Senior Maintenance Mechanic - Empire Mill at Polycor in Oolitic, IN

The Senior Maintenance Mechanic is responsible for maintaining, troubleshooting, and repairing production equipment and facility systems to support safe, reliable, and efficient plant operations. This role serves as a senior technical resource within the maintenance team, handling complex repairs, supporting preventive maintenance and equipment reliability, and providing guidance to other maintenance employees.

Key Responsibilities

· Troubleshoot, diagnose, repair, and maintain mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, and electrical systems on production and facility equipment.

· Perform preventive and predictive maintenance to improve equipment reliability and reduce unplanned downtime.

· Respond to equipment breakdowns, identify root causes, and complete repairs safely and efficiently.

· Serve as a technical resource for complex equipment issues and assist other maintenance employees with troubleshooting and repairs.

· Inspect equipment and identify developing issues before they result in failures or production interruptions.

· Read and interpret equipment manuals, schematics, blueprints, and technical documentation.

· Install, modify, rebuild, and maintain production equipment and related systems.

· Support continuous improvement initiatives focused on equipment reliability, safety, productivity, and maintenance effectiveness.

· Partner with Operations to prioritize repairs and minimize production disruptions.

· Maintain accurate maintenance records, work orders, parts usage, and equipment history within the maintenance system.

· Follow established preventive maintenance and Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) programs and recommend improvements when appropriate.

· Maintain a safe and organized work environment and ensure work is performed in accordance with applicable safety procedures, including lockout/tagout requirements.

· Assist with training and mentoring less-experienced maintenance employees and operators on equipment care and basic troubleshooting.

· Support maintenance projects, equipment installations, shutdown activities, and other plant initiatives as needed.

Qualifications

· 5+ years of industrial maintenance, manufacturing maintenance, or closely related experience preferred.

· Strong mechanical troubleshooting and repair skills, including experience with hydraulics, pneumatics, bearings, gearboxes, conveyors, motors, pumps, and other industrial equipment.

· Working knowledge of industrial electrical systems and electrical troubleshooting strongly preferred.

· Ability to read electrical and mechanical schematics, blueprints, and equipment manuals.

· Welding, fabrication, and machining experience preferred.

· Experience with preventive and predictive maintenance programs and CMMS/work-order systems preferred.

· Strong troubleshooting, problem-solving, and root-cause analysis skills.

· Ability to work independently, prioritize urgent repairs, and make sound technical decisions.

· Strong commitment to safety, equipment reliability, quality, and continuous improvement.

· Ability to communicate effectively and provide technical guidance to maintenance and production employees.

· High school diploma or equivalent required; technical degree, apprenticeship, journeyman training, or relevant industrial certifications preferred.

· Ability to work the assigned schedule and provide overtime, shutdown, or emergency coverage as business needs require.