Technical Maintenance Engineer, Maintenance Department

Ferriot Inc.; Akron (OH); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Ferriot, Inc. in Akron, OH seeks a Technical Maintenance Engineer to provide advanced support for manufacturing equipment, focusing on electronics, PLCs, automation, and reliability improvements.

You will diagnose complex electrical issues, modify PLC programs, and implement improvements to injection molding and robotic systems. The role emphasizes proactive maintenance, safety compliance, and collaboration with maintenance, production, and engineering teams.

Qualifications

• Associate degree in Electrical Engineering Technology, Industrial Automation or related field preferred; equivalent experience may be considered.
• Typically 5+ years in industrial maintenance, electrical troubleshooting, controls, or automation.
• Experience troubleshooting PLC-controlled manufacturing equipment is required.
• Strong knowledge of industrial electronics, motor controls, sensors, drives, HMIs, and networks.
• Experience with injection molding/robotics is highly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Diagnose complex electrical and control-system issues on manufacturing equipment.
• Troubleshoot PLC logic, I/O, communications, interlocks, and sequences.
• Develop, modify, and optimize PLC programs and HMI applications.
• Maintain backups and documentation for programs and machine parameters.
• Coordinate control-system changes with production, engineering and safety teams.
• Support equipment reliability, maintenance planning, and upgrades.
• Ensure safety and compliance in all changes and modifications.

Skills

PLC troubleshooting

Electrical troubleshooting

Automation

Robot integration

HMI configuration

Documentation

Electrical schematics

Education

Associate degree or higher in Electrical Engineering Technology/Mechatronics

Tools

Allen-Bradley/Rockwell Automation PLCs

Siemens PLCs

Studio 5000 / RSLogix

Industrial robots & motion control

Job description

Career Opportunity – Technical Maintenance Engineer, Maintenance Department

Home Careers Career Opportunity - Technical Maintenance Engineer, Maintenance Department

Career Opportunity – Technical Maintenance Engineer, Maintenance Department

Position Purpose:

The Technical Maintenance Engineer is responsible for providing advanced technical support for manufacturing equipment, with a primary focus on industrial electronics, machine controls, PLC programming, automation, and equipment optimization. This role combines hands‑on troubleshooting with technical programming and continuous improvement to maximize equipment reliability, minimize downtime, and improve manufacturing performance.
The Technical Maintenance Engineer serves as a technical resource for maintenance, production, and engineering teams, diagnosing complex electrical and control‑system issues, modifying machine programs, and implementing improvements to existing equipment. The position supports the reliability, safety, and performance of injection molding machines, robotic systems, granulators, conveyors, and other automated manufacturing equipment.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Industrial Electronics and Electrical Troubleshooting
  Diagnose and resolve complex electrical and electronic issues involving manufacturing machinery, control panels, sensors, instrumentation, and industrial control systems.
  Troubleshoot motor controls, variable frequency drives (VFDs), servo drives, power supplies, relays, contactors, and related electronic components.
  Interpret electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, I/O drawings, and machine control documentation.
  Identify root causes of recurring electrical and electronic failures and implement permanent corrective actions.
  Support the installation, configuration, testing, and replacement of electronic control components.
• PLC Programming and Machine Controls
  Troubleshoot PLC logic, digital and analog I/O, communication faults, interlocks, and machine sequencing.
  Develop, troubleshoot, modify, and optimize PLC programs to improve machine functionality, reliability, and production efficiency.
  Work with industrial control platforms such as Allen‑Bradley/Rockwell Automation, Siemens, Mitsubishi, or other systems used at the facility.
  Support HMI programming, operator‑interface modifications, alarm development, and troubleshooting displays.
  Maintain organized backups, revision histories, and documentation for PLC programs, HMI applications, and machine parameters.
  Diagnose industrial communication issues involving Ethernet/IP, Profinet, Modbus, and other applicable protocols.
  Coordinate control‑system modifications with production, maintenance, engineering, and safety personnel before implementation.
• Machine Programming and Automation
  Troubleshoot and modify machine operating sequences, recipes, settings, and control parameters within approved equipment and process limits.
  Support programming, integration, and troubleshooting of industrial robots, automated material handling systems, and peripheral equipment.
  Diagnose communication and coordination issues between molding machines, robots, conveyors, granulators, and auxiliary equipment.
  Optimize machine cycles, equipment sequencing, alarms, and recovery routines to reduce downtime and improve consistency.
  Assist with equipment commissioning, control upgrades, retrofits, and integration of new automation technologies.
  Maintain proper safeguards and safety‑system functionality when making programming or control changes.
• Manufacturing Equipment Reliability and Maintenance
  Provide advanced technical support for injection molding machines, robots, granulators, conveyors, and other production equipment.
  Support preventive and predictive maintenance activities involving electrical, electronic, and control‑system components.
  Analyze equipment downtime, recurring faults, alarm histories, and failure trends to identify improvement opportunities.
  Collaborate with maintenance technicians to resolve complex equipment issues and transfer technical knowledge.
  Assist with equipment condition assessments, obsolescence reviews, spare‑parts planning, and control‑system lifecycle improvements.
  Develop and maintain technical troubleshooting guides, maintenance standards, and equipment documentation.
• Continuous Improvement and Technical Projects
  Identify and implement improvements to machine controls, automation, reliability, and production performance.
  Support root‑cause analysis and corrective‑action initiatives related to downtime, scrap, cycle time, and equipment reliability.
  Participate in capital projects, equipment upgrades, new installations, and manufacturing process improvements.
  Evaluate opportunities to modernize legacy controls and improve equipment diagnostics and maintainability.
  Collaborate with production, quality, process engineering, and maintenance teams to improve equipment performance and product consistency.
  Document project scope, programming changes, validation results, and operating instructions.
• Safety, Compliance, and Documentation
  Follow established electrical safety, lockout/tagout (LOTO), machine guarding, and hazardous‑energy‑control requirements.
  Ensure control‑system changes do not bypass or compromise machine safeguards, interlocks, or other required protective functions.
  Coordinate safety‑related control modifications with qualified personnel and the designated safety or engineering authority.
  Maintain accurate electrical drawings, PLC backups, software revisions, parameter records, and equipment manuals.
  Follow applicable company procedures and regulatory requirements when troubleshooting, modifying, or servicing equipment.
  Report equipment hazards, recurring failures, and opportunities to improve maintenance and operational safety.

