Plant Engineering & Maintenance Manager

The Plant Engineering & Maintenance Manager is responsible for leading all maintenance and engineering functions within a high-volume food manufacturing facility operating 365 days per year. This role provides leadership and direction for the plant maintenance team while ensuring the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of all production equipment, utilities, facilities, life safety systems, ammonia refrigeration systems, and wastewater operations.

The position oversees preventive and reactive maintenance programs, equipment reliability initiatives, utilities management, environmental and wastewater compliance, and execution of small-to-medium capital projects while serving as the primary liaison between the plant and corporate engineering teams.

This role requires a hands-on leader capable of balancing strategic planning with day-to-day operational support in a fast-paced manufacturing environment. The successful candidate will be expected to provide after-hours technical support as needed and participate in weekend coverage to support continuous plant operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead all maintenance operations, including preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance programs for production, packaging, utilities, conveyors, automated systems, and facility infrastructure.
• Maintain and repair plant facilities and equipment to achieve optimal levels of safety, reliability, efficiency, and operational uptime.
• Develop and drive equipment reliability and continuous improvement initiatives focused on minimizing downtime and improving plant performance.
• Manage the plant Maintenance Management System (CMMS/MMS), including work order prioritization, preventive maintenance scheduling, documentation, asset management, labor tracking, and maintenance reporting.
• Coordinate daily maintenance priorities with production leadership to support plant performance, startup activities, changovers, and customer service objectives.
• Maintain accountability, development, scheduling, and performance management of maintenance supervisors, mechanics, technicians, and contractors.
• Assist in recruiting, interviewing, training, mentoring, and developing maintenance team members to improve technical capabilities and operational effectiveness.
• Execute small and medium-sized capital projects, including scope development, budgeting, contractor coordnation, installation oversight, commissioning, and startup support.
• Serve as the primary plant liaison to corporate engineering for capital planning, technical support, standardization efforts, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support troubleshooting and repair of mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, refrigeration, automation, and controls-related issues across the facility while minimizing production downtime.
• Oversee plant utilities and infrastructure systems, including compressed air, ammonia refrigeration, HVAC, steam, water, wastewater, lighting, and electrical distribution systems.
• Maintain responsibility for plant wastewater systems and environmental compliance, including monitoring programs, reporting requirements, contractor coordination, and operational reliability.
• Manage and maintain all plant life safety systems, including fire suppression, fire alarm systems, inspections, testing, and contractor coordination to ensure full regulatory compliance and operational readiness.
• Ensure compliance with applicable local, state, and federal regulations, including OSHA, GMPs, food safety standards, wastewater regulations, and environmental compliance programs.
• Oversee and assist with installation, startup, modification, testing, and optimization of new or existing production equipment and processing systems.
• Interpret blueprints, wiring diagrams, layouts, schematics, and equipment specifications to support maintenance and project execution activities.
• Ensure preventive and predictive maintenance activities are completed accurately with proper documentation and follow-up.
• Manage maintenance budgets, spare parts inventory, vendor relationships, contractor spending, and capital expenditures.
• Source parts, equipment, and outside services necessary to support plant operations and minimize downtime.
• Promote a safe working environment and ensure compliance with all company safety procedures and safe work practices.
• Participate in audits, inspections, vendor coordination, and regulatory reviews as required.
• Provide after-hours support and respond to operational emergencies as required in a 24/7 manufacturing environment.
• Perform other duties and projects as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in Engineering or related technical field preferred; equivalent maintenance leadership experience in manufacturing environments will also be considered.
• Minimum of 5+ years of progressive industrial maintenance and engineering experience, preferably within food manufacturing, food processing, packaging, or cold storage environments.
• Minimum of 3+ years of leadership experience in a Maintenance Lead, Supervisor, or Manager capacity.
• Proven experience managing maintenance teams in a continuous operation manufacturing facility.
• Experience executing capital projects within an operating manufacturing plant environment.
• Strong working knowledge of mechanical systems, electrical systems, conveyors, automation, pneumatic systems, hydraulics, refrigeration systems, utilities, wastewater systems, and industrial maintenance practices.
• Experience with ammonia refrigeration systems strongly preferred.
• Experience managing or supporting fire suppression/life safety systems and environmental compliance programs preferred.
• Experience with CMMS/MMS platforms, preventive maintenance systems, predictive maintenance programs, and maintenance reporting systems.
• Welding and fabrication experience including MIG, TIG, Arc, or related methods preferred.
• Ability to troubleshoot complex equipment issues and implement effective solutions while minimizing downtime.
• Ability to interpret blueprints, electrical schematics, and technical drawings.
• Working knowledge of OSHA, GMP, food safety, wastewater, environmental, and industrial regulatory requirements.
• Experience managing maintenance budgets, work orders, labor utilization, materials, and contractor services.
• Understanding of lean manufacturing principles, continuous improvement methodologies, and operational KPI management.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, and leadership skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across operations, quality, sanitation, safety, and corporate engineering teams.
• Bilingual English/Spanish skills are helpful.
• Strong computer proficiency including Microsoft Office and CMMS software platforms (i.e. Redzone)
• Ability to work independently and make sound operational decisions under pressure.

Work Environment & Expectations

• Manufacturing facility environment with exposure to production equipment, refrigeration systems, noise, moisture, chemicals, and industrial conditions.
• Position requires regular work in refrigerated production areas maintained at approximately 36F with wet processing environments.
• Position may require work outdoors and exposure to varying weather conditions.
• Position requires flexibility to support a 24/7/365 operation, including nights, weekends, holidays, and after-hours emergency response.
• Hands-on floor presence is expected to support maintenance execution, troubleshooting, operational leadership, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Must be able to stand, walk, bend, squat, climb, reach, and lift/carry up to 50 pounds on occasion.