Arils Maintenance Lead

Job Summary

The Arils Maintenance Lead is responsible for leading daily maintenance activities supporting high‑speed Ready‑to‑Eat (RTE) food production operations including extraction, arils processing, packaging, utilities, and facility infrastructure. This role oversees preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance programs while providing technical leadership for troubleshooting PLC controls, electrical systems, hydraulics, pneumatics, automation equipment, conveyors, fillers, extraction equipment, and process utilities. The Maintenance Lead is expected to drive equipment reliability, minimize downtime, support continuous improvement initiatives, maintain regulatory compliance, and develop maintenance personnel through coaching and technical training.

This position works closely with Production, Quality, Engineering, Safety, and Capital Projects teams to achieve operational targets. Compensation: $28–$31 per hour based on skills and experience.

• Lead daily maintenance operations for extraction, arils processing, packaging, utilities, and facility systems while supporting production goals, minimizing downtime, and ensuring safe plant operations, including providing emergency unscheduled repairs.
• Perform and oversee troubleshooting, repair, installation, startup, alignment, maintenance, and reliability of mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, automated production equipment, conveyor systems, motors, pumps, gearboxes, compressed air systems, extraction equipment, fillers, sealers, compressors, utility systems, and other critical production and facility support infrastructure to ensure safe, efficient, and reliable plant operations.
• Troubleshoot PLC‑controlled systems, HMIs, VFDs, motor controls, sensors, instrumentation, and automated equipment including high‑voltage and low‑voltage electrical systems (24
  
  VDC–480
  
  VAC).
• Develop, execute, and continuously improve Preventive Maintenance (PM), Predictive Maintenance (PdM), and Corrective Maintenance programs while utilizing CMMS for work order management, scheduling, documentation, and inventory tracking.
• Perform Root Cause Analysis (RCA), reliability initiatives, and continuous improvement activities focused on reducing equipment failures, improving uptime, increasing throughput, and lowering operational costs.
• Lead maintenance activities during harvest preparation, seasonal startup/shutdowns, capital projects, equipment installations, and contractor oversight while supporting facility expansion and improvement initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with GMP, HACCP, BRC, OSHA, Lockout/Tagout (LOTO), food safety programs, and all company safety and regulatory requirements within a Ready‑to‑Eat (RTE) manufacturing environment.
• Train, mentor, and provide technical leadership to maintenance personnel while supporting workforce development, accountability, communication, and cross‑functional collaboration with Production, Quality, Engineering, and Operations teams.
• Maintain accurate daily documentation including work orders, PM records, downtime tracking, maintenance logs, parts usage, shift pass‑downs, and completion of required pre‑operational and post‑operational inspections to support equipment reliability, food safety compliance, and audit readiness.

• Strong working knowledge of mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, and automated production systems, including troubleshooting and repair within a high‑speed food manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot PLC‑controlled equipment, automation controls, HMIs, VFDs, instrumentation, load cells, sensors, motor controls, MCCs, and high‑voltage/low‑voltage electrical systems (24
  
  VDC–480
  
  VAC).
• Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics, P&IDs, OEM manuals, and technical documentation to diagnose failures and implement corrective actions.
• Working knowledge of conveyor systems, conveyor alignment/tracking, motors, pumps, bearings, gearboxes, power transmission components, compressed air systems, and other critical production support equipment.
• Experience troubleshooting, repairing, and maintaining hydraulic systems, pneumatic systems, utilities,…