Maintenance engineers work involves checking, repairing and servicing machinery, equipment, systems and infrastructures.

What does a maintenance engineer do? Typical employers|Qualifications and training|Key skills

Maintenance engineers ensure that industrial machinery and equipment runs smoothly and reliably.

Their work typically involves:

• responding to breakdowns
• diagnosing faults
• repairing equipment
• supervising engineering and technical staff
• obtaining specialist components, fixtures, or fittings
• managing budgets
• maintaining statistical and financial records
• ensuring compliance with health and safety legislation
• creating maintenance procedures
• managing stocks of supplies and equipment.

Shift and 'on-call' work may be required, particularly where manufacturing equipment is in a continual 24-hour operation. Career progression is often accelerated; maintenance engineers have opportunities to move into managerial positions or related areas of employment such as plant/production engineering.

Typical employers of maintenance engineers

• Manufacturing, construction, and process companies (for example food and drink manufacturers)
• Utility companies
• Local authorities
• Government agencies
• The armed forces
• Research facilities
• Consultancies

Self-employment via contract work, and occasionally consultancy, is possible for individuals with several years' experience.

Jobs are advertised online, by careers services, by recruitment agencies, in newspapers, and in relevant publications including TARGETjobs Engineering , The Engineer, and their respective websites.

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