Maintenance Technician

We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated Maintenance Technician to join our manufacturing team. This is a hands-on, technically demanding role suited to a self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced environment and takes pride in maintaining the highest standards of machinery performance, safety, and reliability. The successful candidate will be responsible for maintaining and optimising the performance of a wide range of woodworking machinery, including CNC processing centres, edge banding machines, panel saws, and ancillary equipment, ensuring maximum uptime, safe operation, and full compliance with planned preventative maintenance (PPM) schedules.

Key Responsibilities Carry out scheduled PPM tasks across all machinery in line with OEM specifications and internal maintenance plans, maintaining accurate records within the site CMMS. Respond promptly to machinery breakdowns and production stoppages, diagnosing root causes and implementing effective, lasting repairs. Perform mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, and hydraulic fault-finding on woodworking equipment, liaising with machine technical support where required. Carry out mechanical repairs and overhauls, including bearings, belts, gearboxes, vacuum systems, and spindle assemblies.

Ensure accurate machine calibration following maintenance or component replacement and manage tooling inspection and replacement schedules. Inspect, test, and repair electrical systems including motors, drives, control panels, sensors, and PLC-controlled systems. Interpret and work from electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, and technical OEM documentation. Ensure all maintenance activities comply with Health & Safety legislation, including PUWER, LOLER, COSHH, and LOTO procedures.

Contribute to risk assessments and method statements; maintain a clean, safe, and organised working environment. Support the production team with improvement projects, machinery installations, and site relocations. Share technical knowledge and provide guidance to production operatives on basic machinery care and housekeeping. Support sub-contractors in undertaking their responsibilities effectively. Essential Requirements Recognised apprenticeship or equivalent trade qualification (City & Guilds, NVQ Level 3 or above) in a Mechanical Engineering discipline.

Demonstrable experience maintaining CNC or automated production machinery, ideally HOMAG Group equipment. Proven experience implementing and adhering to planned preventative maintenance programmes. Strong fault-finding capability across mechanical and electrical systems, including PLC-based controls. Competent in reading and interpreting electrical schematics, pneumatic/hydraulic diagrams, and OEM technical documentation. Ability to prioritise workload effectively under production pressure, with a flexible approach to changing demands.

Excellent communication skills; able to liaise effectively with production teams, engineering colleagues, and external suppliers. Safety-conscious with a strong commitment to H&S legislation including PUWER, LOLER, COSHH, and LOTO procedures.

Desirable Requirements 18th Edition IET Wiring Regulations or equivalent electrical competency. Familiarity with HOMAG Group software environments.

Experience with vacuum, pneumatic systems, drives, and inverters common to panel processing machinery. Basic working knowledge of PLC programming (Siemens S7, Beckhoff TwinCAT) for diagnostic purposes. Experience in a panel products, cabinet, or furniture manufacturing environment. Current IPAF qualification. Proven ability to work collaboratively with suppliers and utilise supporting IT systems.