Duties and responsibilities
A design maintenance engineers is responsible for the continuous running of equipment and machinery in an industrial setting. Using computerised systems, design maintenance engineers oversee routine maintenance of machinery and organise repairs. They are also involved with control and monitoring devices and occasionally in the manufacture of items that will help in maintenance. As well as this, their typical duties and responsibilities include:
- Designing maintenance strategies, procedures and methods
- Carrying out routine maintenance work and responding to equipment faults
- Diagnosing breakdown problems
- Fitting new parts and making sure equipment is working correctly
- Controlling maintenance tools, stores and equipment
- Dealing with emergencies, unplanned problems and repairs
- Improving health and safety policies and procedures
- Writing maintenance strategies to help with installation and commissioning guidelines
Qualifications
Like all other engineers, design maintenance engineers will need a bachelor’s degree in engineering (preferably mechanical engineering) from an ABET-accredited program. To obtain licensure, design maintenance engineers will need to pass several exams, participate in internships and obtain work experience. Many design maintenance engineers will go on to achieve a masters degree as this will allow them to enter high paying management positions.
Skills and relevant work experience
Design maintenance engineers will learn many skills through their education and on-the-job training. As well as this, they will need skills such as:
- Problem-solving skills, as design maintenance engineers will need to troubleshoot and fix a whole range of mechanical problems
- Communication skills, as design maintenance engineers must work with, and communicate with, other professionals
- Leadership skills, as design maintenance engineers need to oversee operations and must manage costs and time constraints
- Analytical skills, as design maintenance engineers must be able to use advanced techniques to research and solve problems with equipment
Hours
Design maintenance engineers are likely to work full time hours (40 hours per week). However, they may have to work overtime when emergencies occur.
Salary
According to payscale, the median annual salary for a design maintenance engineer in the United States is $68,806. At the lower end, design maintenance engineers can expect to earn around $53,000 per year. Whereas, at the upper end, production engineers earned over $100,000 per year.
Progression
By obtaining a masters degree, design maintenance engineers will have lots more opportunities. With more experience, design maintenance engineers may develop into management conditions where they will become responsible for supervising a team of other engineers and technicians. They may also progress into project management, consultancy, research and lecturing roles.