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What does a mechanical maintenance supervisor do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read

A mechanical maintenance supervisor oversees the daily maintenance of machinery and systems in buildings or establishments. They manage teams of mechanics and technicians, supervise and coordinate maintenance activities, liaise with external parties such as vendors and suppliers, process the procurement of supplies, delegate tasks and responsibilities among staff, and develop action plans and strategies to optimize operations. Moreover, a mechanical maintenance supervisor regularly conducts inspections and maintenance checks to ensure everything complies with the company's safety standards and regulations.

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Mechanical maintenance supervisor responsibilities

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

  • Maintain OEE on all equipment to achieve run performance goals and to produce 500MM pounds of finish product a year.
  • Complete facility maintenance - electrical, mechanical, HVAC, welding, machining, machine set-up, trouble-shoot, etc.
  • Perform preventative and corrective maintenance on mechanical equipment and repair HVAC.
  • Maintain CMMS work order status.
  • Replace PLC modules and track down issues in programs where equipment is malfunctioning.
  • Experience with control system and PLC experience, power plants, generators, change over automatic or manual switches.
  • Coordinate logistics ensuring parts, personnel and supplies marry together ensuring repairs are completed quickly minimizing impact to ship schedules.
  • Perform facility tool and system PMs according to manufacturing and internal specifications.

Mechanical maintenance supervisor skills and personality traits

We calculated that 10% of Mechanical Maintenance Supervisors are proficient in Preventative Maintenance, CMMS, and Equipment 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 Supervisors that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Preventative Maintenance, 10%

    Managed daily physical building and infrastructure maintenance operations with direct responsibilities encompassing preventative maintenance scheduling and PDM maintenance activities.

  • CMMS, 8%

    Developed CMMS maintenance system for 140 Thermo-King Units, Freezer and Reefer units.

  • Equipment Maintenance, 6%

    Coordinate with production engineers in analyzing equipment maintenance problems, project work and determine solutions.

  • Plumbing, 5%

    Performed electrical, plumbing, mechanical and HVAC responsibilities along with property maintenance and consistent high quality customer service.

  • HVAC, 5%

    Performed preventative and corrective maintenance on mechanical equipment and repaired HVAC.

  • Safety Procedures, 5%

    Ensured that staff followed safety procedures and that public safety and security procedures are followed.

Most mechanical maintenance supervisors use their skills in "preventative maintenance," "cmms," and "equipment maintenance" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential mechanical maintenance supervisor responsibilities here:

Customer-service skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a mechanical maintenance supervisor to have is customer-service skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "these workers interact with customers on a regular basis." Mechanical maintenance supervisors often use customer-service skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "repair hvac units reconstruct drains/plumbing repair/replace motors carpentry/masonry electrical/mechanical customer service"

Dexterity. Another essential skill to perform mechanical maintenance supervisor duties is dexterity. Mechanical maintenance supervisors responsibilities require that "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." Mechanical maintenance supervisors also use dexterity in their role according to a real resume snippet: "qualified to run various equipment to include various aircraft, tugs, forklifts, skid steer, man lifts and cranes. "

Troubleshooting skills. This is an important skill for mechanical maintenance supervisors to perform their duties. For an example of how mechanical maintenance supervisor 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 supervisor: "general building maintenance assignments including plumbing, drywall, painting and electrical troubleshooting. ".

See the full list of mechanical maintenance supervisor skills

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Compare different mechanical maintenance supervisors

Mechanical maintenance supervisor vs. Section chief

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.

The annual salary of section chiefs is $4,518 higher than the average salary of mechanical maintenance supervisors.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both mechanical maintenance supervisor and section chief positions are skilled in safety procedures, maintenance operations, and technical manuals.

While similarities exist, there are also some differences between mechanical maintenance supervisors and section chief. For instance, mechanical maintenance supervisor responsibilities require skills such as "preventative maintenance," "cmms," "equipment maintenance," and "plumbing." Whereas a section chief is skilled in "training programs," "professional development," "logistical support," and "combat." This is part of what separates the two careers.

