Manager - Facilities and Maintenance

Lyten•San Leandro, CA

About The Position

The Facilities & Equipment Maintenance Manager will lead the maintenance strategy, facility operations, and infrastructure readiness for Lyten’s production facility in San Leandro. This role is responsible for all utilities, production equipment uptime, preventive/predictive maintenance programs, and facilities‑related compliance. This position requires a strong understanding of manufacturing plant operations, equipment reliability, safety systems, and scaling automated or semi‑automated production lines. The manager will build and lead a maintenance team, establish maintenance processes, spare parts strategy, and support production ramp‑up to commercial volumes. This role reports to the Site Leader, working closely with Production, Production and Manufacturing Engineering, EH&S, Supply Chain and Construction.

Requirements

Doctorate degree in a relevant technical field AND 7+ years of experience in maintenance, facilities management, or plant engineering within a manufacturing environment (battery, chemical, electronics, aerospace, automotive, or similar industries preferred). OR Master's degree in a relevant technical field AND 9+ years of experience in maintenance, facilities management, or plant engineering within a manufacturing environment (battery, chemical, electronics, aerospace, automotive, or similar industries preferred) OR Bachelor's degree in a relevant technical field AND 11+ years of experience in maintenance, facilities management, or plant engineering within a manufacturing environment (battery, chemical, electronics, aerospace, automotive, or similar industries preferred)
7+ years of experience in management
Strong hands‑on experience with mechanical, electrical, and controls troubleshooting.
Demonstrated success implementing preventive/predictive maintenance programs and using CMMS systems.
Experience maintaining production lines with a mix of automation, precision equipment, and environmental controls.
Solid understanding of California building, safety, and environmental compliance requirements.
Strong communication and leadership ability in a fast‑paced production setting.

Nice To Haves

Experience with lithium‑metal or lithium‑sulfur battery manufacturing, chemical process equipment, roll‑to‑roll systems, or automated assembly equipment.
Familiarity with high‑volume production environments including ramp and stabilization
Knowledge of safety systems for hazardous materials, energy‑intensive equipment, and industrial ventilation.
Ability to read electrical/mechanical schematics, P&IDs, and engineered system drawings.
Prior experience building or scaling a maintenance organization, in start-up space preferred.

Responsibilities

Facility Infrastructure & Operations Oversee building and site infrastructure: HVAC, compressed air, process gases, chilled water, electrical systems, fire/life safety, hazardous materials storage, and wastewater.
Ensure reliable operation of all facility support systems required for continuous production.
Partner with EH&S to maintain regulatory compliance (Cal/OSHA, environmental, fire code, hazardous materials, permits).
Lead facility upgrades, infrastructure expansion, and partner with construction on projects supporting increased production capacity.
Manage vendor relationships, service contracts, and major capital maintenance activities.
Production Equipment Maintenance & Reliability Develop and manage preventive and predictive maintenance programs for all production equipment across the MWh battery manufacturing process.
Oversee maintenance for equipment such as mixers, DHU’s, dryers, coating/electrode lines, calendaring, cell assembly tools, formation equipment, quality inspection systems, and automated handling systems.
Lead troubleshooting and rapid recovery efforts to minimize production downtime.
Build and manage an equipment work‑order system, spare parts strategy, and asset management process using a CMMS.
Drive continuous improvement in equipment uptime, MTTR, MTBF, and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
Implement and drive a culture of safety and shop floor focus and support, working closely with manufacturing, engineering, and quality personnel.
Safety, Environmental, and Compliance Partner with EH&S to ensure safe operation of all facilities, utilities, and equipment.
Maintain and enforce maintenance‑related safety programs (LOTO, arc flash, hot work, confined space, equipment guarding).
Ensure compliance with hazardous materials handling, emergency power systems, and monitoring/safety systems.
Support site audits, permitting, incident investigations, and corrective actions.
Leadership & Team Development Build, train, and lead a team of maintenance technicians and external service providers.
Prioritize daily work assignments, preventive maintenance schedules, and urgent repairs.
Establish scalable processes suitable for a growing production organization.
Contribute to annual budgeting, capital planning, and long‑term facility strategy.