Maintenance Manager

Overview
We are searching for a hands-on Maintenance Manager to lead a small but highly skilled maintenance team in a fully automated, PLC-driven automated processing environment serving high-volume consumer markets. This role is ideal for a leader who thrives in automation, continuous improvement, and preventive maintenance — not for someone who manages from behind a desk.
What Makes This Role Unique
This site is only a few years into automation. The Maintenance Manager will play a pivotal role in building a proactive , predictive , and lean-driven maintenance culture from the ground up.
This is a chance to step into a role with autonomy, impact, and ownership .
Key Responsibilities
A. Build a Proactive Maintenance Culture
• Transition site from reactive maintenance to preventive and predictive
• Apply lean + continuous improvement principles
• Establish standards for PM quality, accountability, and discipline
B. Hands-On Leadership
• Lead by example: tools-in-hand when needed
• Work closely with techs on troubleshooting & equipment understanding
• Coach, mentor, and develop a team of 10–12 (techs, leads, parts coordinator)
C. Operational Ownership
• Learn all equipment, wash systems, conveyors, drives, pneumatics, hydraulics
• Understand European OEM systems and vendor-controlled PLC logic
• Support a 24/5–6 operation with coverage across all three shifts
• Build rapport with second and third shift teams, not just first shift
D. Preventive Maintenance Excellence
• Ensure PMs are completed on time and never pencil-whipped
• Ensure accurate documentation and follow-through
• Partner with leads to enforce standards and workload distribution
E. Reliability & Automation Focus
• Support automation upgrades and continuous improvement projects
• Improve uptime, reduce reactive calls, and optimize equipment health
• Navigate European tech support, parts ordering, and vendor relationships
Manager Profile — Best-Fit Candidates Will Have:
• Strong industrial automation & multi-craft maintenance leadership
• Experience managing a small team in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to balance high-level planning with hands-on technical work
• Lean, CI, or TPM exposure in maintenance
• Comfort working across multiple shifts and non-standard hours when needed
Relocation
Relocation may be offered for an exceptional candidate.
Why This Role Matters
This is not simply maintaining equipment. This is building a culture , shaping a team, and leading a facility into the next stage of automation and reliability.