Requirements:

Education and Experience:

• Associate degree in Electrical Engineering Technology, Industrial Automation, Mechatronics, Electronics, or a related technical discipline preferred; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
• Typically 5 or more years of experience in industrial maintenance, electrical troubleshooting, machine controls, automation, or a comparable technical role.
• Demonstrated experience troubleshooting PLC‑controlled manufacturing equipment.
• Experience with industrial electronics, motor controls, sensors, drives, HMIs, and industrial communication networks.
• Manufacturing experience with injection molding, robotics, material handling, or related automated equipment strongly preferred.
• Experience modifying PLC programs and machine operating sequences in an industrial production environment preferred.

Technical Skills:

• Proficiency in PLC troubleshooting and programming.
• Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, and control‑system documentation.
• Working knowledge of industrial electronics, electrical control circuits, sensors, actuators, motors, drives, and instrumentation.
• Experience with HMI configuration, alarm management, and machine‑interface troubleshooting.
• Familiarity with industrial robots, automated cells, and machine‑to‑machine communications.
• Ability to use diagnostic tools, programming software, electrical test equipment, and technical documentation.
• Understanding of preventive maintenance, root‑cause analysis, and equipment reliability principles.
• Strong computer skills and the ability to maintain accurate software backups and revision‑controlled documentation.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with Allen‑Bradley/Rockwell Automation PLCs and Studio 5000 or RSLogix.
• Experience with Siemens PLCs, robotic programming, or industrial motion‑control systems.
• Familiarity with Ethernet/IP, Profinet, Modbus, and industrial networking.
• Experience with injection molding machine controls and robot integration.
• Knowledge of electrical safety practices, machine safeguarding, and hazardous‑energy control.
• Experience with equipment retrofits, controls upgrades, commissioning, and legacy‑system troubleshooting.

Core Competencies:

• Advanced troubleshooting and analytical problem‑solving.
• Strong understanding of electronics, machine controls, and automation.
• Ability to work independently on complex technical issues.
• Sound judgment when making equipment or programming changes.
• Effective communication with maintenance, production, engineering, and management.
• Strong documentation and technical knowledge‑transfer skills.
• Commitment to safety, equipment reliability, and continuous improvement.

Performance Expectations
Performance may be evaluated using measures such as:

• Reduction in equipment downtime attributable to electrical and control‑system failures.
• Improved mean time between failures (MTBF) and reduced mean time to repair (MTTR).
• Successful completion of controls upgrades and equipment improvement projects.
• Reduction in recurring machine faults and nuisance alarms.
• Accuracy and completeness of PLC backups, program revisions, and technical documentation.
• Effectiveness of troubleshooting support and knowledge transfer to maintenance personnel.
• Compliance with established safety and equipment‑change‑control procedures.

Scope of the Position

This is a hands‑on technical individual‑contributor role focused on electronics, machine programming, automation, and manufacturing equipment reliability. The position is expected to resolve complex technical issues and lead assigned technical improvements without necessarily having direct supervisory responsibility.

The Technical Maintenance Engineer works primarily at the manufacturing facility and is not intended to be a traveling field‑service position. The role supports existing equipment and manufacturing operations while helping advance the facility’s automation and technical capabilities.

Status:

Salary Non‑Exempt. This is an “at will” position.

Ferriot, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer.