Maintenance Manager

The Maintenance Manager provides strategic leadership for the maintenance department within a high-volume ethanol production facility, ensuring maximum equipment reliability and process safety while maintaining strict fiscal discipline. This role operates in a highly structured partnership with a Maintenance Planner, focusing on long-term reliability strategies and regulatory compliance while the Planner manages tactical scheduling and parts staging. A core component of this position is oversight of capital projects and contracted labor subject to Prevailing Wage (Davis-Bacon Act) regulations. The manager is responsible for successfully managing the maintenance department, implementing all technical and regulatory requirements, and performing hands-on Maintenance Technician duties as needed.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Reliability:

· Lead development of the facility's Mechanical Integrity program. Collaborate with the Maintenance Planner to prioritize the maintenance backlog, optimize PM schedules, and ensure all work orders are kitted and ready for execution. Develop, implement, and continuously improve preventive maintenance programs for all production equipment in the plant.

Prevailing Wage Compliance:

· Oversee all onsite contracted projects subject to Prevailing Wage mandates. Ensure accurate labor classifications, verify certified payroll submissions, and maintain all documentation required for state and federal audits. Coordinate with HR and payroll on labor classifications, documentation, and audit readiness for applicable projects.

Team Leadership:

· Direct and mentor a multidisciplinary team of technicians. Foster a culture of accountability and continuous improvement through Root Cause Analysis (RCA) of equipment failures. Supervise employees reporting to the position, work with employees to establish PM schedules and ensure they are performed and documented. Monitor daily activities to ensure work is performed timely and accurately.

Shutdown Management:

· Lead the planning and execution of semi-annual plant shutdowns. Work with the Maintenance Planner to define scope, manage budget, and oversee surge of Prevailing Wage labor to ensure timelines are met safely. Heavily involved in planning and implementation of plant construction projects, equipment change-outs and upgrades.

Financial and CAPEX Management:

· Develop and manage the annual maintenance budget. Oversee Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) projects, ensuring all bids and contracts align with current wage determinations and corporate ROI goals. Work with vendors and suppliers on bids and specifications.

Safety and Regulatory Oversight:

· Ensure all maintenance activities comply with OSHA, EPA, and RMP (Risk Management Plan) standards. Serve as the primary point of contact for technical audits and safety inspections. Learn, understand, and comply with plant environmental, health, and safety (EHS) rules and regulations always. Hold self and others accountable for safe operations, wear required PPE and actively participate in regular safety training and testing.

Maintenance and Reliability:

· Learn and understand sequence of plant operations, process flows, purpose and implications of control systems, source/destination of piping, and how the flow of each operation impacts other areas. Facilitate troubleshooting and communications between Maintenance Department and other areas of the plant to maximize production and minimize downtime. Walk through entire plant at least daily looking and listening for equipment/process problems.

Continuous Improvement:

· Seek employee input on ways to improve operations. Involved in setting of plant goals and coordinating maintenance activities to meet those goals. Plan for and implement equipment upgrades and training as approved.

Emergency Response:

· Participate in on-call rotations to respond to emergency maintenance situations. React quickly and effectively to minimize plant downtime.

Work Relationships:

The Maintenance Planner works cross-functionally to ensure maintenance activities are well-coordinated, properly resourced, and executed efficiently.

• Maintenance Team: Partners closely with maintenance manager and technicians to develop accurate job plans, gather feedback on completed work, and continuously improve planning and execution processes.
• Operations Team: Collaborates with operations to align maintenance schedules with production needs, minimize downtime, and prioritize work based on plant impact.
• Inventory/Purchasing: Works with purchasing and inventory personnel to ensure timely procurement of parts, maintain optimal stock levels, and resolve material availability issues.
• Contractors & Vendors: Coordinates with external contractors and service providers to define scope, schedule work, and ensure compliance with plant policies and safety standards.
• HR & Payroll: Supports prevailing wage compliance efforts by coordinating with HR and payroll on labor classifications, documentation, and audit readiness for applicable projects.
• Leadership Team: Communicates maintenance plans, priorities, and performance metrics to plant leadership, providing insights and recommendations for continuous improvement.

