Assistant Maintenance Manager

Assistant Maintenance Manager

Position Summary

The Associate Maintenance Manager assists in leading the daily operations of the Maintenance Department to ensure the safe, efficient, and reliable operation of all production and facility equipment. This position provides leadership to maintenance personnel, coordinates maintenance activities with Production and other departments, oversees maintenance planning and scheduling, and ensures compliance with safety, food safety, and quality requirements.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead daily maintenance operations, including coordinating planning meetings with Production to establish priorities, assign work, and optimize resources.
• Supervise, train, develop, motivate, and direct maintenance personnel while promoting accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
• Manage maintenance department scheduling, workflow, and execution of maintenance activities.
• Enforce all company policies, GMP requirements, food safety standards, safety rules, and regulatory requirements.
• Coordinate maintenance activities with Production and other departments to minimize downtime and maximize equipment reliability.
• Manage maintenance department timekeeping and employee performance.
• Participate in technician skill development, training programs, and performance evaluations.
• Oversee preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance programs, including planning, scheduling, execution, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Administer and maintain maintenance software systems, including MaintainX, work order systems, equipment records, preventive maintenance schedules, and performance reporting.
• Utilize plant automation and monitoring systems, including Ignition, to support maintenance troubleshooting, equipment reliability, and operational performance.
• Review, prioritize, assign, and manage maintenance work orders to ensure timely completion and effective resource utilization.
• Coordinate equipment downtime, shutdowns, and maintenance outages with affected departments.
• Develop labor, material, tooling, contractor, and equipment requirements for maintenance activities.
• Establish and maintain productive relationships with contractors, vendors, suppliers, and service providers.
• Support equipment installations, facility improvements, and maintenance-related projects.
• Coordinate maintenance resources, contractors, and plant personnel to ensure projects are completed safely, efficiently, and on schedule.
• Maintain accurate equipment documentation, including blueprints, P&IDs, schematics, manuals, drawings, and engineering records.
• Ensure all equipment modifications and system changes are properly documented and plant records remain current.
• Oversee maintenance and repair of production equipment, including pumps, pasteurizers, evaporators, dryers, packaging systems, valves, conveyors, and other dairy processing equipment.
• Oversee maintenance and repair of facility support systems, including boilers, steam systems, compressors, chillers, condensers, HVAC equipment, vacuum systems, utilities, instrumentation, and electrical distribution systems.
• Support the design, fabrication, installation, and modification of process equipment, sanitary piping systems, steam systems, chemical systems, pneumatic systems, and related plant infrastructure.
• Maintain company tools, equipment, and maintenance resources in proper working condition.
• Generate and analyze maintenance performance reports, labor utilization data, preventive maintenance metrics, and equipment reliability information.
• Foster cooperation and effective communication between Maintenance, Production, Quality, Safety, Warehouse, and other departments.
• Serve as the acting department leader in the absence of the Maintenance Manager.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required; technical training, trade certification, or related degree preferred.
• Minimum of five years of industrial maintenance experience, preferably in a food or dairy manufacturing environment.
• Minimum of three years of supervisory or management experience in an industrial manufacturing environment required.
• Experience conducting employee coaching, performance evaluations, corrective action, and disciplinary processes required.
• Strong working knowledge of electrical systems, steam systems, boilers, valves, pumps, welding, fabrication, blueprints, P&IDs, and industrial maintenance practices.
• Experience maintaining and troubleshooting dairy processing equipment preferred.
• Experience with CMMS systems, maintenance planning and scheduling, and maintenance performance metrics.
• Experience with MaintainX, Ignition, or similar maintenance and automation software preferred.
• Ability to organize work, manage multiple priorities, and lead teams in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Strong communication, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work effectively with employees, contractors, vendors, and cross-functional departments.

Compliance Requirements

Must comply with all company policies and programs, including but not limited to:

• Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs)
• HACCP
• Allergen Control Program
• Food Safety and Quality Programs
• Sanitation Programs
• Environmental, Health, and Safety Requirements

Additional Requirements

• Must participate in the department on-call rotation, including Saturdays, Sundays, evenings, holidays, and emergency callouts as assigned.
• Must be willing and able to work varying schedules, including days, nights, weekends, swing shifts, and extended hours as necessary to support business needs and plant operations.
• Must be able to respond to maintenance emergencies and support plant operations outside of normal working hours.
• Must maintain required certifications and training.
• Participate in ongoing professional development and company training programs.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to work in manufacturing environments that include exposure to noise, heat, cold, wet conditions, chemicals, and moving equipment.
• Ability to climb ladders, stairs, and platforms.
• Ability to lift, carry, push, and pull up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to stand, walk, bend, kneel, crouch, and reach for extended periods.
• Ability to wear required personal protective equipment and comply with all safety requirements.

Compensation/Benefits:

• Starting at $110,000 annually
• 401k with employer match
• Paid PTO (Vacation and Sick)
• Health, vision, and dental insurance