Maintenance and Engineering Manager

Engineering Maintenance Manager

The Engineering Maintenance Manager plays a critical leadership role in ensuring the reliability, efficiency, and safety of all plant operations. This role owns maintenance strategy and execution, supports capital and automation projects, and develops a high-performing team of technicians. The manager drives continuous improvement, ensures regulatory compliance, and contributes to the strategic growth of the organization through innovation and operational excellence.

• Oversee all maintenance activities including repairs, preventive maintenance, equipment installation.
• Design, implement, and optimize preventive and predictive maintenance programs to minimize downtime and extend equipment life.
• Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions for equipment failures and recurring issues.
• Manage CMMS (work orders, PM compliance, spares, vendor performance); set and track KPIs (uptime/OEE, MTTR/MTBF, PM compliance, maintenance cost as % of RAV).
• Oversee spare parts inventory, procurement processes, critical spares and vendor relationships to ensure availability and cost efficiency.
• Ensure 24/7 readiness of critical systems, including on-call coverage and emergency response protocols.
• Own utilities and infrastructure (e.g., boilers/steam, compressed air, chilled water, HVAC, water/wastewater, electrical distribution).

• Partner with Engineering on capital projects (equipment upgrades, facility expansions, automation/controls) from business case through FAT/SAT and startup.
• Champion new technologies such as, Industry 4.0/Smart Factory solutions (sensors, data historians, SCADA/PLC integrations) to modernize operations.
• Manage project scope, schedule, budget, contractors, and change control; deliver to ROI targets.
• Collaborate with Operations/Quality/EHS to implement Lean/TPM improvements that increase productivity and reduce waste.

• Recruit, train, and develop a skilled and motivated team of maintenance technicians.
• Set clear expectations, coach performance, and foster a culture of safety, accountability, and continuous learning (5S/standard work).
• Create and manage work schedules, ensuring coverage and responsiveness across all shifts, and compliance with all relevant labor laws/local ordinances.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous learning.

• Ensure compliance with OSHA, EPA, NFPA, electrical safety (Arc Flash), LOTO, relevant city of Chicago ordinances, and confined space requirements.
• In a food manufacturing context, partner with QA on cGMP, FSMA, USDA, HACCP, SQF/BRC requirements; maintain audit-ready documentation.
• Lead safety initiatives, including hazard assessments, training programs, and incident investigations.
• Drive a zero-incident mindset and proactive risk reductions.

• Develop and manage annual budget for maintenance and engineering functions.
• Provide regular reports on equipment performance, project milestones, cost savings, and strategic recommendations.
• Identify opportunities for capital investment and present business cases for new equipment or technology adoption.

• Stationary Engineer license required.
• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical field. Equivalent hands-on engineering, manufacturing, or technical operations experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• 5+ years of maintenance/engineering experience in manufacturing or industrial environments, including 3+ years in a leadership role (e.g., supervising technicians/engineers, setting goals, coaching performance).
• Experience leading Maintenance department in a Food manufacturing environment preferred.
• Class K license preferred.
• Strong mechanical, electrical, and troubleshooting skills.
• Experience managing preventive maintenance programs and facility utilities.
• Proven expertise with CMMS systems, reliability-centered maintenance, and Lean/TPM principles.
• Strong leadership, cross-functional influence, and change management skills.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, and communication skills.
• Experience with budgeting,…