AFB Manager Engineering

Ensign-Bickford Industries•Aurora, MO

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Engineering and Maintenance Manager is responsible for maintaining process and production equipment, powered industrial trucks, and plant facilities to support safe and efficient plant operations. The role manages maintenance staff, local engineering staff, plant projects, and outside contractors. It requires strong collaboration to maintain teamwork and morale in a high-volume, high-pressure, non-union production environment while delivering results without sacrificing safety, quality, or teamwork. The manager provides leadership and supervision to the Engineering and Maintenance Supervisor, Plant Process Engineer, and Engineering and Maintenance Assistant, as well as indirect leadership to other maintenance and engineering staff. The role manages departmental budgets and develops and executes capital and expense plans, including project analysis, planning, design, sourcing, installation, startup, training, cost control, and documentation. It also provides technical support, troubleshoots plant operations, develops preventative maintenance programs, and ensures equipment is designed, installed, operated, and maintained safely and in a way that produces safe food. The facility operates 24/7/365. The manager is expected to work onsite during normal business hours, be available for long hours, evenings, or weekends when project or maintenance activity requires, and be on call for after-hours situations. Travel may be up to 10%.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree.
At least 6 years of related experience.
At least 2 years of progressive maintenance or engineering management experience in a manufacturing facility.
Experience in kaizen, operational excellence, Lean/Six Sigma, or business operating systems with a heavy process orientation.
Leadership skills for effective performance management of engineering and maintenance staff.
Professional skills to recruit and hire qualified engineering and maintenance staff.
Financial skills to manage large budgets and projects.
Interpersonal and communication skills to communicate effectively with audiences ranging from production operators to the board of directors.
Computer skills, including MS Office, Visio, MS Project, MMS systems, ERP systems, basic networking principles and setups, controls systems, basic ladder logic principles, and AutoCAD.
Ability to operate a variety of powered industrial trucks.
Technical writing and presentation skills for communicating complex information to technical, professional, and general audiences.
Ability to meet the physical demands of the role, including regularly standing, walking, and talking or hearing; frequently using hands and reaching; occasionally sitting, stooping, kneeling, crouching, or crawling; and occasionally lifting or moving up to 55 pounds.
Ability to work onsite during normal business hours at a 24/7/365 production facility and be available for extended hours, evenings, weekends, or after-hours situations as needed.
Ability to work in conditions involving frequent exposure to wet or humid conditions, moving mechanical parts, high or precarious places, fumes or airborne particles; occasional exposure to toxic or caustic chemicals, outdoor weather, extreme cold, or extreme heat; and usually loud noise. Appropriate PPE use is required.

Nice To Haves

A degree in mechanical or electrical engineering.
Experience in the food, flavor, or feed industries.
Experience in a SQF-certified or similar manufacturing environment.
Familiarity with equipment operation.

Responsibilities

Maintain process and production equipment, powered industrial trucks, and plant facilities for safe and efficient operations.
Lead, direct, and supervise the Engineering and Maintenance Supervisor, Plant Process Engineer, Engineering and Maintenance Assistant, and indirectly, subordinate maintenance and engineering staff.
Manage the plant maintenance and engineering departmental budgets, including routine operating expenses of approximately $3 million annually and capital requests and extraordinary maintenance activity that may reach millions.
Develop plant capital and expense plans and implement projects, coordinating with corporate engineering staff when appropriate.
Conduct project economic analysis and feasibility planning; oversee design, engineering, equipment sourcing, capital appropriation, purchasing, installation, cost tracking, startup, personnel training, and system documentation.
Provide technical support to the plant in areas including safety, quality, and reliability; troubleshoot to support ongoing operations.
Interpret and apply company policies and procedures to plant engineering and maintenance activities.
Maintain knowledge of relevant technologies and safety policies and regulations, and recommend technologies that may improve operations.
Write and review work orders; evaluate alternatives, prioritize and schedule repairs, follow up to ensure timely completion and acceptable results, and source and purchase supplies and materials.
Develop and execute a preventative maintenance program with support staff and personnel, including maintaining spare-parts inventory.
Develop equipment and line layouts, estimate system and equipment costs, benchmark standards, evaluate options, and recommend preferred scenarios.
Write capital requests, order equipment, coordinate installation, and assess equipment and system performance against projected benefits after startup.
Ensure equipment safety and safe equipment design, installation, operation, and maintenance.
Ensure equipment is designed and maintained to produce safe food products.
Maintain effective teamwork and morale in a high-volume, high-pressure, non-union production environment.
Remain available for after-hours situations and work evenings or weekends when project or maintenance activity requires.
Travel up to 10%.