Forklift PIV Lead Technician

Cabinetworks Group; Middlefield (OH); On-site; USD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Cabinetworks Group seeks a Powered Industrial Vehicle (PIV) Lead Technician to lead maintenance, repair, inspection, and reliability of all powered industrial vehicles across the facility. You will provide technical leadership to the maintenance team, coordinate repairs and preventive maintenance, and ensure safety compliance to maximize uptime.

The role requires 5+ years in PIV or material handling maintenance, strong electrical/hydraulic knowledge, and CMMS experience.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required; technical degree or equivalent experience preferred.
• Five or more years of experience maintaining powered industrial vehicles or material handling equipment.
• Previous leadership or lead technician experience preferred.
• Strong knowledge of electrical, hydraulic, mechanical, and control systems for powered equipment.
• Ability to read electrical schematics, hydraulic diagrams, and service manuals.
• Experience using CMMS.
• Strong troubleshooting and problem‑solving skills.
• Excellent communication, organization, and leadership abilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead the maintenance and repair of all powered industrial vehicles and equipment.
• Diagnose and troubleshoot electrical, hydraulic, mechanical, and control system failures.
• Plan, prioritize, and assign daily repair activities to ensure equipment availability.
• Develop and maintain preventive maintenance schedules to improve fleet reliability.
• Perform root cause analysis on recurring equipment failures and implement permanent corrective actions.
• Coordinate with vendors for warranty work, major repairs, and technical support.
• Manage parts inventory and recommend critical spare parts to minimize downtime.
• Maintain accurate maintenance records, work orders, and equipment history.
• Ensure all repairs comply with OSHA, ANSI, NFPA, and company safety standards.
• Support and mentor maintenance technicians with technical guidance and hands-on training.
• Assist with budgeting, equipment replacement planning, and fleet improvement initiatives.
• Participate in equipment evaluations and recommend upgrades to improve safety and efficiency.
• Respond to equipment breakdowns to support production.

Skills

Leadership

CMMS

Electrical systems

Hydraulic systems

Troubleshooting

Reading schematics

Team coordination

Strong communication

Education

High school diploma or GED

Technical degree or equivalent experience

Tools

CMMS software

Job description

Job Description

The Powered Industrial Vehicle (PIV) Lead Technician is responsible for leading the maintenance, repair, inspection, and reliability of all powered industrial vehicles throughout the facility. This position provides technical leadership to the maintenance team, coordinates repairs and preventive maintenance, ensures compliance with safety regulations, and works closely with operations to maximize equipment uptime.

Responsibilities

• Lead the maintenance and repair of all powered industrial vehicles, including electric and internal combustion forklifts, reach trucks, pallet jacks, order pickers, tow tractors, and other material handling equipment.
• Diagnose and troubleshoot electrical, hydraulic, mechanical, and control system failures.
• Plan, prioritize, and assign daily repair activities to ensure equipment availability.
• Develop and maintain preventive maintenance schedules to improve fleet reliability.
• Perform root cause analysis on recurring equipment failures and implement permanent corrective actions.
• Coordinate with vendors for warranty work, major repairs, and technical support.
• Manage parts inventory and recommend critical spare parts to minimize downtime.
• Maintain accurate maintenance records, work orders, and equipment history.
• Ensure all repairs comply with OSHA, ANSI, NFPA, and company safety standards.
• Support and mentor maintenance technicians by providing technical guidance and hands‑on training.
• Assist with budgeting, equipment replacement planning, and fleet improvement initiatives.
• Participate in equipment evaluations and recommend upgrades that improve safety, reliability, and efficiency.
• Respond to equipment breakdowns as needed to support production.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required; technical degree or equivalent experience preferred.
• Five or more years of experience maintaining powered industrial vehicles or material handling equipment.
• Previous leadership or lead technician experience preferred.
• Strong knowledge of electrical systems, hydraulic systems, motors, drive units, steering systems, braking systems, and battery‑powered equipment.
• Ability to read electrical schematics, hydraulic diagrams, and service manuals.
• Experience using computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS).
• Strong troubleshooting and problem‑solving skills.
• Excellent communication, organization, and leadership abilities.
• Ability to work independently while supporting a team environment.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to stand, kneel, climb, bend, and work in confined spaces.
• Comfortable working at heights and in varying environmental conditions.
• Ability to respond to emergency equipment failures during scheduled shifts or call‑ins as required.

Level of Proficiency

Working knowledge of department safety, quality, and operational procedures; training manuals; and company policies and procedures is required. Understanding of various types of environmental and manufacturing processes, to avoid non‑conformance to company, EPA, or OSHA compliance.

Attendance and Work Schedule

Daily attendance and punctuality must be maintained; absenteeism will cause hardship for other team members. Overtime is determined on a daily basis according to production schedules and workload. Overtime is communicated as needed. Workload is per production schedule with departments’ specific standards. Some travel for training and meetings may be required. Shift schedules include a 15‑minute break, a 30‑minute lunch, and one additional 10‑minute break.

Shift Schedules

• 1st shift: 10 hours per day, 4 days per week, Monday through Thursday.
• Weekend shift: 12 hours per day, 3 days per week, Friday through Sunday.
• Shift 3rd shift: schedule details not specified.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Cabinetworks Group (the “Company”) is an equal opportunity employer and we want to have the best available persons in every job. The Company makes employment decisions only based on merit. It is the Company’s policy to prohibit discrimination in any employment opportunity (including but not limited to recruitment, employment, promotion, salary increases, benefits, termination and all other terms and conditions of employment) based on race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, pregnancy, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, age, physical/mental disability, medical condition, marital/domestic partner status, military and veteran status, height, weight or any other such characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. The Company is committed to complying with all applicable laws providing equal employment opportunities. This commitment applies to all persons involved in the operations of the Company regardless of where the employee is located and prohibits unlawful discrimination by any employee of the Company.

E‑Verify

Cabinetworks Group is an E‑Verify employer. E‑Verify is an internet‑based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that allows participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees in the United States.