· Prior experience in maintenance planning or scheduling is strongly preferred.

Required Skills & Abilities:

• Must demonstrate reliability and punctuality to support 24/7/365 operations
• Available for occasional 24/7 support and call-ins as needed
• Possess strong problem-solving skills with the ability to troubleshoot and resolve issues accurately, efficiently, and with a sense of urgency
• Communicate clearly and professionally while fostering positive working relationships
• Exhibit integrity and honesty in all interactions and responsibilities
• Proactively identify tasks that need attention and exercise sound judgment in addressing them
• Detail-oriented with strong planning and time management skills
• Capable of working independently as well as collaboratively in a team environment
• Able to work in a fast-paced environment while managing multiple tasks and priorities effectively

Education & Experience:

Experience

· 7 years of maintenance leadership in a continuous-process environment with Ethanol, Petrochemical, or Power Generation preferred. At least 5 years of progressively responsible management/supervisory experience in a manufacturing maintenance role, with preference for experience in a process flow environment.

Regulatory Expertise

· Demonstrated experience managing projects governed by Prevailing Wage laws and the associated administrative compliance. Prior experience in maintenance planning or scheduling is strongly preferred.

Technical Proficiency

· Advanced knowledge of CMMS platforms such as SAP or Maximo, steam systems, centrifuges, and PLC automation. Thorough knowledge of pumps, electrical motors, control instrumentation, boilers, cooling towers, chemical addition equipment, centrifuges, welding and general mechanical and process equipment. High level of computer experience working with CAD drafting, spreadsheets, graphing, report writing, documentation, and preventive maintenance programs.

Education

· Bachelor's degree in mechanical/electrical engineering or equivalent industrial management experience preferred but not required. Technical education in maintenance processes is highly desirable, as is a degree in manufacturing engineering or related areas.

Communication

· Strong executive presence with the ability to translate technical reliability data into financial impacts for senior leadership. Communicate clearly and professionally while fostering positive working relationships. Exhibit integrity and honesty in all interactions and responsibilities.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to work in both office and industrial plant environments, including exposure to noise, heat, cold, dust, and odors
• Frequent walking throughout the facility, including climbing stairs, ladders, and navigating uneven surfaces
• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods of time during plant tours, job planning, and field verification of work
• Lift up to 75 lb. pieces of equipment, tools, parts, etc., normally chest height, and move a few feet away, usually several times per shift
• Climb open-grate metal stairs to elevations up to 150 feet off the ground
• Climb fixed and movable ladders up to 40 feet high
• Perform skilled maintenance duties safely and proficiently including electrical, welding, hydraulics, replace/repair wear parts in machinery, adjust equipment, open/close tanks and heat exchangers
• Work safely in confined spaces as needed (varied from daily to weekly) and overhead work (reaching overhead and/or working on elevated equipment)
• Repetitive lifting/bending/kneeling/walking/climbing a significant part of each day, depending on plant operations and preventive maintenance done that day.
• Must be able to wear required personal protective equipment (PPE), including hard hat, safety glasses, steel-toe boots, hearing protection, and other safety gear as required
• Ability to work at heights and in confined spaces as needed for planning and inspection purposes
• Visual acuity to review technical documents, equipment, and computer screens
• Manual dexterity to operate standard office equipment and computers.

Working Conditions:

• Primarily office-based with regular time spent in the plant environment. Work is performed indoors and outdoors in all weather conditions including heat, cold, humidity, rain, and snow Must be able to work in varying conditions including heat, cold, noise, and dust Frequent exposure to noise, heights, moving equipment and mechanical parts, electricity, extremely hot and cold equipment and products that may be under extreme pressure, toxic and/or caustic chemicals, flammable materials, and dust/dirt/grease May require occasional after-hours or weekend support during outages or major projects This job describes the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to this position. It does not state or imply that these are the only duties and responsibilities assigned to the job. Employees may be required to perform other job-related duties as requested by management. All requirements are subject to change over time and to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with a disability.

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Referral program
• Retirement plan
• Tuition reimbursement
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person