Section chiefs really shine in the government industry with an average salary of $59,842. Comparatively, mechanical maintenance supervisors tend to make the most money in the hospitality industry with an average salary of $81,975.section chiefs tend to reach higher levels of education than mechanical maintenance supervisors. In fact, section chiefs are 5.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 2.1% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Mechanical maintenance supervisor vs. Lead mechanic

A lead mechanic coordinates the teams of mechanics and ensures the timely completion of repairs. Lead mechanics supervise their subordinates, order mechanical parts, and inspect their work making sure that the standards are met. They are responsible for repairing, overhauling, and maintaining vehicles or farm equipment. It is their job to provide support and give advice on matters associated with repairs. They also conduct road tests and maintain the repair of equipment. They should also have leadership and strong communication skills.

On average, lead mechanics earn a $19,827 lower salary than mechanical maintenance supervisors a year.A few skills overlap for mechanical maintenance supervisors and lead mechanics. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "equipment maintenance," "hvac," and "safety procedures. "

Each career also uses different skills, according to real mechanical maintenance supervisor resumes. While mechanical maintenance supervisor responsibilities can utilize skills like "preventative maintenance," "cmms," "plumbing," and "continuous improvement," lead mechanics use skills like "hand tools," "preventive maintenance," "diagnosis," and "landing gear."

Lead mechanics earn a lower average salary than mechanical maintenance supervisors. But lead mechanics earn the highest pay in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $60,789. Additionally, mechanical maintenance supervisors earn the highest salaries in the hospitality with average pay of $81,975 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Lead mechanics tend to reach similar levels of education than mechanical maintenance supervisors. In fact, they're 1.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 2.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Mechanical maintenance supervisor vs. Equipment manager

An equipment manager is responsible for monitoring the efficiency and optimal performance of the office equipment and machinery to support the business functions and daily operations. Equipment managers perform preventive maintenance on the machines and equipment, reviewing its licenses and service agreements, as well as look for product alternatives with minimal costing but deliver high-performance. They also attend to the employees' repair calls, delegate tasks to the equipment team, replace defective components, and monitor the adequacy of mechanical inventory.

On average scale, equipment managers bring in lower salaries than mechanical maintenance supervisors. In fact, they earn a $11,324 lower salary per year.By looking over several mechanical maintenance supervisors and equipment managers resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "preventative maintenance," "equipment maintenance," and "hvac." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, mechanical maintenance supervisors are more likely to have skills like "cmms," "plumbing," "safety procedures," and "continuous improvement." But a equipment manager is more likely to have skills like "equipment room," "logistics," "equipment management," and "equipment inventory."

Equipment managers earn the best pay in the energy industry, where they command an average salary of $70,458. Mechanical maintenance supervisors earn the highest pay from the hospitality industry, with an average salary of $81,975.Most equipment managers achieve a similar degree level compared to mechanical maintenance supervisors. For example, they're 1.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Mechanical maintenance supervisor vs. Supervisor

Supervisors are responsible for overseeing the daily functions of employees in a specific team, department, or even a work shift. They create work schedules, organize work processes and workflows, train new hires, provide necessary reports related to the team function and the employees, monitor and evaluate employee performance, and ensure that goals of the specific team or department are met. When needed, supervisors also provide guidance to employees in terms of their career or even personal challenges. They also help in fostering harmonious work relationships by resolving interpersonal conflicts at work. To be successful in their role, they must have leadership skills, time management skills, decision-making capabilities, analytical skills, and problem-solving skills.

Supervisors average a lower salary than the annual salary of mechanical maintenance supervisors. The difference is about $20,396 per year.While their salaries may vary, mechanical maintenance supervisors and supervisors both use similar skills to perform their duties. Resumes from both professions include skills like "safety procedures," "safety regulations," and "direct reports. "

Even though a few skill sets overlap between mechanical maintenance supervisors and supervisors, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a mechanical maintenance supervisor might have more use for skills like "preventative maintenance," "cmms," "equipment maintenance," and "plumbing." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of supervisors require skills like "customer service," "sales floor," "pos," and "direct supervision. "

In general, supervisors earn the most working in the health care industry, with an average salary of $60,088. The highest-paying industry for a mechanical maintenance supervisor is the hospitality industry.In general, supervisors hold similar degree levels compared to mechanical maintenance supervisors. Supervisors are 2.4% more likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of mechanical maintenance supervisor

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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