respond
Respond to breakdowns and perform timely fault-finding and repairs to minimise downtime
Diagnose mechanical
Diagnose mechanical, electrical and control faults using test equipment and schematics
Install
Install, commission and modify equipment and minor upgrades as required
Maintain accurate maintenance records
Maintain accurate maintenance records, job sheets and parts inventories
Order
Order, label and store spare parts and consumables as directed
Work with production
Work with production and engineering teams to support root-cause analysis and reliability improvements
Ensure all work complies with
Ensure all work complies with statutory regulations and company safety procedures, including lock-off/tag-out and risk assessments
Maintenance Engineer skills and experience to look for
Keep the essential list focused on what the person really needs to perform the role. Move useful-but-trainable experience into desirable criteria.
Usually worth prioritising
- Practical experience in plant or equipment maintenance (mechanical and/or electrical)
- Ability to carry out fault-finding and use hand tools, multimeter and basic diagnostic equipment
- Ability to read engineering drawings, wiring diagrams and maintenance manuals
- Knowledge of safe working practices including isolation/lock-off procedures and risk assessments
- Good written and verbal communication and basic IT literacy for maintenance records
- Willingness to work required shift patterns, overtime or occasional on-call duties
Useful where relevant
- Experience with PLCs, HMIs and simple control systems
- Familiarity with hydraulics, pneumatics or variable speed drives
- Formal engineering qualification (NVQ, BTEC, HNC/HND) or apprenticeship in electrical/mechanical discipline
- Experience of CMMS/electronic maintenance systems
- Experience working within a regulated manufacturing environment (food, pharmaceuticals, automotive etc.)
See our guide to what to include in a job advert before publishing.
How to write a Maintenance Engineer job advert
Small role-specific details can make the advert much easier for suitable candidates to assess.
Be specific about core responsibilities
Name the main plant, systems or trades the role will work on (electrical, mechanical, PLCs, hydraulics) so applicants can self-select.
Set clear essential vs desirable criteria
Make technical must-haves essential (e.g. fault-finding experience) and list certificated skills that are advantageous as desirable to avoid excluding good candidates.
State shift patterns and on-call clearly
If the role involves nights, weekends, or regular call-outs, state this upfront to reduce unsuitable applications.
Describe the practical assessment
If you use a hands-on or technical test in recruitment, mention this so candidates expect a practical interview stage.
Highlight safety and compliance
Mention any required safety practices or sector standards (e.g. permit-to-work) to attract candidates experienced with regulated working environments.
Maintenance Engineer salary considerations
Maintenance Engineer pay varies widely. Employers should set salary based on the complexity of equipment, required skills and the role’s working hours rather than a fixed market figure.
depending on experience
- Use a genuine range
- Separate variable pay
- Avoid “competitive” alone
- Match salary to seniority
What Maintenance Engineer candidates will want to know
Practical details can influence whether a suitable candidate applies, even when the title and salary are attractive.
What is the typical shift pattern and how often is on‑call required?
Experienced applicants want to know roster regularity, night work frequency and whether there are guaranteed on‑call payments.
Which types of equipment and manufacturers will I work on?
Candidates prefer to assess fit based on the machinery, control systems and complexity they will maintain.
What training and development is available?
Engineers often plan their career progression, so clarity on qualifications, upskilling and funded training is important.
How are emergency call-outs and overtime managed and paid?
Applicants want transparent information on call-out rotas, response expectations and premium rates or time off in lieu.
What spare parts, tools and diagnostic equipment are provided?
Candidates need to know whether they will use company tools and diagnostic kit or be expected to bring personal tools.
Where to post a Maintenance Engineer job
For Maintenance Engineer roles, use a mix of general UK job boards and engineering-focused channels. Post on technical or manufacturing job sites, share via LinkedIn and relevant professional groups, and contact local colleges or apprenticeship programmes for early‑career candidates. Consider distributing through specialist engineering forums and local recruitment agencies for hard‑to‑fill, multi‑skilled positions.
Related manufacturing & facilities job descriptions
Recruiting for a slightly different role? These templates may be a closer fit.
Maintenance Engineer job description FAQs
Do I need a specific qualification to hire a Maintenance Engineer?
No single qualification is universally required. Many employers accept trade qualifications, NVQs, HNCs or an engineering apprenticeship combined with proven practical experience. Set essential criteria to reflect the role's technical needs rather than a single mandatory certificate.
How should I assess candidates' technical ability?
Use a two-stage approach: a detailed CV and phone screening to verify experience, followed by a practical test or structured interview with technical questions and examples of fault-finding. Where possible, observe a hands-on task or review a portfolio of past maintenance work.
When is an agency useful for this role?
Agencies help when you need to fill urgently, need niche PLC/control skills, or lack internal recruitment capacity. For standard maintenance roles, local advertising and targeted job boards often suffice and can be more cost-effective.
Should I include on-call in the job advert?
Yes. State the expected on-call frequency, response times and any compensation or rota arrangements so applicants can assess whether the role fits their availability.
How long should probation and notice periods be for engineers?
Typical probation periods range from three to six months to assess performance on-site. Notice periods are usually between one and three months for permanent roles; choose terms that reflect the seniority and criticality of the post.
Get this job advert ready
Use the copy above as the basis for your vacancy and insert site-specific details (location, exact hours, salary band and how to apply). Tailor the essential/desirable lists to match the equipment and safety standards used at your site.
