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Maintenance Technician (Mechanic & Electrical)

GKN Aerospace · El Cajon, CA

Level
Technician
Team
Reliability
Experience asked
4+ years
Industry
Aerospace & defense
Posted
16 days ago

The role in 30 seconds

A technician-level reliability role at GKN Aerospace (aerospace & defense) in El Cajon, CA. Troubleshoot, repair, and maintain mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, and electromechanical equipment.

They ask for
4+ years
Tools it names
Root cause, PLC, Robotics, CNC, Machining, Welding

Read from the posting. The full description is below.

From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026

Maintenance Technician roles in California: typical posted base $72k–$116k.

Median of the low and high ends of 8 live postings that list pay, out of 127 maintenance technician openings in California, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.

California plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →

How this role compares

Against 132 other live reliability postings in California.

Base pay
Not listed in this posting

Typical $79k–$121k, from 10 postings that list pay.

Experience asked
Typical (4+ years)

Similar roles usually ask 4+ years.

Skills these teams ask for most

  • ✓ Team leadership 35%
  • ✓ PLC 32%
  • ✓ Welding 29%
  • Tooling 26%

✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.

Stands out: this posting asks for Machining, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.

It asks for 4+ years. If you're close, apply anyway: requirements are a wish list. Talk to someone doing this work there first.

At a glance

Lifts up to 100 lbs

Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.

How to get in at this plant

Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.

  1. 1

    Pick 2–3 people on the Reliability team at GKN Aerospace

    Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.

  2. 2

    Send a short, curious note

    One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.

  3. 3

    Turn a reply into a short call

    Questions worth asking about this team:

    • What does a normal week look like on your team?
    • How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
  4. 4

    Apply with someone vouching for you

    If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.

  5. 5

    Bring proof to the interview

    One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.

This plant: GKN Aerospace in El Cajon

4 other open roles at this site.

Full description from GKN AerospaceAs posted on their careers site.Show

Job Summary

The Maintenance Technician is responsible for maintaining, troubleshooting, repairing, and improving production equipment and facility systems to ensure safe, reliable, and efficient operations. This position supports a wide variety of manufacturing equipment including CNC machining centers, heat treat equipment, chemical processing lines, robotic systems, utilities, and facility infrastructure.

The ideal candidate possesses strong mechanical and electrical troubleshooting skills, can diagnose equipment failures independently, and is committed to minimizing downtime through both preventive and corrective maintenance. Experience with aerospace manufacturing equipment and pyrometry is highly desirable.

Job

Responsibilities

  • ◆Troubleshoot, repair, and maintain mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, and electromechanical equipment.
  • ◆Perform preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance on production equipment and facility systems.
  • ◆Diagnose machine failures using electrical schematics, mechanical drawings, manuals, and diagnostic software.
  • ◆Install, align, level, and commission new production equipment.
  • ◆Troubleshoot electrical systems up to 480 VAC, including motors, drives, contactors, relays, transformers, and control circuits.
  • ◆Maintain CNC machining centers, manual machines, robotic equipment, furnaces, ovens, compressors, HVAC systems, pumps, and other manufacturing equipment.
  • ◆Repair and replace bearings, ball screws, linear guides, gearboxes, couplings, belts, chains, and other mechanical components.
  • ◆Troubleshoot hydraulic and pneumatic systems including valves, cylinders, regulators, pumps, and compressors.
  • ◆Support facility utilities including compressed air, process gases, chilled water, wastewater treatment, and ventilation systems.
  • ◆Perform root cause analysis on equipment failures and implement corrective actions.
  • ◆Complete work orders, maintenance documentation, and equipment history in the CMMS.
  • ◆Assist with equipment upgrades, installations, continuous improvement projects, and machine relocations.
  • ◆Follow all environmental, safety, lockout/tagout (LOTO), and company procedures.
  • ◆Support production across multiple shifts as required.
  • ◆Perform maintenance on chemical processing equipment including pumps, motors, agitators, filtration systems, ventilation equipment, and associated mechanical and electrical systems.
  • ◆Safely perform maintenance activities in areas containing acids, caustics, solvents, and other industrial chemicals while following all PPE, hazardous material handling, and environmental

requirements

Job

Qualifications

Basic

Qualifications

  • ✓4+ years of industrial maintenance experience in a manufacturing environment.
  • ✓Strong troubleshooting skills involving mechanical and electrical equipment.
  • ✓Experience working on 480 VAC industrial electrical systems.
  • ✓Experience troubleshooting:
  • ✓Motor control circuits
  • ✓Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs)
  • ✓Servo systems
  • ✓PLC-controlled equipment
  • ✓Experience reading electrical schematics and mechanical drawings.
  • ✓Experience repairing mechanical power transmission systems including:
  • ✓Bearings
  • ✓Ball screws
  • ✓Linear rails
  • ✓Gearboxes
  • ✓Couplings
  • ✓Experience with hydraulic and pneumatic systems.
  • ✓Ability to safely use electrical test equipment including multimeters, clamp meters, and insulation testers.
  • ✓Ability to fabricate or modify simple machine components using manual shop equipment.
  • ✓Proficient with Microsoft Office and computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS).
  • ✓Ability to lift up to 100 pounds and work in confined spaces, elevated platforms, and manufacturing environments.

Preferred Qualifications

  • ✓Experience maintaining aerospace manufacturing equipment.
  • ✓Experience with CNC machining centers (Fanuc, Siemens, Haas, GROB, DMU, etc.).
  • ✓Experience with industrial robots (Fanuc, Yaskawa, KUKA).
  • ✓Experience with heat treat equipment including furnaces and industrial ovens.
  • ✓Experience with process equipment including chemical processing lines, wastewater systems, pumps, and filtration.
  • ✓Basic PLC troubleshooting (Allen-Bradley, Siemens, Omron, Mitsubishi).
  • ✓Welding and fabrication experience.
  • ✓Machining experience using manual mills, lathes, grinders, or fabrication equipment.
  • ✓Certification or formal training in industrial maintenance, electrical technology, mechatronics, or a related field.
  • ✓Experience maintaining equipment in chemical processing, metal finishing, heat treatment, aerospace, or other industrial manufacturing environments.
  • ✓Experience working safely around industrial chemicals including acids, alkaline, cleaning solutions, and hazardous materials.
  • ✓Familiarity with chemical delivery systems, process pumps, ventilation systems, wastewater treatment equipment, and chemical safety procedures.
  • ✓Knowledge of OSHA hazardous chemical handling practices and Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) procedures.
Show full description ↓

Fantastic challenges. Amazing opportunities.

GKN Aerospace is reimagining air travel: going further, faster and greener! Fuelled by great people whose expertise and creativity sets the standards in our industry, we’re inspired by the opportunities to innovate and break boundaries. We’re proud to play a part in protecting the world’s democracies. And we’re committed to putting sustainability at the centre of everything we do, opening up and protecting our planet. With over 16,000 employees across 32 manufacturing sites in 12 countries we serve over 90% of the world’s aircraft and engine manufacturers and achieved sales of £3.6bn in 2025. There are no limits to where you can take your career.

Desired Competencies

  • +Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills.
  • +Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
  • +Sense of urgency when responding to production downtime.
  • +Excellent communication and teamwork.
  • +Strong mechanical aptitude and willingness to learn new equipment.
  • +Commitm

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