Position Summary
The Senior Maintenance Manager leads the maintenance function in a fast‑paced food and beverage manufacturing facility, ensuring equipment reliability, regulatory compliance, and operational excellence. This role provides strategic and technical leadership for all maintenance programs, including preventative, predictive, and corrective maintenance, while championing a culture of safety, continuous improvement, and high performance.
Key Responsibilities
Maintenance Leadership & Strategy
- Develop and implement a long‑term maintenance strategy aligned with plant goals, production needs, and regulatory standards.
- Lead, mentor, and develop a maintenance team of supervisors, technicians, and planners.
- Ensure efficient execution of PM and PdM programs to maximize equipment uptime.
Equipment Reliability & Technical Support
- Oversee troubleshooting and repair of mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, and hydraulic systems used in food & beverage production.
- Drive root cause analysis (RCA) and reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) methodologies.
- Partner with Engineering and Operations to support capital projects, equipment installations, and line optimization efforts.
Regulatory Compliance & Food Safety
- Ensure maintenance activities comply with FDA, USDA, SQF, HACCP, GMP, and other applicable food manufacturing standards.
- Maintain accurate documentation of equipment maintenance for audits and inspections.
- Support sanitation and food safety teams to protect product integrity.
Maintenance Planning & Budget Management
- Oversee maintenance planning and scheduling functions to minimize downtime.
- Manage department budgets, including labor, spare parts inventory, and capital expenditures.
- Evaluate vendors, negotiate service contracts, and optimize spare parts management.
Safety & Continuous Improvement
- Champion a culture of safety in accordance with OSHA and internal safety policies.
- Lead continuous improvement initiatives using Lean, Six Sigma, and TPM methods.
- Analyze data to identify trends, reduce unplanned downtime, and improve OEE.
Qualifications
Education
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Maintenance Management, Industrial Technology, or related field preferred.
- Equivalent experience considered.
Experience
- 7-10+ years of maintenance experience in food, beverage, or consumer goods manufacturing.
- Minimum 5 years in a leadership or management capacity.
- Demonstrated success implementing preventative and predictive maintenance programs.
Technical Skills
- Strong knowledge of packaging and process equipment used in food/beverage operations.
- Proficiency with CMMS/EAM systems (e.g., SAP, Maximo, eMaint).
- Understanding of automation, PLCs, controls, and utilities (HVAC, refrigeration, boilers, compressed air).
Leadership & Soft Skills
- Excellent communication, team-building, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
- Strong analytical and problem‑solving capabilities.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a high-speed, high‑complexity production environment.
