Maintenance Manager

Columbia Industries, LLC•Starkville, MS

43m•Onsite

About The Position

The Maintenance Manager is responsible for ensuring high availability, safety, and reliability of all production equipment and facility systems in a high-mix / low-volume custom fabrication environment. This role leads maintenance strategy, supervises technicians, and works closely with production to minimize downtime while protecting equipment integrity, facility readiness and operator safety. The ideal candidate combines strong electrical/controls literacy, solid mechanical judgment, and production-aware decision making, with the ability to move seamlessly between planning, troubleshooting, and hands-on leadership when required.

Requirements

7+ years of industrial maintenance experience in a manufacturing environment
3+ years in a supervisory or management role preferred
Strong working knowledge of: Electrical troubleshooting (industrial power, controls, drives), Mechanical systems (hydraulics, pneumatics, motion systems), Experience supporting CNC fabrication equipment (plasma, laser, press brakes)
Ability to read electrical, hydraulic, and mechanical schematics
Solid understanding of industrial safety and LOTO procedures
High School Diploma or General Education Degree (GED) and ten years of experience with mechanical and electrical systems preferred.
PLC troubleshooting experience (Allen-Bradley, Siemens, or equivalent)
Experience in custom fabrication or engineered-to-order manufacturing
CMMS implementation or optimization experience
Root Cause Analysis (RCA) or reliability-focused training
Hands-on background prior to leadership role

Nice To Haves

Training: Basic Hydraulic, Basic Electrical, CMMS Experience, Lock Out Tag Out, 5S Experience, Welding, Forklift, Crane Operation.

Responsibilities

Ensure uptime and safe operation of: CNC plasma cutting tables (THC, motion systems, grounding), CNC laser / Python X-type cutters (servo systems, rails, optics/chillers where applicable), Press brakes (hydraulic/electric systems, encoders, back-gauges), Saws, weld power supplies, wire feeders, fume extraction, Air compressors, dryers, dust collection, and facility power systems
Help lead the diagnosis of mechanical, electrical, and control-related failures efficiently and accurately
Interface intelligently with OEM service providers and vendors without over-reliance
Develop and manage PM programs based on actual failure modes, not calendar-only schedules
Implement condition-based maintenance where practical (consumables, hydraulics, air systems)
Track repeat failures and lead root-cause analysis
Continuously improve PM effectiveness based on downtime history
Oversee troubleshooting of: PLC-controlled equipment, VFDs, servo drives, sensors, encoders, and safety circuits
Maintain backups of machine parameters and control systems
Read and interpret electrical and control schematics
Support troubleshooting with OEM technical support as needed
Identify and manage critical spare parts to reduce downtime
Standardize components where feasible
Maintain vendor relationships and service escalation paths
Balance OEM vs aftermarket solutions based on risk and cost
Enforce Lockout/Tagout and machine safety standards
Ensure compliance with OSHA and internal safety policies
Investigate equipment-related incidents as system failures and drive corrective actions
Support safe machine modifications and guarding improvements
Manage the safety and security of the facility
Manage the availability and security of the tool crib
Utilize work-order systems to track maintenance activities
Analyze downtime trends and maintenance costs
Support capital planning with equipment reliability data
Partner with production and engineering to improve maintainability of new equipment