Maintenance Manager (Meat)

Position Overview

The Maintenance Manager is responsible for overseeing the maintenance, repair, and reliability of all equipment, facilities, and utilities within the meat processing plant. This role ensures that machinery operates at maximum efficiency, downtime is minimised, and compliance with food safety, regulatory, and occupational health standards is maintained. The Maintenance Manager leads a team of maintenance technicians and works closely with production, quality assurance, and safety teams to support continuous improvement and operational excellence.

Key Responsibilities

• Leadership & Supervision

  • Manage, train, and develop a team of maintenance technicians and engineers.

  • Assign tasks, set performance goals, and conduct regular performance reviews.

  • Foster a culture of safety, accountability, and continuous improvement.

• Equipment Maintenance & Reliability

  • Plan, coordinate, and oversee preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance programs.

  • Troubleshoot and repair mechanical, electrical, refrigeration, hydraulic, and pneumatic systems used in meat processing.

  • Ensure minimal unplanned downtime by implementing reliability-centered maintenance practices.

• Facility & Utility Management

  • Oversee maintenance of plant facilities including refrigeration systems, HVAC, boilers, compressors, water treatment, and waste systems.

  • Coordinate with external vendors and contractors for specialized services.

  • Maintain compliance with USDA, FDA, OSHA, and other regulatory standards.

• Planning & Budgeting

  • Develop and manage the maintenance department budget, including spare parts inventory, labor, and contracted services.

  • Evaluate equipment performance and recommend capital investments or upgrades.

  • Track and report on key maintenance KPIs (downtime, cost per unit, mean time to repair, etc.).

• Compliance & Safety

  • Ensure compliance with all food safety, sanitation, and worker safety regulations.

  • Partner with Quality Assurance and Safety teams to support plant audits and inspections.

  • Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions for equipment-related incidents.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Industrial Maintenance, or related field preferred; equivalent experience considered.

• 5+ years of maintenance management experience in food processing, manufacturing, or meat processing industry.

• Strong knowledge of industrial mechanical, electrical, and refrigeration systems.

• Experience with Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS).

• Familiarity with USDA, OSHA, and HACCP compliance standards.

• Excellent leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Competencies

• Strong organizational and planning abilities.

• Ability to lead and motivate cross-functional teams.

• Analytical mindset with a focus on efficiency and cost control.

• Commitment to safety and quality standards.