Service Technician job description
A Service Technician keeps the building systems at client facilities running, such as electrical panels, pumps, air conditioning and plumbing. They respond to breakdowns and do planned maintenance.
Why the role exists
In facility management, the technician is the hands-on maintenance person on a client site. They work under the facility manager or site engineer, follow the preventive maintenance schedule and respond to calls from occupants, often across a campus, tower or residential complex.
What the person does
- Carry out the daily round of pumps, DG sets, air conditioners, lifts and electrical panels and log readings in the checklist.
- Respond to complaints from tenants or staff for leaks, tripped power, failed lights and cooling issues, and close them promptly.
- Do planned preventive maintenance as per the monthly schedule, such as filter cleaning, belt checks and lubrication.
- Isolate equipment safely before repair and follow the permit and lock-out steps the employer sets.
- Record spares used, faults found and work done in the job card so that the facility manager can track repeat issues.
- Escalate faults that need a specialist, vendor or manufacturer visit, and stay with the vendor to learn the repair.
- Keep tools, test instruments and the technician's room neat, and report missing items to the facility manager.
- Support the shift handover with a clear note on open jobs, equipment status and any risk left for the next shift.
Skills and tools
- Basic electrical, plumbing and HVAC fault finding
- Reading panel diagrams and equipment manuals
- Using multimeter, clamp meter and hand tools
- Preventive maintenance of pumps, DG sets and air handling units
- Safe isolation and permit-to-work habits
- Job cards, logbooks or a CMMS app
- Courteous dealings with tenants and building occupants
- Quick, calm response to breakdowns, including after hours
Education and experience
Preferred, never a bar: equivalent experience counts.
- Preferred: ITI or diploma in electrical, mechanical or a related trade, or equivalent experience in building maintenance.
- Preferred: two or more years of maintenance work in a commercial building, residential complex or campus.
- Preferred: any licence or certification the work needs, which depends on the employer and state. Confirm it with the employer's adviser.
- Preferred: willingness to work in rotating shifts and respond to emergencies.
How the work is judged
- Time taken to respond to and close service calls.
- Share of planned maintenance completed on schedule.
- Repeat faults on the same equipment after repair.
- Completeness of job cards and logbook entries.
- Safe working practice seen during repairs and isolation.
Where the role can lead
- Senior Technician or Lead Technician for a larger site.
- Maintenance Supervisor or Shift In-charge.
- Facility Engineer after added qualification and exposure.
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.
- A lift trips in a residential tower at night. What do you check first and when do you call for help?
- How do you prepare a pump for repair without risk to yourself and others?
- Tell us how you diagnose an air conditioner that cools poorly.
- A tenant is angry about repeated power cuts. How do you speak to them?
- What do you record in a job card after a repair, and why?
- Describe a repair you could not finish and how you handed it over.
Hiring tips for this role
- Give a practical test on a live panel or pump under supervision, or use a trade test. A technician who talks well may still be unsafe.
- Ask which equipment the person has handled, such as DG sets, chillers or lifts. Skills do not transfer fully between them.
- Be clear on regulated or licensed work. Whether a licence is needed depends on the employer and state, so check it with your adviser.
- Include shifts and call-out expectations in the job description. Hidden night duty drives early exits.
Questions about hiring a service technician
They maintain building systems, respond to breakdowns, do preventive maintenance and keep logs. Their work keeps occupants comfortable and equipment running.
Not exactly. The technician does hands-on work and basic repairs. The engineer plans, supervises and handles complex faults. Some firms use the titles loosely.
It depends on the work, the employer and the state. Confirm any licence or certification with your own adviser before you hire or assign the person to that work.
GullyHR helps with permanent hiring. We agree the job description with you, find and screen technicians for your facilities, and support the offer stage.
Hiring a service 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.