Maintenance Manager

We are recruiting for an experienced Production & Maintenance Manager to join a contract packaging manufacturer in Louisville, KY.

This is a hands-on leadership role overseeing both production and maintenance operations. The successful candidate will step into an evolving manufacturing environment where systems, processes, preventive maintenance practices, and accountability still need to be strengthened.

This position is ideal for someone who is comfortable building structure, improving reliability, developing people, and getting involved directly on the production floor when needed.

• Lead daily production and maintenance operations
• Supervise and develop production supervisors and maintenance technicians
• Improve production procedures, workflow, scheduling, and accountability
• Develop and strengthen preventive and predictive maintenance programs
• Improve PM scheduling, completion, and follow-through
• Monitor downtime, throughput, scrap, quality, labor efficiency, and equipment performance
• Investigate recurring equipment and process failures
• Implement root-cause corrective actions
• Develop practical maintenance KPIs and reporting
• Improve work-order systems, maintenance records, and equipment history
• Establish stronger spare-parts and MRO inventory controls
• Improve maintenance-shop organization and equipment-care standards
• Support contractor, supplier, and equipment-vendor relationships
• Assist with capital projects, equipment upgrades, budgets, and facility improvements
• Support hiring, onboarding, training, performance management, and workforce planning
• Provide hands-on troubleshooting support when staffing or equipment issues require it

The role will oversee approximately:

• 3 maintenance technicians
• Approximately 85 plant employees indirectly

This is not a desk-only management role.

The manager should be comfortable stepping onto the floor and assisting with basic mechanical and electrical troubleshooting when required.

You do not need to be a controls engineer or PLC programmer, but you should have a practical understanding of industrial equipment and be able to troubleshoot problems, support the maintenance team, and keep production moving.

• 5+ years of manufacturing, production, industrial maintenance, or related experience
• 3+ years of supervisory or management experience
• Experience leading or improving production and maintenance operations
• Experience managing teams in a manufacturing environment
• Working knowledge of mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, and automated equipment
• Preventive maintenance program experience
• CMMS experience
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving ability
• Experience with root-cause analysis, lean manufacturing, 5S, or similar continuous-improvement methods
• Strong leadership, communication, organization, and decision-making skills
• Ability to introduce change while maintaining employee trust
• High school diploma or equivalent required
• Technical training or related college degree preferred

Experience in any of the following would be beneficial:

• Contract manufacturing
• Packaging
• Food and beverage
• Chemical manufacturing
• Consumer products manufacturing

The successful candidate will be expected to:

• Reduce unplanned downtime and recurring equipment failures
• Improve preventive maintenance execution
• Strengthen production scheduling and communication
• Improve supervisor and technician accountability
• Introduce reliable maintenance planning and documentation
• Develop useful maintenance KPIs
• Improve spare-parts organization and control
• Improve safety, quality, delivery, cost, and equipment reliability

$95,000–$120,000 depending on experience

The upper end of the range is available for a strong candidate with the right background.

• Medical insurance
• Vision insurance
• Company-sponsored life insurance
• Paid time off
• Paid holidays
• 401(k) with up to 4% company match