REPORTS TO: Director of Manufacturing and Plant Operations
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Maintenance Lead is a hands-on, plant-floor technical leader responsible for performing maintenance work while assisting with the coordination and prioritization of daily maintenance activities. This position leads the Maintenance Technicians with troubleshooting, preventive maintenance, repairs, and equipment reliability while helping ensure the safe and efficient operation of production equipment, utilities, and facility systems.
A primary focus of this position is transitioning maintenance operations from reactive repairs to proactive, planned, and preventive maintenance.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Preventive Maintenance & Equipment Reliability
- Maintain a hands-on presence on the production floor to establish maintenance priorities based on equipment criticality and production needs.
- Support the implementation and continuous improvement of the facility's Preventive Maintenance (PM) Program.
- Monitor equipment performance and establish predictive maintenance practices and a Predictive Maintenance Program (PdM).
- Continuously improve equipment reliability while reducing emergency repairs and downtime.
- Ensure all PMs are completed on time and documented accurately.
- Analyze equipment failures, identify root causes and implement permanent corrective actions.
- Coordinate preventive and planned maintenance activities to minimize production interruptions.
Technical Leadership
· Provide day-to-day technical guidance and support to Maintenance Technicians.
· Assist with training technicians on safe work practices, equipment maintenance, GMPs, LOTO, and SQF requirements.
· Serve as the primary technical resource for complex equipment troubleshooting and repairs.
· Promote accountability, teamwork, and effective communication.
· Communicate maintenance priorities, equipment concerns, and unresolved issues management.
Maintenance Operations
- Coordinate and prioritize the daily activities of Maintenance Technicians.
- Help coordinate work orders and follow up on completion and quality of work.
- Perform and support maintenance of productions equipment and facility systems, including:
- Fryers
- Conveyors
- Packaging equipment
- Mixers
- Compressors
- Boilers
- Pumps
- Pneumatic systems
- Hydraulic systems
- Steam systems
- Facility utilities
- Respond to equipment emergencies when necessary.
- Identify and implement improvements to electrical systems, controls, and components.
Safety & Regulatory Compliance
- Promote and maintain a safe, sanitary, and compliant work environment.
- Follow and reinforce compliance with:
- GMPs
- SQF requirements
- OSHA regulations
- Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) procedures
- Food Safety standards
- PPE requirements
- Ensure equipment repairs and maintenance activities are completed safely and in a sanitary manner.
- Support QA during inspections and audits.
- Assist with routine safety inspections and participate in accident investigations when requested.
- Assist with fryer inspections, fryer boil-outs, and sanitation support.
- Maintain audit-ready maintenance records and practices.
Planning & Documentation
- Maintain accurate maintenance records and work orders.
- Monitor and report maintenance KPIs, including:
- Equipment Downtime
- Preventive Maintenance Compliance
- Emergency Repairs
- Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF)
- Mean Time to Repair (MTTR)
- Recommend equipment upgrades and replacement schedules, based on reliability, condition, and production needs.
- Prepare or assist with maintenance reporting as requested.
Inventory & Purchasing
- Maintain an organized inventory of maintenance parts and supplies.
- Maintain appropriate inventory levels for critical spare parts.
- Request maintenance parts, materials, and supplies as needed.
- Coordinate with vendors for repairs, parts, and technical support as directed.
Continuous Improvement
- Identify and recommend opportunities to improve equipment reliability, efficiency, and performance.
- Participate in Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Support installation and commissioning of new equipment.
- Collaborate with Production to improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE).
Establish Equipment & Maintenance Baseline
- Equipment Identification: Tag all machinery and equipment with unique asset identification.
- Equipment Documentation: Establish and maintain operating, maintenance, and safety instructions for all machinery.
- Physical Inventory: Complete and maintain an accurate physical inventory of all machinery, equipment, and critical assets.
- Parts Management: Establish an organized spare-parts management system, including identification, inventory levels, storage locations, and critical spare parts.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Minimum 5 years of maintenance experience in a food manufacturing environment.
- Previous lead or technical leadership experience preferred.
- Strong knowledge of:
- Mechanical systems
- Electrical systems
- Pneumatics
- Hydraulics
- Steam systems
- Boilers
- Refrigeration
- Packaging equipment
- Experience with preventive maintenance systems (CMMS preferred).
- Ability to read blueprints, schematics, and technical manuals.
- Experience troubleshooting production equipment.
- Working knowledge of SQF, GMPs, OSHA, and Food Safety regulations.
- Strong organizational, communication, troubleshooting, and technical leadership skills.
- Ability to prioritize multiple projects in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
- Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred.
Physical Requirements
Able to perform various physical activities such as heavy lifting, pulling, and pushing up to 50 lbs.
· Able to stand and walk on concrete floors for extended periods of time.
· Use hands and fingers to handle or feel objects, tools, or controls.
· Work and communicate in an environment with moving mechanical parts and loud noise requiring hearing protection.
· Able to balance while ascending/descending ladders and scaffolding using safety procedures.
· Able to twist, bend, lay, kneel, reach, and crouch at elevated and ground levels.
· Vision abilities include close, distant, and color vision.
· Able to adjust to changing demands and environments quickly.
· Employees will be exposed to variable air temperatures, wet and/or humid conditions, high locations, vibration, chemicals.
Pay: $90,000.00 - $110,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
