Maintenance Lead

Empwr•McMinnville, OR

8d•Onsite

About The Position

The Maintenance Lead is the working technical leader of the maintenance team. This role directs daily maintenance activities, serves as the primary escalation point for complex equipment issues, and is accountable for the quality, safety, and effectiveness of maintenance work in a food manufacturing environment. The Maintenance Lead is expected to make real-time decisions during breakdowns, lead root cause analysis for repeat failures, and ensure problems are fixed correctly and plan future solutions.

Requirements

Employee safety is everyone’s responsibility
Cleanliness is requirement. Work on production floor is not done until maintenance materials are cleaned up. Shop should be picked up at completion of each shift.
CMMS must be used. Work orders will be used to let the management know what our challenges are. Parts need to be tracked as reliably as possible, communicate when issues arise in work completed.
Do not ignore issues, at minimum create a work order. When possible correct issues as discovered.
We win or learn together. Communicate respectfully, look to solve problems. Lead the way in finding success for the entire EMPWR team.
High school diploma or GED preferred.
Basic mechanical aptitude.
Basic math skills.
Ability to read, write, and communicate effectively in English.
Ability to safely operate hand and power tools.
Ability to work any shift and overtime as required.

Nice To Haves

Previous industrial maintenance experience.
Food manufacturing experience.
Experience with electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, and mechanical systems.
Welding and fabrication experience.
Experience with preventive maintenance programs and CMMS systems.

Responsibilities

Direct and prioritize daily maintenance work based on production needs, safety risks, and equipment condition
Act as the technical escalation point for mechanical, electrical, and troubleshooting issues
Lead Root Cause Analysis (RCA) for repeat failures and significant downtime events
Make real-time decisions during breakdowns, including stopping work or production when safety, food safety, or equipment integrity is at risk
Verify repair quality before equipment is released back to production
Ensure preventive maintenance is executed correctly and not pencil-whipped
Coach and develop technicians through hands-on guidance and example
Hold technicians accountable to workmanship, GMP, and safety standards
Communicate equipment risks, chronic issues, and reliability concerns to the Maintenance Manager
Maintain a clean, organized, and audit-ready maintenance environment
Other duties as assigned
Directs priorities for assigned crew on a shift basis
Ensures pass down to following shift is completed each day
Sets the standard for maintenance discipline, urgency, and professionalism
Ensure equipment breakdowns are communicated appropriately through proper channels
Does not allow repeat failures without corrective action
Leads by example on the floor
Empowered and expected to act immediately on food safety concerns
Enforces GMP compliance during all maintenance activities
Ensures equipment is clean, inspected, and approved prior to production restart
Coordinates with Quality and Operations when maintenance work impacts food safety
Stops work or production when food safety cannot be assured