Operations and Maintenance Technician job description
An Operations and Maintenance Technician keeps a solar, wind or power plant running by doing routine checks, cleaning, fault finding and repairs. The role protects generation and the owner's revenue.
Why the role exists
After commissioning, energy plants in India need people on site every day to inspect equipment, respond to alarms and perform scheduled maintenance. The O&M technician does this work under the plant engineer. The role works with the control room, the OEM service teams and the utility.
What the person does
- Carry out daily rounds of inverters, transformers, switchgear and modules or turbines, and record readings and abnormal sounds or heat.
- Respond to alarms from the SCADA or monitoring system, locate the fault and fix it or escalate to the plant engineer.
- Perform preventive maintenance as per the schedule, such as tightening, thermography checks, oil level checks and cleaning.
- Clean solar modules or inspect wind turbine components as per the plan, using safe access methods and keeping water use in check.
- Follow permit and lock out steps before opening any equipment, and close permits once the work is done.
- Record breakdowns, spares used and repair times in the maintenance log or CMMS so trends can be reviewed.
- Support OEM engineers and contractors during warranty repairs and annual shutdowns, and note what they change.
- Report safety hazards, vegetation, animal intrusion and security issues around the plant to the plant engineer the same day.
Skills and tools
- Inverter, transformer and switchgear basics
- Fault finding with multimeter, clamp meter and insulation tester
- SCADA and monitoring dashboard reading
- Preventive maintenance schedules and CMMS entries
- Permit and lock out practice
- Thermography camera use for hot spots
- Spares and tool handling in the stores
- Shift handover and clear log writing
Education and experience
Preferred, never a bar: equivalent experience counts.
- ITI, diploma or degree in electrical or electronics preferred, or equivalent plant experience.
- Experience in a solar, wind or substation plant preferred.
- Any licence or authorisation to work on electrical systems depends on the employer and state; confirm with the employer's own adviser.
- Willingness to work in shifts at a remote plant with standby for breakdowns.
How the work is judged
- Plant availability and fault response time, as judged by the plant engineer.
- Completion of the preventive maintenance plan with accurate records.
- Safe work record, including permit and lock out use.
- Quality of repairs, shown by few repeat faults on the same equipment.
- Clarity of shift logs and handovers to the next shift.
Where the role can lead
- Senior O&M Technician or Shift In-charge.
- Plant Engineer or Site In-charge of a plant.
- Asset Performance Analyst or Maintenance Planner.
Interview questions to ask
Ask every candidate the same questions in the same order and score them against written anchors, so the decision rests on the work and not the impression.
- Walk us through how you would trace a string with low output from an alarm on the dashboard.
- What checks do you carry out before opening a panel for repair, and who do you inform?
- Describe a repeat fault you found. How did you find the cause and what changed?
- How do you plan module cleaning in a dusty, water scarce area without damaging the glass?
- What would you do if the shift supervisor asks you to skip a lock out step to restore output quickly?
- How do you record spares used so the stock record stays correct?
Hiring tips for this role
- Ask for a fault finding exercise using a simple single line diagram and a list of symptoms. Listen to the order of checks.
- Check shift flexibility early. Remote plants often lack housing and transport, which drives early exits.
- A common mistake is hiring only for cleaning work and then expecting fault finding. Say clearly what the role covers.
- Ask how the candidate writes logs. Poor records hide recurring faults and weaken warranty claims.
Questions about hiring a operations and maintenance technician
The technician carries out rounds, cleaning, checks and repairs. The plant engineer plans maintenance, manages OEM and utility contacts and owns performance. In small plants one person may do both.
Many plants use shifts or rotating cover, especially wind and larger solar sites. Hours depend on the plant. State the pattern, location and standby needs in the offer so nobody is surprised.
It depends on the employer, the state and the plant. Confirm requirements with your own adviser and do not rely on a candidate's own claim alone.
GullyHR agrees the job description with you, finds and screens candidates for permanent roles, and supports the offer. We screen for plant experience, fault finding approach and comfort with remote shifts.
Hiring a operations and maintenance technician?
GullyHR runs talent acquisition for permanent roles. We agree the job description with you, find and screen candidates against it, and support the offer through to joining. We recruit permanent employees. We do not supply contract or temporary staff.