The Maintenance Manager is responsible for leading and managing all maintenance activities within a meat processing or meat manufacturing facility. This role ensures the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of production equipment, utilities, refrigeration systems, and facility infrastructure while maintaining compliance with USDA, OSHA, FDA, HACCP, and company food safety standards.

The Maintenance Manager develops preventive and predictive maintenance programs, manages maintenance personnel and contractors, controls maintenance budgets, minimizes downtime, and supports continuous improvement initiatives to maximize operational efficiency and product quality.

Key Responsibilities

Maintenance Operations

• Lead all plant maintenance operations across processing, packaging, refrigeration, utilities, and facility systems.
• Ensure maximum equipment uptime and production reliability.
• Develop and execute preventive maintenance (PM) and predictive maintenance (PdM) programs.
• Coordinate emergency repairs and troubleshoot equipment failures.
• Maintain maintenance schedules to support production requirements.
• Manage spare parts inventory and critical equipment availability.
• Oversee CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) implementation and usage.

Food Safety & Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure compliance with:
  • USDA regulations
  • OSHA standards
  • FDA requirements
  • HACCP programs
  • GMPs (Good Manufacturing Practices)
  • SQF/BRC food safety standards
• Support internal and external food safety audits.
• Maintain sanitary design and hygienic maintenance practices.
• Ensure all maintenance work follows lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures.
• Support environmental and wastewater compliance programs.

Team Leadership

• Supervise maintenance technicians, mechanics, electricians, refrigeration technicians, and contractors.
• Schedule staffing to support 24/7 operations where applicable.
• Conduct performance evaluations and skills development programs.
• Train staff on safety procedures, equipment maintenance, and compliance requirements.
• Promote a culture of accountability, safety, and continuous improvement.

Refrigeration & Utilities Management

• Oversee ammonia refrigeration systems and boiler operations.
• Ensure compliance with EPA and PSM (Process Safety Management) requirements.
• Manage utilities including:
  • Steam systems
  • Compressed air
  • Water systems
  • HVAC
  • Electrical distribution
• Coordinate inspections and certifications for critical systems.

Continuous Improvement

• Drive Lean Manufacturing and Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) initiatives.
• Analyze downtime trends and implement corrective actions.
• Improve equipment performance and maintenance KPIs.
• Support capital projects, equipment installations, and plant expansions.
• Participate in root cause analysis and corrective action programs.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in:
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Industrial Engineering
  • Maintenance Engineering
  • Or related technical field preferred
• Equivalent industry experience may be considered.

Experience

• 5-10+ years of maintenance leadership experience in:
  • Meat processing
  • Food manufacturing
  • Poultry processing
  • Protein manufacturing
  • USDA-regulated manufacturing environments
• Experience managing maintenance teams in high-volume production facilities.
• Strong knowledge of industrial processing equipment and automated systems.