
Maintenance Mechanic – Lead
Solenis · Suffolk, VA
- Level
- Technician
- Team
- Reliability
- Experience asked
- 5+ years
- Industry
- Chemicals
- Posted
- 30+ days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A technician-level reliability role at Solenis (chemicals) in Suffolk, VA. Troubleshoot, repair, and maintain plant equipment including pumps, valves, scrubbers, agitators, fans, heat exchangers, relief devices, vacuum pumps and systems, and vessels in chemical production and packaging processes, including assisting in.
- They ask for
- 5+ years
- Tools it names
- Root cause, Machining, SAP
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Maintenance Technician roles in the US: typical posted base $58k–$84k.
Median of the low and high ends of 37 live postings that list pay, out of 1616 maintenance technician openings in the US, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Virginia plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 35 other live reliability postings in Virginia.
- Experience asked
- More than usual (5+ vs 4+)
Similar roles usually ask 4+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Team leadership 44%
- Welding 42%
- ✓ SAP 25%
- ✓ Root cause 22%
✓ = 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.
At a glance
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
Pick 2–3 people on the Reliability team at Solenis
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
- 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
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
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
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: Solenis in Suffolk
4 other open roles at this site.
- Production Supervisor · Production · Supervisor
- Maintenance Mechanic · Reliability · Technician
- Operational Excellence and PMO leader · Lean / CI · Manager
- Maintenance Electrical and Instrumentation Technician · Reliability · Technician
Full description from SolenisAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Qualifications
- ✓High School diploma or equivalent experience.
- ✓5+ years maintenance experience in an industrial plant, preferably chemical operations.
- ✓Possess a good working knowledge of Millwright work, Machining, and/or Pipefitting.
- ✓Knowledge of and experience with all types of drive train equipment (gears, bearings, belts)
- ✓Rotating Equipment Alignment experience is preferred.
- ✓Rigging experience is preferred, along with the operation of lifting equipment.
- ✓Capability of using various types of measuring instruments necessary for the job.
- ✓Ability to lift 55 pounds, excessive walking, bending, continuous climbing of stairs, operate a forklift and cleaning equipment
- ✓Capability to perform basic mathematics, including fractions, decimal, and understanding of different units of measure
- ✓Ability to follow direction, and communicate across multiple departments
- ✓Able to perform duties in all types of PPE up to an incapsulated suit, able to work in confined spaces and elevated heights.
- ✓Strong problem solving and troubleshooting experience.
- ✓Must be capable of meeting respiratory protection physical standards and fit test requirements, and become qualified under the site Respiratory Protection program.
- ✓Must complete HAZWOPER training and serve on site Emergency Response Team (ERT).
- ✓Prior experience with Preventive and Predictive Maintenance preferred.
- ✓Experience using PCs and Microsoft Office
- ✓Preferred working knowledge of SAP
We
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Solenis is a leading global provider of water and hygiene solutions. The company’s product portfolio includes a broad array of water treatment chemistries, process aids, functional additives, cleaners, disinfectants, and state-of-the-art monitoring, control and delivery systems. These technologies are used by customers to improve operational efficiencies, enhance product quality, protect plant assets, minimize environmental impact, and create cleaner and safer environments. Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, the company has 78 manufacturing facilities strategically located around the globe and employs a team of over ~23000 professionals in >160 countries across six continents. Solenis is a 2025 Best Managed Company Gold Standard honoree.
For additional information about Solenis, please visit www.solenis.com or follow us on social media.
The Lead Maintenance Mechanic will be responsible for installing, maintaining, and troubleshooting equipment in the VFA plant to allow for safe and continuous operation, along with developing weekly maintenance work schedules for mechanics and E/I trades on the VFA plant during normal operation. This role will also work with other plant personnel to develop shutdown schedules.
This role will work with Operations, Engineering, and Contractors on a daily basis to support continuous production, once the VFA plant is commissioned. Prior to that milestone, the mechanic will support plant testing, commissioning, and startup, by working alongside existing site mechanics and contractors.
This role will support the commissioning and startup of a new plant on site. While the role will be a 40 hour Monday-Friday daytime schedule, this person should be willing to work up to 48 hours (4 days) overtime monthly as required to cover vacation on day and/or night shift.
Principal Accountabilities
- •Troubleshoot, repair, and maintain plant equipment including pumps, valves, scrubbers, agitators, fans, heat exchangers, relief devices, vacuum pumps and systems, and vessels in chemical production and packaging processes, including assisting in identifying root causes, and proposing solutions
- •Perform testing, troubleshooting, calibration, configuration, repair, and replacement of site process mechanical equipment for both simple and complex systems. Includes gathering and analyzing data to determine cause using technical manuals, configuration documents, and drawings
- •Generate weekly work schedule for maintenance technicians in SAP by organizing with various departments
- •Cover shifts for mechanics who are on vacation as needed.
- •Conduct work activities in a manner that protects the safety and health of employees, visitors and the environment as established by company policies and procedures.
- •Demonstrate basic understanding of how equipment works and the fundamentals of preventive and predictive maintenance
- •Utilize blueprints, lay-out drawings, mechanical drawings, schematics, manufacturer specifications and manuals to troubleshoot and repair equipment
- •Complete and update documentation in equipment records, databases, and drawings to meet regulatory and Solenis requirements.
- •Assist in commissioning and startup activities on the new plant, including contributing to procedure development, participating in trainings, walking down equipment on the plant post-construction, and troubleshooting issues
- •Recommend tools, equipment, or methods to improve the safety or timeliness of system repairs or improve reliability.
- •Able to follow written and verbal instructions with minimal direct supervision to meet daily goals.
- •Manage all waste streams (non hazardous, hazardous and recyclable material) properly under RCRA and plant guidelines.
- •Perform basic operation tasks for utility and services equipment including chillers, cooling towers, generators, air compressors, and steam utilization equipment.
Success Criteria
- •Ensure the integrity and reliability of plant mechanical equipment by developing a full working knowledge of the equipment and processes associated with the plant, offload operations, and packaging
- •Able to perform maintenance work (install, maintain, repair) on mechanical equipment at a skilled level.
- •Can recognize safety hazards and support a zero-incident mindset for self and others
- •Can thrive within a fast-paced, commercially driven environment
- •Maintain high standards of housekeeping in work area
- •Stay clean-shaven daily for respirator usage
