Maintenance Manager, Food Manufacturing

We are seeking an experienced Maintenance Manager to lead all maintenance, reliability, and technical operations for a food manufacturing facility in the Chicago area. This is a highly visible leadership role responsible for maximizing equipment uptime, driving asset reliability, and supporting plant performance through strong team leadership and continuous improvement initiatives.

This role requires a hands-on technical leader with strong electrical and automation expertise, including PLC troubleshooting, instrumentation, and control systems. The ideal candidate will bring deep experience supporting high-speed processing environments and the ability to diagnose and resolve complex electro-mechanical issues.

Our client is a leading supplier of edible seeds, ancient grains, sweet spices, customized grain blends and specialty whole grain flours in the U.S. They are experiencing significant growth as their ingredients are being incorporated into a wide range of foods to provide distinctive flavor and nutrition. Our client has expertise in helping their customers differentiate their brands with healthy and flavorful grain-based foods.

Essential Job Functions include:

• Oversees all maintenance operations including preventative, predictive, and corrective maintenance strategies for plant operating equipment and automation infrastructure.
• Serves as on-site technical expert for electrical systems, PLCs, and plant operating and automation infrastructure and troubleshoots and resolves complex electrical system issues.
• Reads and interprets electrical schematics, loop diagrams, and P&IDs to support troubleshooting and system optimization.
• Coordinates with engineering, operations, contractors, and equipment suppliers to ensure maximum equipment uptime and system availability.
• Drives asset reliability through optimization of CMMS and asset care programs.
• Assists in developing reports to monitor key operating performance to include safety, quality, cost, productivity, yield, and variances.
• Reviews maintenance costs of all capital equipment and is responsible for developing control programs to maintain and enhance the profitability of the operation.
• Manages spare parts inventory and critical electrical components to ensure operational readiness.
• Reviews and recommends budgets to Plant Management.
• Prepares the budget and supports implementation of all capital projects for the plant.
• Visually inspects and tests machinery and equipment, leading maintenance/repair as needed.

Qualifications include:

• B.S. in Engineering or Industrial Automation is preferred.
• 8 years of Maintenance and Repair of electro-mechanical equipment systems in a food ingredient, food manufacturing, packaging, or pharmaceutical operation.
• Prior Supervisory or Managerial experience in an operations or production environment.
• Strong hands-on expertise of electro-mechanical drive systems, AC/DC motors, starters, speed controls, conveying systems, etc.
• Continuous Improvement (CI) training or certification in Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, and/or TPM is preferred.
• Capital equipment installation, commissioning, and troubleshooting experience.
• Strong electrical and mechanical aptitude with the ability to solve complex manufacturing issues.
• Excellent data analysis skills and well-rounded business acumen.
• Independent thinker, creative, imaginative, yet with practical ability to justify project costs.
• Collaborative work style with the ability to both lead and follow.

Compensation for this position includes an attractive base salary commensurate with experience, annual bonus incentives, full medical/dental benefits, 401-K, and paid vacation.