Maintenance engineer
Being at the frontline of an engineering plant and dealing with equipment maintenance and repairs requires a responsible and organised approach
As a maintenance engineer, you'll be responsible for the continuous running of equipment and machinery in industrial settings. Using a computerised maintenance management system (CMMS), you'll oversee routine maintenance and organise repairs. You'll also be involved with control and monitoring devices and occasionally in the manufacture of items that will assist maintenance.
Your role is vital to the efficiency, development and progress of manufacturing and processing industries. Working with other professionals, you'll improve production facilities, reduce the incidence of costly breakdowns and develop strategies to improve overall reliability and safety for plant, personnel and production processes.
Responsibilities
As a maintenance engineer, you'll need to:
- design maintenance strategies, procedures and methods
- carry out routine maintenance work and respond to equipment faults
- diagnose and troubleshoot breakdown problems
- fit new parts and make sure equipment is working correctly
- carry out quality inspections on equipment and systems
- liaise with client departments, customers and other engineering and production colleagues
- arrange specialist procurement of fixtures, fittings or components
- control maintenance tools, stores and equipment
- monitor and control maintenance costs
- deal with emergencies, unplanned problems and repairs
- ensure compliance with health and safety policies and procedures, keeping abreast of any changes to regulations
- work with specialist equipment, such as programmable logic controllers (PLC), which control machinery on factory assembly lines
- write maintenance strategies to help with installation and commissioning guidelines
- ensure there is continuous cover for the machinery and equipment in case of breakdowns.
Salary
- Graduate maintenance engineers typically earn between £25,000 and £30,000.
- Mid-range salaries usually fall between £30,000 and £40,000.
- Senior maintenance engineers earn in the region of £45,000 to £58,000.
Higher earnings are possible, although salaries vary significantly according to the industry, size of the organisation, location and engineering discipline.
Income figures are intended as a guide only.
Working hours
You'll usually work around 40 hours a week. You may occasionally be required to work unsociable hours, in order to coordinate with technicians and minimise downtime.
Many plants operate 24 hours a day, all year round and, in some industries, you'll be required to work shifts covering nights, weekends and early mornings.
What to expect
- Your usual place of work will be a plant, site or factory and the environment may be noisy. The work may involve extended periods working on the factory floor and to tight deadlines in response to breakdown emergencies.
- Self-employment or freelance work is sometimes possible. This is usually as a self-employed contractor working on a specialist plant or with specialist equipment, in engineering consultancy or on contract project work.
- The field is currently male-dominated, but initiatives are in place to encourage more women into the industry, through organisations such as WISE and Women's Engineering Society (WES).
- Depending on your employer you may be required to visit sites during the day and some roles may require you to frequently work away at client or site installations.
- Overseas work is possible if you develop a specific expertise.
Qualifications
It isn't essential for you to have a degree to become a maintenance engineer, but many candidates do have a BEng or MEng in a relevant subject, such as:
- electrical and electronic engineering
- manufacturing engineering
- mechanical engineering
- production engineering.
Some degrees are accredited by a professional body, such as the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), and these are helpful for achieving incorporated engineer (IEng) or chartered engineer (CEng) later in your career. A list of accredited courses can be found at the Engineering Council's Accredited Course Search.
Some employers accept alternative qualifications, such as an HND in manufacturing or engineering, or vocational qualifications in related areas.
It's also possible to become a maintenance engineer by starting as an apprentice fitter or technician and building up experience through your career. You'll usually need to take further qualifications to progress in this way.
Some engineering or manufacturing companies offer sponsorship on engineering courses. Research thoroughly to find out what is available and what would suit you. Many employers start recruiting in the autumn term.
It can be useful to get student membership with a professional body, to keep up to date with developments in the industry and to start making contacts. Relevant organisations include:
Skills
You'll need to show:
- the capacity to understand a range of engineering functions and procedures
- business skills, as you may manage budgets, lead a team and deal with suppliers
- the ability to lead and motivate others
- teamworking skills for collaborating with a range of stakeholders
- the ability to negotiate with, and persuade others
- good diagnostic and problem-solving skills
- resilience and adaptability in high-pressure situations
- people-management skills.
Work experience
Employers highly value relevant work experience as it shows that you have built up relevant skills and knowledge. Specific requirements can vary for each job and some employers may favour candidates with experience in another area of engineering.
Gaining experience through sandwich or vacation placements or other work related to manufacturing or production is important and will show you have some relevant skills.
The charity EDT runs an Industrial Cadets programme through which it organises paid placements in industry to school leavers and undergraduates, typically lasting 12 months.
The platform Workfinder connects young people (16 to 24) with local businesses for industry experience opportunities.
Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.
Employers
The manufacturing, process and construction industries provide many opportunities for maintenance engineers. Some opportunities exist in the public sector, for example within building maintenance and transport engineering.
As a maintenance engineer, you could also find work in the following types of industries:
- aerospace and automotive
- electronics and IT engineering
- energy utilities, including nuclear engineering
- engineering construction
- engineering consultancies
- government agencies
- medical engineering
- oil, gas and petrochemical
- research agencies
- the armed forces
- transport, including road and railways.
Job titles can vary depending on the industry, alternative titles include:
- works engineer
- plant engineer
- site superintendent
- engineering manager.
Look for job vacancies at:
Professional development
An entry-level graduate position allows you, under the guidance of senior engineers, to gain experience, develop maintenance strategies and apply your practical engineering and problem-solving skills.
Most companies provide structured training programmes and often opportunities to develop soft skills, such as people management, through on-the-job training and short training courses. As you develop through your career your employer may support you in studying part time for relevant further qualifications.
You may wish to work towards gaining incorporated (IEng) or chartered (CEng) engineer status, which is awarded by the Engineering Council. Gaining this status can provide you with higher earning potential and improved career prospects. See Engineering Council - Professional Registration for more information.
To become chartered, you'll need to demonstrate that you're working at a particular level and have the required professional competences and commitment, as set out in the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence (UK-SPEC).
You'll also need to become a member of a professional institution, such as IET or IMechE, and apply through them for professional registration. The IMechE offers the Developing Engineers Programme for its associate members, which aims to support you in achieving professional registration.
The process of becoming incorporated or chartered is more straightforward if you have accredited qualifications but it is still possible to achieve it without.
Career prospects
How you progress in your career will depend on the industry you're working in. For example, in the process industry you may develop specialised knowledge and become a technical expert. In other industries, you may become a maintenance manager, managing technical staff and developing maintenance programmes.
Some engineers move into technical sales or support roles, liaising with professionals in marketing, supply chain, HR, finance and IT.
There may be opportunity for overseas travel as you gain experience, visiting client sites to develop maintenance strategies and solutions.
As a chartered engineer, opportunities to progress to senior level positions will arise and these could include roles in consultancy, where your expertise in maintenance management can be used in several industries.