Maintenance Technician; Cheese Lines

Description

Great opportunity with the EMPLOYER of Choice! Come experience and work on our state‑of‑the‑art automation. Flexible schedule and great benefits! Great pay!

$2,500 Sign‑On Bonus!
Receive $1,000 after 30 working days, and the remaining $1,500 after completing 90 working days

Berner Food & Beverage, headquartered in Dakota, Illinois, is recognized as an employer of choice in the food and beverage manufacturing industry, offering a dynamic, team‑oriented environment where employee development and career success are core values. The company is committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and innovative workplace, making it an attractive destination for skilled maintenance professionals.

Berner operates a state‑of‑the‑art, SQF Level III‑certified facility, featuring advanced automation and manufacturing technologies. Their 290,000‑square‑foot plant expansion has tripled production space and introduced cutting‑edge equipment, supporting a wide range of shelf‑stable beverages, dips, sauces, and aerosol cheese products. This modern infrastructure ensures that Maintenance Technicians work with the latest systems and play a key role in keeping operations running smoothly.

Employees at Berner enjoy a competitive wage and comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, dental coverage, and a 401(k) plan. The company values work‑life balance, offering flexible work schedules that accommodate different shifts and personal needs, making it easier for technicians to manage their professional and personal commitments.

This Year (2025), Berner Food & Beverage was a finalist in the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association’s “Coolest Thing Made in Illinois” tournament, highlighting the company’s innovation and leadership in the industry for its Aerosol Cheese Products. This recognition underscores Berner’s reputation for producing high‑quality, in‑demand products and its commitment to manufacturing excellence.

• Support the Preventive Maintenance (PM) program to continually reduce unscheduled downtime.
• Analyze problems and interpret technical information necessary to make required repairs (troubleshooting of equipment issues).
• Perform mechanical maintenance and repairs on production machinery and facility support equipment.
• Inspect, operate, and test machinery or equipment to diagnose machine malfunction and validate work performed.
• Ensure safety by following all company policies, including safety rules, procedures, Lock‑out / Tag‑out procedures, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), personal safety standards, food safety standards as well as OSHA standards.
• Troubleshoot equipment as well as plant mechanical systems and develop sustainable solutions accordingly.
• Complete all assigned work orders within the time allotted. Maintain complete records of work performed using software, work orders, and detailed logs, and have good communication skills across all groups/departments.
• Assist with equipment changeovers and line startups, troubleshooting issues as needed.
• Identify required parts and maintain current inventories and parts reorder lists.
• Assure that all products are manufactured to the highest standard of quality.
• Participates in Continuous Improvement, also provides suggestions to improve processes, and participates in team projects.
• Continue to grow maintenance and leadership skillsets through assigned training.
• This position will also support facility maintenance and will be responsible for the safe operation and maintenance of our steam boilers, water chillers, cooling towers, well pumps, HVAC, and various other plant utility equipment.
• Due to the high volume of data collection, internal and external data publishing that the technicians are responsible for, good written and verbal communication skills are a must‑have skill set for the role.

• Food manufacturing experience preferred.
• Must be able to learn basic computer skills to process work orders.
• Strong mechanical background in maintaining, troubleshooting, and installing bearings.
• Strong mechanical background with maintaining,…