Lead Reliability Technician – Plant Utilities & Equipment

Powell Houston-Canton; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Powell Houston-Canton is seeking an experienced facilities maintenance leader to safeguard and optimize a manufacturing and construction yard. You will guide teams, coordinate contractors, and partner with engineers to elevate reliability and uptime across high-voltage electrical, plumbing, and specialized equipment.

The role requires hands-on diagnostics, preventive maintenance, and rapid repair capability, with a focus on 3‑phase electrical systems, hydraulics, and pneumatics, while

Qualifications

• 5+ years of facilities maintenance in manufacturing, heavy industrial, or construction environments.
• Proven leadership experience as a lead, crew leader, or foreman guiding contractor workflows.
• Strong technical knowledge of 3‑phase electrical systems, motor controls, hydraulics, and pneumatics.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills for a fast-paced fabrication floor.
• English language ability to interpret blueprints and safety logs.

Responsibilities

• Lead people and projects.
• Coordinate third-party onsite contractors to safely execute major repairs and structural improvements.
• Diagnose and repair automated and manual equipment, including industrial welding equipment and related systems.
• Work with production/manufacturing engineers on process optimizations and infrastructure improvements.
• Maintain HVAC, electrical distribution, and plumbing for maximum uptime.
• Test, maintain, and rapidly repair fire suppression and fire detection systems and mechanical devices as needed.
• Track maintenance logs, spares, and work orders in a CMMS, in line with ISO 9000 Quality System requirements.

Skills

Leadership

Technical expertise

Systems thinking

Communication

Blueprint reading

Tools

Hand tools

Power tools

Electrical measuring instruments

Job description

Uptime champion. Safety guardian. Builder of better systems.You care about craftsmanship and continuity. You see a facility as a living system where great maintenance keeps people safe and production on schedule. In this role, you’ll fuse hands‑on diagnostics with leadership—guiding teams, steering contractors, and partnering with engineers to push reliability higher every week.Your missionSafeguard the safe, reliable operation of our manufacturing facility and active construction yard by delivering heavy‑duty diagnostics, disciplined preventive maintenance, and rapid repair across high‑voltage electrical, plumbing, and specialized manufacturing equipment.How you’ll deliver resultsLead people and projectsCommunicate with clarity: Keep crews informed about company direction, shift objectives, and updated operating policies.Grow performance: Recommend wage increases, awards, and promotions for high performers. Address low performance with clear expectations, coaching, warnings, and formal disciplinary recommendations when appropriate.Align upward: Meet your supervisor routinely to report issues, discuss options, and synchronize goals.Direct contractors: Coordinate third‑party onsite contractors to safely execute major repairs and structural improvements.Elevate production assetsFind and fix fast: Diagnose and repair automated and manual equipment—industrial welding equipment, abrasive blasting equipment, and more.Engineer alongside: Work shoulder‑to‑shoulder with production/manufacturing engineers on process optimizations and infrastructure improvements.Fortify facilities and utilitiesKeep core systems steady: Maintain commercial HVAC, electrical distribution, and plumbing for maximum uptime.Protect life safety: Test, maintain, and rapidly repair fire suppression and fire detection systems and mechanical devices across the facility.Balance PM and emergencies: Execute daily preventive routines while responding decisively to urgent repairs anywhere on site.Tools, yard assets, and data integrityUse the right instruments: Apply advanced skill with hand tools, power tools, and electrical measuring instruments to isolate root causes.Support the yard: Assist with upkeep, inspections, and minor repair coordination for staging machinery and structural construction yard assets.Run on data: Track maintenance logs, spares, and work orders in a CMMS, following ISO 9000 Quality System requirements. Manage supply inventories via digital systems.What you bringExperience: 5+ years of facilities maintenance in manufacturing, heavy industrial, or construction environments.Leadership: Prior success as a lead, crew leader, or foreman guiding contractor workflows and team dynamics.Technical expertise: Advanced knowledge of 3‑phase electrical systems, motor controls, hydraulics, and pneumatics; proficiency reading complex blueprints, industrial schematics, and equipment manuals.Systems savvy: Proficiency with PCs and Windows; strong database background highly preferred.People skills: Strong multitasking, communication, and organizational skills built for a fast‑paced fabrication floor.Language: Basic command of English, spoken and written, to interpret blueprints and record safety logs.Physical capability: Able to work in non‑climate‑controlled environments, lift 60+ lbs, and operate at heights or in confined spaces.Work environment & physical profileEnvironment: Safety‑sensitive role primarily in a temperature‑controlled industrial/manufacturing space with periodic outdoor activities.PPE: Willing and able to wear safety shoes, hard hats, bump caps, safety glasses, hearing protection, safety harnesses, and respirators when required.Height work: Comfortable on step and A‑frame ladders and elevated structures—typically up to 20 feet—with proper lift and Fall Protection Equipment.Mobility & balance: Maintain equilibrium while walking, standing, crouching, and moving via stairs/ladders; bend at waist and knees; reach/extend hands and arms in any direction.Endurance & upper extremities: Continuous standing/walking; frequent use of upper extremities; work with both arms above shoulders and at full extension often.Lifting & tools: Lift up to 50 lbs; frequent use of hand and power tools.Vision & coordination: Excellent hand‑eye coordination and vision (close, distance, color, peripheral, depth) with the ability to adjust focus.A final noteThis overview highlights the essential functions of the position and is not a comprehensive inventory of every possible duty, task, or responsibility.