Maintenance Manager

Description

• Summary/Objective
• The Maintenance Manager is responsible for the safe, efficient, and compliant operation of all equipment, utilities, and facilities within our long-established bakery plant. Operating in a legacy facility this role demands a hands-on, resourceful leader who thrives on solving complex mechanical problems, sourcing hard-to-find parts, and keeping production running without the luxury of modern, plug-and-play systems. The Maintenance Manager leads a team of technicians and works closely with production, quality, and safety departments to maximize uptime, control costs, and maintain full food safety compliance.

• Essential Functions
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Equipment & Facility Maintenance

• •Oversee preventive, corrective, and condition-based maintenance programs for bakery equipment, including older-generation mixers, dividers, rounders, proofers, deck and reel ovens, chain conveyors, slicers, wrappers, and refrigeration systems — much of which may no longer have OEM support
• •Manage legacy building infrastructure including HVAC, low-pressure steam systems, older electrical distribution panels, compressed air networks, and water and wastewater systems
• •Develop creative repair and fabrication solutions when OEM parts are discontinued or unavailable; coordinate custom machining or fabrication as needed
• •Ensure all facilities, equipment, and utilities meet food-grade standards and GMP requirements.
• •Lead root cause analysis and corrective action for equipment failures, with particular focus on chronic or recurring issues common in high-hour machinery

Team Leadership

• •Recruit, hire, schedule, and develop a team of maintenance technicians (electrical, mechanical, and multi-craft) with practical, hands-on trade skills
• •Provide mentorship and technical training, emphasizing hands-on troubleshooting and mechanical aptitude over reliance on automated diagnostics
• •Conduct performance reviews, coaching sessions, and disciplinary actions as needed
• •Foster a culture of accountability, ingenuity, and safety

Planning & Reliability

• •Maintain a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) for work orders, asset history, and spare parts inventory — including cataloging legacy assets
• •Develop and manage a robust spare parts program for obsolete or hard-to-source components
• •Create and execute annual maintenance and capital improvement plans that prioritize life-extension strategies for aging assets
• •Identify equipment nearing end-of-life and build the business case for capital replacement or major rebuilds
• •Coordinate planned shutdowns and major overhauls with minimal production disruption

Regulatory & Food Safety Compliance

• •Ensure all maintenance activities comply with FDA, OSHA, EPA, and local regulatory requirements, including those specific to older building construction and electrical codes
• •Support SQF or other food safety certification audits; develop corrective action plans that address facility and equipment findings
• •Enforce Lock Out / Tag Out (LOTO), confined space entry, and all applicable safety programs

Budget & Vendor Management

• •Develop and manage the annual maintenance department budget, balancing reactive repair costs with strategic investment in aging asset reliability
• •Identify, evaluate, and manage outside contractors and specialty repair vendors for equipment types that require niche expertise
• •Source spare parts through alternative suppliers, rebuilders, and aftermarket channels when OEM sources are exhausted
• •Identify and implement practical cost-saving and energy efficiency improvements

• Supervisory Responsibility
• Direct supervision of the Maintenance team.

Requirements

Required Education and Experience

• •Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Technology, or a related field — or substantial equivalent experience in a trades or industrial maintenance role
• •Minimum 5 years of maintenance experience in food manufacturing or another regulated industrial environment, with at least 2 years in a supervisory or management role
• •Proven ability to troubleshoot and repair older, non-PLC-controlled electromechanical systems; comfort working with relay logic, analog controls, and mechanical governors
• •Strong hands-on mechanical skills including welding, fabrication, and machining fundamentals; ability to reverse-engineer worn or obsolete components
• •Experience sourcing obsolete or discontinued parts through aftermarket, rebuild, or custom fabrication channels
• •Working knowledge of GMP, HACCP, LOTO, and OSHA 29 CFR 1910 standards
• •Proficiency with CMMS platforms (e.g., SAP PM, Fiix, Maintenance Connection)
• •Strong problem-solving, organizational, and communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

• •Experience maintaining equipment in facilities built prior to 1980, including familiarity with older electrical codes and building systems
• •Experience in high-volume snack or baked goods production
• •Trade certifications in electrical, welding, pipefitting, or related disciplines
• •Demonstrated experience with steam systems, older refrigeration equipment, and legacy conveyor or drive systems
• •Familiarity with Lean or TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) principles adapted for legacy environments
• •Bilingual English/Spanish a plus

Physical & Environmental Requirements

• •Ability to work in a production environment with varying temperatures (hot ovens, walk-in coolers/freezers), noise, flour dust.
• •Capable of lifting up to 50 lbs, climbing ladders, working in confined or elevated spaces, and standing or walking for extended periods
• •Must be available for on-call response to equipment emergencies, including nights and weekends