Lubrication Technician

Position Summary

The Lubrication Technician will drive equipment uptime and reliability at the Riverville Mill through precision lubrication, contamination control, and proactive condition monitoring. Reporting directly to the Reliability Team, the Lube Tech ensures that all rotating equipment, rolls, machinery, gearboxes, and bearings receive the precise type, amount, and frequency of lubrication required to optimize equipment life in a heavy-duty continuous manufacturing environment.

Responsibilities:    

• Precision Lubrication: Execute daily, weekly, monthly, and annual outage lubrication routes as scheduled. Ensure absolute accuracy in oil and grease application to prevent over-greasing and bearing starvation.
• Contamination Control: Manage lubricant storage, handling, and dispensing according to ICML (International Council for Machinery Lubrication) and PCA best practices. Maintain absolute cleanliness of transfer carts, filter carts, and top-up containers.
• Oil Sampling & Analysis: Pull routine oil samples from critical assets, properly label them, and prepare them for analysis. Interpret basic results and assist in identifying root causes of lubricant degradation or wear.
• Condition Monitoring: Conduct primary equipment inspections, including visual checks, temperature assessments, and basic vibration screening during routes to identify early signs of equipment failure.
• Program Development: Continuously update machine-specific lubrication tagging, routes, and procedures in the Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS).
• PM Optimization: Work closely with mill operations and mechanical maintenance teams to adjust lubrication frequencies and volumes based on operating conditions and equipment history.
• Housekeeping & Safety: Adhere to all mill safety policies (e.g., LOTO, confined space entry, PPE). Maintain top tier 5S standards in all lubrication storage and work areas.

Qualifications:

Education & Certifications:

• High School Diploma or equivalent required.
• Must possess or be able to rapidly obtain MLT-1 (Machinery Lubrication Technician) and MLT-2 (Machinery Lubricant Analyst) certifications from the ICML.

Experience/ Skills:

• Minimum of 2 to 3 years of industrial maintenance, lubrication, or reliability experience—ideally within the paper, packaging, or heavy continuous process manufacturing industries.
• Strong mechanical aptitude, basic computer skills for data logging, and a highly detail-oriented mindset. Must be able to work independently and safely across the vast physical footprint of the Riverville site.

Physical & Work Environment

• Manufacturing environment with exposure to noise, dust, heat, and varying temperatures
• Ability to walk production areas, climb stairs and ladders, and work around operating equipment
• Ability to lift 50 pounds
• On-site role; may require off-hours or weekend support.