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Multi-skilled maintenance engineer job description template (UK)

A multi-skilled maintenance engineer fixes both electrical and mechanical faults, so the advert must say which trade is the main one and which is the second. Copy the template below, set the shift pattern and pay, and name the standards. Many UK multi-skilled roles run on shifts such as 4 on 4 off.

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Checked 28 October 2026. Posting on EDWartens UK is free for employers at present, with no placement fee. We cannot promise applicants or hires.

Copy and edit

The template

Replace everything in square brackets, delete the options that do not apply, and keep the lines you can stand behind.

Multi-Skilled Maintenance Engineer, [site and town]

Pay: [£ range] a year, plus [shift premium]. Hours: [4 on 4 off, days and nights, 12-hour shifts / days only].

The role: keep [the factory's production lines] running across both electrical and mechanical work. Planned maintenance, fault finding, breakdown response and small improvement jobs.

Main trade: [electrical / mechanical]. We will train you in the other where needed.

You will have: [an apprenticeship or NVQ Level 3 in electrical or mechanical engineering]; manufacturing maintenance experience; fault finding on motors, drives, sensors, pneumatics and conveyors; safe isolation and permit to work.

It would help if you have: [BS 7671 18th Edition, PLC fault finding, hydraulics].

We [may sponsor a Skilled Worker visa, subject to eligibility] / [are unable to sponsor visas for this role].

To apply: [link].

The detail

Duties, essential and desirable

Keep the essential list short: every extra line puts off people who could do the job.

Duties

  • Carry out planned preventative maintenance across electrical and mechanical equipment.
  • Fault find on motors, drives, sensors, PLC-controlled equipment, conveyors and pneumatic systems.
  • Respond to breakdowns on shift and restore production safely.
  • Work to permit to work and lock-out procedures.
  • Record work in the maintenance system and hand over at shift change.
  • Support small projects, installations and improvements on the line.

Essential

  • A recognised qualification in electrical or mechanical engineering, such as an apprenticeship or NVQ Level 3 (say which main trade you want).
  • Manufacturing or plant maintenance experience.
  • Able to work the shift pattern in the advert.
  • Safe isolation and permit to work competence.

Desirable

  • A working knowledge of the second trade.
  • 18th Edition BS 7671 certificate.
  • Basic PLC fault finding.
  • Hydraulics and pneumatics experience.
Standards and law

What to name in the advert

Naming the standards tells a candidate you know the job and tells a competent person they will be working to a known benchmark. Link to the publisher, not a summary.

  1. 01
    PUWER 1998Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations. Read it (PUWER 1998, opens in a new tab).
  2. 02
    LOLER 1998Lifting equipment, where the job includes it. Read it (LOLER 1998, opens in a new tab).
  3. 03
    Electricity at Work Regulations 1989Competence for electrical work. Read it (Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, opens in a new tab).
  4. 04
    BS 7671The IET Wiring Regulations, 18th Edition, for fixed installations.
  5. 05
    Safe isolation (HSE HSG253)HSE guidance on isolating plant and equipment. Read it (Safe isolation (HSE HSG253), opens in a new tab).
Shifts

The shift pattern line

Say the pattern in the advert: for example "4 on 4 off, days and nights, 12-hour shifts", "Monday to Friday, days" or "on call one week in four". A maintenance or controls job that runs round the clock often uses shifts, and candidates screen on them first. Two legal limits to know: most workers cannot be made to work more than 48 hours a week on average unless they opt out (GOV.UK, maximum weekly working hours (opens in a new tab)), and night workers have their own limit on hours (GOV.UK, night working hours (opens in a new tab)). Checked 28 October 2026.

Before anyone starts, you must check they can work in the UK: GOV.UK, check a job applicant's right to work (opens in a new tab).

Pay guidance

What to pay, from published figures

These are ONS medians for full-time employees, not a site's pay. Multi-skilled roles on shifts usually pay a premium over days-only work, and an advert should say whether the figure includes it. We never estimate pay. More: multi-skilled maintenance engineer salary in the UK.

Interview

Five questions, and what a good answer covers

A starting point for the first interview. Adapt them to your site and equipment.

  1. Question 1

    Which is your stronger trade, electrical or mechanical, and how have you used the other?

    A good answer: An honest answer with a real example from each trade.

  2. Question 2

    How would you work out why a conveyor motor keeps tripping?

    A good answer: Check the load and mechanical drag, then the drive or starter, supply, settings and the motor itself.

  3. Question 3

    Describe a planned maintenance job you improved.

    A good answer: The change, why it was needed and what it saved or prevented.

  4. Question 4

    How do you work safely when two trades are on one machine?

    A good answer: One permit, clear isolation points, handover between trades and locks from each person.

  5. Question 5

    What shift patterns have you worked, and how do you handle nights?

    A good answer: Direct experience of the pattern, and a practical routine.

Looking for work, not hiring?

What employers ask for in a multi-skilled maintenance engineer

Read the essential and desirable lists above, then see live multi-skilled maintenance engineer jobs and what the adverts actually ask for. A free course and a job simulation (practice, not employment) can give you evidence to show. Nothing here promises a job.

Questions

Multi-skilled maintenance engineer job description FAQ

What should a multi-skilled maintenance engineer advert include?
The job title as people search for it, the site and town, the pay or pay range, the hours and shift pattern, the main duties, what is essential and what is only desirable, the standards the person will work to, how to apply and what checks come before a start date. Leave out anything that could discriminate under the Equality Act 2010, such as an age or gender preference or phrases like "young and energetic", and do not ask for more than the job needs.
Should I state the salary?
Yes, if you can. A pay figure or range tells people whether to apply, and Google's job posting guidance lists the employer's own pay figure as recommended for a job to be shown with its pay (checked 28 October 2026). Use your real range, not a guess at the market, and say whether shift allowances and overtime are on top.
How do I word a sponsorship line truthfully?
Only say you can sponsor a Skilled Worker visa if you hold a sponsor licence and the job could meet the occupation code and pay rules, and write it as "may sponsor, subject to eligibility". Otherwise write "We are unable to sponsor visas for this role". Never write "visa sponsorship available" to attract applicants for a job that cannot qualify, and never charge a candidate for a certificate of sponsorship. The rules are on GOV.UK (checked 28 October 2026).
How do I show which trade is the main one?
Say it in the title or the first line of the duties: "Multi-Skilled Maintenance Engineer (electrical bias)". Candidates and search engines then match it to the right people, and you avoid applications from the wrong trade.

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