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Maintenance and Diagnostics Engineer - Personal requirements

Mataaro Tiaki/Tātari Pūkaha

Skills & knowledge

Maintenance and diagnostics engineers need to have:

knowledge of metals and machinery
knowledge of mechanical engineering
the ability to repair and maintain machinery
skill interpreting drawings
good communication and listening skills
computer skills, including the ability to use computer-aided design (CAD) software and computerised numerical control (CNC) machines
welding skills
maths skills.

"You're always using calculations and mathematical formulae in this job to work out things like machine speeds and feeds."

Leanne van der Weert - Maintenance & Diagnostics Engineer

Personal Qualities

Maintenance and diagnostics engineers need to be:

practical
accurate
able to follow instructions
patient
able to make good judgements.

They also need to be able to work well independently, and in small teams.

Physical Requirements

Maintenance and diagnostics engineers need to be reasonably fit, healthy and strong as heavy lifting may be required in some workplaces. They should also have good hand-eye co-ordination and steady hands.

"If you can't lift something then you use a crane or get someone else to give you a hand, but it helps to be quite strong."

Leanne van der Weert - Maintenance & Diagnostics Engineer

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Updated September 2009

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