Director of Maintenance

Judge Direct Placement is seeking a Maintenance Director in Modesto, CA area! The Maintenance Director will be responsible for planning, organizing, and directing all aspects of the maintenance and reliability function across several plants.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute maintenance and reliability strategies that optimize asset performance, improve operational effectiveness, and support continuous production efficiency.
• Design, implement, and sustain preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance programs to maximize equipment reliability, uptime, and food safety standards.
• Establish and manage the maintenance budget, identifying opportunities for cost reduction while contributing to overall EBITDA and financial performance goals.
• Monitor, analyze, and report maintenance key performance indicators (KPIs), ensuring achievement of departmental targets related to safety, quality, productivity, and cost control.
• Partner with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Safety, and Supply Chain teams to drive project success, resolve operational challenges, and enhance plant performance.
• Champion maintenance excellence by implementing industry best practices, including Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), Lean methodologies, reliability-centered maintenance (RCM), and digital technologies.
• Ensure compliance with applicable regulatory requirements and industry standards, including USDA, OSHA, and PSM regulations, while upholding company standards for safety, food quality, and environmental responsibility.
• Promote and enforce a culture of safety by implementing effective programs, procedures, and training that protect employees and support a safe workplace.
• Lead employee development through coaching, mentoring, training, and succession planning, fostering a high-performance culture focused on continuous improvement and career advancement.
• Direct capital planning initiatives focused on asset reliability, lifecycle management, modernization efforts, and equipment obsolescence mitigation.
• Leverage data analytics, automation, and digital maintenance technologies to drive predictive maintenance practices and informed decision-making.
• Recruit, develop, and lead a diverse team of maintenance and reliability professionals, promoting accountability, collaboration, and alignment with organizational values and leadership principles.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree required, Mechanical Engineering degree preferred
• 7+ years of maintenance and reliability leadership experience in the food processing industry, with multi-site responsibility preferred.
• Strong knowledge of building systems, relevant codes and standards, safety regulations, compliance, and risk management.
• Proven leadership, communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Budget management and cost control skills.
• Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and execute tasks in a changing and demanding work environment.