Rendering Maintenance Manager

Rendering Maintenance Manager
Location: Millsboro, Delaware
Work Arrangement: Onsite / Plant-Based Leadership Role
Employment Type: Full-Time
The Rendering Maintenance Manager is responsible for the overall maintenance, reliability, and performance of rendering plant equipment, systems, and infrastructure. This position provides strategic and day-to-day leadership for the maintenance function, ensuring safe, environmentally compliant, and efficient operations through effective preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance programs.
The manager leads maintenance personnel and contractors, oversees equipment reliability initiatives, manages maintenance budgets and capital projects, and drives continuous improvement to maximize equipment uptime and plant performance.
This role maintains 24/7 accountability for critical plant assets and partners closely with Operations, Engineering, Environmental, and Safety teams to achieve production, safety, quality, environmental, and cost objectives.
Key Responsibilities
1. Maintenance Leadership and Team Development

• Lead, develop, and supervise maintenance supervisors, mechanics, technicians, and contractors.
• Establish clear performance expectations and hold team members accountable for safety, equipment reliability, and operational results.
• Provide coaching, technical training, employee development, and succession planning.
• Build a skilled, engaged maintenance organization focused on teamwork, accountability, and operational excellence.
• Support workforce planning and effective allocation of maintenance resources.

2. Maintenance and Equipment Reliability

• Develop, implement, and continuously improve preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance programs.
• Drive reliability initiatives to improve equipment uptime, asset life, and operational efficiency.
• Analyze equipment failures and lead root cause investigations to prevent recurring issues.
• Ensure effective maintenance planning, scheduling, prioritization, and execution.
• Maintain accurate equipment histories, asset management information, and maintenance records.
• Monitor equipment performance and identify opportunities to reduce unplanned downtime.

3. Safety, Environmental, and Regulatory Compliance

• Promote and enforce a strong safety culture across all maintenance activities.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA regulations, environmental requirements, company policies, and applicable industry practices.
• Administer and enforce Lockout/Tagout (LOTO), confined space entry, hot work, contractor safety, and other critical safety programs.
• Ensure maintenance work is performed using appropriate safety procedures and risk controls.
• Support internal and external audits and lead corrective actions when required.
• Partner with Environmental and Safety teams to maintain compliant plant operations.

4. Budget and Operational Performance

• Develop and manage maintenance budgets and control maintenance expenditures.
• Monitor maintenance costs and identify opportunities to improve cost efficiency without compromising safety or reliability.
• Track key performance indicators, including:
  • Equipment availability
  • Unplanned downtime
  • Preventive maintenance completion rates
  • Maintenance expenditures
  • Equipment reliability metrics
• Use performance data to identify trends, prioritize corrective actions, and improve maintenance effectiveness.
• Align maintenance activities with production schedules and operational requirements.

5. Capital Projects and Continuous Improvement

• Support, manage, and execute capital improvement projects and major equipment installations.
• Coordinate contractors and external service providers to ensure work is completed safely, on schedule, and within budget.
• Collaborate with Operations and Engineering on equipment upgrades, modifications, and reliability improvements.
• Partner with Environmental and Safety teams to improve facility performance and compliance.
• Identify opportunities to improve maintenance processes, equipment performance, and resource utilization.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that support long-term plant reliability and operational excellence.

Required Qualifications

• 7–10 years of industrial maintenance experience, with at least 7 years required.
• 3–5 years of maintenance leadership or supervisory experience, with at least 3 years required.
• Experience managing maintenance personnel, contractors, and maintenance programs.
• Experience managing maintenance budgets and controlling expenditures.
• Demonstrated ability to lead maintenance activities in a manufacturing, processing, or industrial environment.
• Strong understanding of industrial equipment maintenance, troubleshooting, and reliability practices.
• Ability to manage multiple maintenance priorities while maintaining a strong focus on safety, equipment uptime, and cost control.

Education Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required according to the requisition's minimum education field.
• Preferred fields include:
  • Engineering
  • Industrial Technology
  • Maintenance Management
  • A related technical or industrial discipline
• Equivalent combinations of education, technical training, and experience may be considered according to the description; confirm any degree substitution with the hiring team.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in one or more of the following environments:
  • Rendering operations
  • Poultry processing
  • Food manufacturing
  • Feed manufacturing
  • Similar industrial processing facilities
• Working knowledge of computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS).
• Familiarity with reliability-centered maintenance practices.
• Experience with predictive maintenance technologies.
• Experience leading equipment reliability initiatives, root cause analysis, and continuous improvement projects.
• Experience managing capital projects and external maintenance contractors.