Plant Engineering & Maintenance Manager

The Plant Engineering & Maintenance Manager is responsible for leading all maintenance and engineering functions within a high-volume food manufacturing facility operating 365 days per year. This role provides leadership and direction for the plant maintenance team while ensuring the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of all production equipment, utilities, facilities, life safety systems, ammonia refrigeration systems, and wastewater operations.

The position oversees preventive and reactive maintenance programs, equipment reliability initiatives, utilities management, environmental and wastewater compliance, and execution of small-to-medium capital projects while serving as the primary liaison between the plant and corporate engineering teams.

This role requires a hands-on leader capable of balancing strategic planning with day-to-day operational support in a fast-paced manufacturing environment. The successful candidate will be expected to provide after-hours technical support as needed and participate in weekend coverage to support continuous plant operations.

Requirements

Key Responsibilities

• Lead all maintenance operations, including preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance programs for production, packaging, utilities, conveyors, automated systems, and facility infrastructure.
• Maintain and repair plant facilities and equipment to achieve optimal levels of safety, reliability, efficiency, and operational uptime.
• Develop and drive equipment reliability and continuous improvement initiatives focused on minimizing downtime and improving plant performance.
• Manage the plant Maintenance Management System (CMMS/MMS), including work order prioritization, preventive maintenance scheduling, documentation, asset management, labor tracking, and maintenance reporting.
• Coordinate daily maintenance priorities with production leadership to support plant performance, startup activities, changovers, and customer service objectives.
• Maintain accountability, development, scheduling, and performance management of maintenance supervisors, mechanics, technicians, and contractors.
• Assist in recruiting, interviewing, training, mentoring, and developing maintenance team members to improve technical capabilities and operational effectiveness.
• Execute small and medium-sized capital projects, including scope development, budgeting, contractor coordnation, installation oversight, commissioning, and startup support.
• Serve as the primary plant liaison to corporate engineering for capital planning, technical support, standardization efforts, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Support troubleshooting and repair of mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, refrigeration, automation, and controls-related issues across the facility while minimizing production downtime.
• Oversee plant utilities and infrastructure systems, including compressed air, ammonia refrigeration, HVAC, steam, water, wastewater, lighting, and electrical distribution systems.
• Maintain responsibility for plant wastewater systems and environmental compliance, including monitoring programs, reporting requirements, contractor coordination, and operational reliability.
• Manage and maintain all plant life safety systems, including fire suppression, fire alarm systems, inspections, testing, and contractor coordination to ensure full regulatory compliance and operational readiness.
• Ensure compliance with applicable local, state, and federal regulations, including OSHA, GMPs, food safety standards, wastewater regulations, and environmental compliance programs.
• Oversee and assist with installation, startup, modification, testing, and optimization of new or existing production equipment and processing systems.
• Interpret blueprints, wiring diagrams, layouts, schematics, and equipment specifications to support maintenance and project execution activities.
• Ensure preventive and predictive maintenance activities are completed accurately with proper documentation and follow-up.
• Manage maintenance budgets, spare parts inventory, vendor relationships, contractor spending, and capital expenditures.
• Source parts, equipment, and outside services necessary to support plant operations and minimize downtime.
• Promote a safe working environment and ensure compliance with all company safety procedures and safe work practices.
• Participate in audits, inspections, vendor coordination, and regulatory reviews as required.
• Provide after-hours support and respond to operational emergencies as required in a 24/7 manufacturing environment.
• Perform other duties and projects as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related technical field preferred; equivalent maintenance leadership experience in manufacturing environments will also be considered.
• Minimum of 5+ years of progressive industrial maintenance and engineering experience, preferably within food manufacturing, food processing, packaging, or cold storage environments.
• Minimum of 3+ years of leadership experience in a Maintenance…