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What does a mechanical maintenance foreman do?

Updated January 8, 2025
6 min read
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Mechanical maintenance foreman responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real mechanical maintenance foreman resumes:

  • Maintain OEE on all equipment to achieve run performance goals and to produce 500MM pounds of finish product a year.
  • Perform carpentry and plumbing, as related to HVAC, mechanical and electrical jobs.
  • Train in the use and care of hydraulic lifting equipment, shop cranes and hoists, etc.
  • Trouble shoot and repair automate baggers, fillers, blenders, compressors, HVAC and heating units, balers and compactors.
  • Coordinate logistics ensuring parts, personnel and supplies marry together ensuring repairs are completed quickly minimizing impact to ship schedules.
  • Perform ISO internal audits and prepare associate documentation.

Mechanical maintenance foreman skills and personality traits

We calculated that 27% of Mechanical Maintenance Foremen are proficient in Safety Issues, Troubleshoot, and Mechanical Maintenance. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Dexterity, and Troubleshooting skills.

We break down the percentage of Mechanical Maintenance Foremen that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Safety Issues, 27%

    Examined mines and kept records for dangers and safety issues.

  • Troubleshoot, 12%

    Operated IRD Mechanalysis Vibration Detection Equipment in order to troubleshoot erratic vibration excursions on all plant equipment as required.

  • Mechanical Maintenance, 8%

    Directed mechanical maintenance and outage tasks as the mechanical maintenance shop foreman.

  • Mechanical Equipment, 5%

    Replace pumps, fan motors, control wiring and related components on electrical and mechanical equipment.

  • PLC, 5%

    Developed original PLC programs and streamlined off-site developed PLC programs to minimize equipment downtime and maximize technician understanding of these programs.

  • HVAC, 5%

    Trouble shoot and repair automated baggers, fillers, blenders, compressors, HVAC and heating units, balers and compactors.

Most mechanical maintenance foremen use their skills in "safety issues," "troubleshoot," and "mechanical maintenance" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential mechanical maintenance foreman responsibilities here:

Customer-service skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a mechanical maintenance foreman to have is customer-service skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "these workers interact with customers on a regular basis." Mechanical maintenance foremen often use customer-service skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "managed small crew for business, repaired equipment, building maintenance, prepared schedules,customer service. "

Dexterity. Many mechanical maintenance foreman duties rely on dexterity. "many repair and maintenance tasks, such as repairing small devices, connecting or attaching components, and using hand tools, require a steady hand and good hand–eye coordination.," so a mechanical maintenance foreman will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways mechanical maintenance foreman responsibilities rely on dexterity: "trained in the use and care of hydraulic lifting equipment, shop cranes and hoists, etc. "

Troubleshooting skills. This is an important skill for mechanical maintenance foremen to perform their duties. For an example of how mechanical maintenance foreman responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "workers find, diagnose, and repair problems." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a mechanical maintenance foreman: "assisted with emergency procedures, fire drills, special event planning, troubleshooting, and customer service. ".

Most common mechanical maintenance foreman skills

The three companies that hire the most mechanical maintenance foremans are:

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Compare different mechanical maintenance foremen

Mechanical maintenance foreman vs. Flight chief

A Facility Supervisor is responsible for maintaining an organization's facilities' safety and security to ensure smooth and efficient business operations. Facility Supervisors monitor the adequacy of inventories and handle the budget to purchase materials and equipment for operations. They inspect machinery and schedule maintenance repairs for defective components to avoid potential hazards and operational delays. A Facility Supervisor must have excellent leadership and organizational skills to assist the staff in their inquiries and concerns, delegate tasks, and implement policies and protocols for everyone's strict compliance.

We looked at the average mechanical maintenance foreman salary and compared it with the wages of a flight chief. Generally speaking, flight chiefs are paid $20,766 higher than mechanical maintenance foremen per year.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, mechanical maintenance foreman responsibilities require skills like "safety issues," "troubleshoot," "repair procedures," and "mechanical maintenance." Meanwhile a typical flight chief has skills in areas such as "safety program," "emergency situations," "logistics," and "training programs." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

On average, flight chiefs reach higher levels of education than mechanical maintenance foremen. Flight chiefs are 6.1% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Mechanical maintenance foreman vs. Facility supervisor

A section chief's job varies with the type of organization. In most cases, a section chief is the head of a given section in an organization that is tasked with performing certain duties. A section chief is the head of a unit and provides leadership, motivation, and management of a section of employees. Their duties and responsibilities include reviewing and overseeing budgets, expenditure, and section activities.

On average, facility supervisors earn a $12,030 lower salary than mechanical maintenance foremen a year.Only some things about these jobs are the same. Take their skills, for example. Mechanical maintenance foremen and facility supervisors both require similar skills like "hvac," "general maintenance," and "building maintenance" to carry out their responsibilities.

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that mechanical maintenance foreman responsibilities requires skills like "safety issues," "troubleshoot," "repair procedures," and "mechanical maintenance." But a facility supervisor might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "customer service," "safety procedures," "osha," and "plumbing."

On average, facility supervisors earn a lower salary than mechanical maintenance foremen. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, facility supervisors earn the most pay in the media industry with an average salary of $58,164. Whereas mechanical maintenance foremen have higher pay in the construction industry, with an average salary of $67,451.In general, facility supervisors achieve similar levels of education than mechanical maintenance foremen. They're 4.3% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Mechanical maintenance foreman vs. Chief petty officer

On average, chief petty officers earn lower salaries than mechanical maintenance foremen, with a $6,354 difference per year.By looking over several mechanical maintenance foremen and chief petty officers resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "hvac," "equipment maintenance," and "support equipment." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a mechanical maintenance foreman is likely to be skilled in "safety issues," "troubleshoot," "repair procedures," and "mechanical maintenance," while a typical chief petty officer is skilled in "logistical support," "sailors," "combat systems," and "training programs."

Most chief petty officers achieve a higher degree level compared to mechanical maintenance foremen. For example, they're 6.0% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.7% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Mechanical maintenance foreman vs. Section chief

Section chiefs typically earn higher pay than mechanical maintenance foremen. On average, section chiefs earn a $25,672 higher salary per year.While some skills are required in each professionacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities, there are some differences to note. "safety issues," "troubleshoot," "repair procedures," and "mechanical maintenance" are skills that commonly show up on mechanical maintenance foreman resumes. On the other hand, section chiefs use skills like safety procedures, training programs, professional development, and logistical support on their resumes.In general, section chiefs earn the most working in the government industry, with an average salary of $59,842. The highest-paying industry for a mechanical maintenance foreman is the construction industry.section chiefs reach higher levels of education compared to mechanical maintenance foremen, in general. The difference is that they're 7.7% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 2.5% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of mechanical maintenance foreman

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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