Area Maintenance Manager – Automated Fulfillment Center; Dematic & Controls

Overview

Area Maintenance Manager – Automated Fulfillment Center

Location:

Clifton, NJ

Department:
Maintenance

Reports To:

Site Director

The Area Maintenance Manager is responsible for leading maintenance and reliability operations within a highly automated fulfillment and distribution center. This role oversees maintenance technicians, controls technicians, and third‑party vendors to ensure safe, efficient, and reliable operation of material handling and warehouse automation systems.

• Maintenance and Reliability
  • Lead daily maintenance operations supporting automated fulfillment and distribution systems
  • Supervise, coach, and develop maintenance and controls technicians across multiple shifts
  • Drive preventative and predictive maintenance programs to improve equipment reliability and reduce downtime
  • Ensure rapid response and resolution of equipment failures impacting operations
  • Manage maintenance KPIs including uptime, PM completion, MTBF, MTTR, and labor productivity
  • Coordinate maintenance scheduling to minimize operational disruption
• Automation and Material Handling Systems
  • Support and troubleshoot automated material handling systems including conveyor systems, sortation equipment, scanners, barcode systems, MDR conveyors, accumulation and divert systems, and warehouse automation equipment
  • Partner with engineering teams and vendors to improve automation performance and system reliability
  • Support commissioning, upgrades, and optimization of material handling systems
• Controls and Electrical Systems
  • Troubleshoot PLCs, VFDs, motor controls, and electrical distribution systems
  • Support HMIs, SCADA systems, sensors, and automated controls devices
  • Work with controls teams to diagnose recurring system faults and implement corrective actions
  • Maintain compliance with electrical and controls standards
• Continuous Improvement
  • Lead root cause analysis efforts related to equipment downtime and operational interruptions
  • Identify opportunities to improve throughput, reliability, safety, and maintenance efficiency
  • Support Lean, Six Sigma, TPM, and reliability-centered maintenance initiatives
  • Improve overall equipment effectiveness (OEE)
• Safety and Compliance
  • Promote a strong safety culture and ensure compliance with OSHA, LOTO, and electrical safety standards
  • Conduct safety audits, risk assessments, and maintenance inspections
  • Maintain accurate maintenance documentation in CMMS systems
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Partner with Operations, IT, and vendor teams to support fulfillment performance goals
  • Communicate maintenance priorities and downtime impacts to leadership
  • Support peak season readiness, staffing plans, and operational scaling initiatives

• Required
  • 5+ years of maintenance leadership experience in fulfillment, distribution, manufacturing, or automated environments
  • Strong knowledge of PLC troubleshooting, conveyor and sortation systems, VFDs, motor controls, industrial networking, and 480V systems
  • Hands-on troubleshooting experience with industrial controls and electrical systems
  • Experience managing maintenance teams in a fast-paced environment
• Preferred
  • Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Industrial Technology, or related field
  • Experience with Dematic automation systems
  • Experience with CMMS systems and maintenance planning
  • Lean, Six Sigma, or TPM experience
  • Bilingual English/Spanish is a plus

• Maintenance leadership and team development
• Industrial automation troubleshooting
• Reliability and preventative maintenance strategy
• Root cause analysis and problem solving
• Strong decision making and communication skills
• Data-driven performance management

• Equipment uptime and availability
• PM completion rates
• Reduced downtime
• Improved MTBF and MTTR
• Strong safety performance
• Maintenance cost control and operational reliability