The Walnut Creek Coal Mine, located in Bremond, Texas, is a surface lignite mining operation featuring an 80-cubic-yard dragline, a 29-cubic-yard mass excavator, a 24-cubic-yard hydraulic backhoe, and a fleet of 150-ton end-dump trucks. Producing over 2 million tons of lignite annually, the mine utilizes a blending program to ensure consistent fuel quality for a 308 MW power generation facility.
Opportunity Summary
The Maintenance Planner supports the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of Walnut Creek Mine by planning and coordinating maintenance activities for heavy mining equipment and associated systems. This position manages preventive and corrective maintenance planning, equipment repairs, major maintenance projects, CMMS activities, spare parts, and contractor coordination. Working closely with Operations, Maintenance, and external service providers, the Maintenance Planner helps improve equipment availability, minimize downtime, and optimize maintenance performance.
Your scope of responsibility as Maintenance Planner will include the following primary functions:
Maintenance Planning, Execution & Reliability
- Develop and maintain maintenance plans and schedules for draglines, excavators, haul trucks, dozers, and associated mining equipment based on operational priorities, equipment condition, and OEM recommendations.
- Lead maintenance planning meetings with mine leadership, Operations, Maintenance, contractors, and vendors to prioritize work, coordinate resources, and align maintenance activities with production requirements.
- Plan and coordinate major equipment repairs, scheduled shutdowns, and maintenance projects using Microsoft Project or similar tools to establish schedules, allocate resources, and monitor progress.
- Manage preventive and predictive maintenance programs based on equipment operating hours, condition monitoring, inspection results, manufacturer guidelines, and reliability objectives.
- Drive equipment reliability improvements through maintenance trend analysis, investigation of recurring failures, Root Cause Analyses (RCAs), and implementation of corrective actions.
- Establish maintenance priorities and contingency plans for unexpected equipment failures and emergency repairs to minimize operational disruptions and restore equipment availability.
- Coordinate mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, and control system maintenance for mobile and stationary mining equipment, including rotating machinery, drive systems, and supporting infrastructure.
CMMS, Materials & Vendor Coordination
- Administer CMMS activities, maintaining accurate work orders, preventive maintenance schedules, equipment histories, inspection records, inventory information, and maintenance performance metrics.
- Analyze maintenance data to identify equipment trends, evaluate recurring issues, optimize maintenance schedules, and support equipment reliability and cost-reduction initiatives.
- Oversee critical spare-parts inventory, including mechanical, hydraulic, electrical, and equipment-specific components needed for scheduled and emergency maintenance.
- Collaborate with contractors, OEMs, suppliers, and vendors to coordinate technical services, procure materials, develop scopes of work, and schedule specialized maintenance activities.
Cost, Safety & Mine Support
- Support maintenance budgeting, cost tracking, and evaluation of cost-effective repair strategies while maintaining equipment reliability, safety, and operational requirements.
- Ensure maintenance planning activities incorporate applicable Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) requirements, Lockout/Tagout (LOTO), equipment isolation procedures, and established mine safety practices.
- Provide technical guidance and coordination to maintenance personnel, maintain relevant documentation and training records, and perform additional duties or special projects as assigned.
NAES Safe
Safety is a core value at NAES, and as a condition of employment, all employees are expected to remain mentally alert and work safely at all times. Employees must also adhere to all safety warnings and posted signs while on company property. Additionally, they are required to follow all NAES safety rules and procedures. Adherence to these safety responsibilities is one of the key factors in the evaluation of each employee’s performance.
Working Relationships
The Maintenance Planner reports to the Maintenance Manager and receives general direction from the Mine Manager. This position also coordinates with all plant personnel to ensure the safe and efficient operation of the plant and its related processes.
Physical Requirements and Working Conditions
Physical requirements include prolonged standing and walking on uneven, rough, or inclined surfaces; climbing stairs, ladders, and equipment; and working at heights or in confined locations. Frequent lifting, carrying, and maneuvering of materials or tools weighing up to 50 pounds is expected.
Coal mining environments may include underground or surface settings, confined spaces, low-clearance areas, and restricted pathways. Work may require crawling, kneeling, or stooping in tight quarters, with exposure to coal dust, fumes, vibration, high noise levels, moisture, extreme temperatures, and low-light conditions. Outdoor or remote work may involve changing weather conditions.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is required and may include hard hats, safety glasses or goggles, steel-toed boots, respiratory and hearing protection, gloves (including hot- and cut-resistant), flame-resistant clothing (FRC), and fall protection harnesses. Respirator fit testing may be required. Strict no-smoking policies apply in and around the mine site and designated work zones.
Fitness for Duty
All personnel will participate in the Fitness for Duty Program, which includes a post-offer physical examination, drug screening, and post-employment random drug screening.
Work Schedule
The Maintenance Planner works a standard Monday to Friday day shift schedule. This position will require extended hours, flexible shifts, weekends, and holidays as needed to support plant operations and business needs and may also require callout availability. Depending on the position, on-call status may or may not apply.
Some travel may be involved to participate in Manager, Owner, User Group, or other offsite meetings.
Compensation
This position offers an annual base salary ranging from $95,000 to $115,000 and includes eligibility for an annual performance bonus.
Planning Expertise & Technical Qualifications
- Associate degree in engineering, industrial maintenance, mechanical technology, or a related technical field is preferred; equivalent industry experience, technical training, or applicable military experience may be considered.
- Previous experience in maintenance planning, scheduling, procurement, or maintenance supervision within surface mining, heavy equipment, or a similar industrial environment is strongly preferred.
- Comprehensive knowledge of heavy mining equipment, including draglines, excavators, haul trucks, hydraulic systems, mechanical drives, electrical systems, and associated support equipment.
- Demonstrated ability to develop and coordinate preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance plans, major equipment repairs, and shutdown schedules while optimizing labor, materials, and equipment availability.
- Proficiency with CMMS platforms such as Maximo for work order management, equipment history, preventive maintenance, inventory tracking, and maintenance planning; familiarity with SAP or similar ERP systems is beneficial.
- Practical experience analyzing equipment performance, identifying recurring failures, supporting root cause investigations, and implementing reliability-focused maintenance improvements.
- Familiarity with maintenance budgeting, spare-parts management, contractor coordination, and scheduling tools such as Microsoft Project, along with effective communication and organizational skills.
- Understanding of MSHA requirements, LOTO, equipment isolation, and safe maintenance practices applicable to surface mining and heavy industrial equipment.
- Must possess a valid, unrestricted U.S. driver’s license and ensure it remains in good standing at all times.
About NAES
NAES Corporation is a leading provider of operations, maintenance, and engineering services for energy facilities. We serve clients across the power generation, oil and gas, and renewable energy sectors throughout North America and internationally, supporting the full life cycle of power generation and other industrial facilities.
NAES is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. Employment decisions are based on merit and qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, military status, USERRA-protected status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.