SR Manager, Maintenance and Automation
About The Position
The Senior Manager, Maintenance & Automation is a senior technical leader responsible for hands-on maintenance, installation, and reliability of food and manufacturing automation equipment across a multi-site network. This role supports both existing operations and new site implementations by providing strong technical leadership, direct troubleshooting support, and hands-on involvement with production and packaging equipment. This position is not a facilities or grounds maintenance role. Success in this role requires deep experience working hands on with repair of food-grade manufacturing, production, and co-packaging equipment in regulated environments.
Requirements
- High School Diploma or equivalent experience
- 5+ years leading multi-site maintenance programs in food manufacturing, production, or co-packaging environments
- Demonstrated hands-on experience installing, troubleshooting, wrench turning repairing, and rebuilding production and packaging equipment, including robotic systems (e.g., Fanuc, Kawasaki, MiR). Packaging equipment experience includes horizontal and vertical baggers, automated packaging systems, fillers, shrink and steam tunnels, vertical cartoners, and miscellaneous conveyor systems such as case erectors, case sealers/closers, and tape machines
- Strong experience with implementing maintenance programs at the site level from scratch
- Strong experience with automation systems including pneumatics, hydraulics, conveyors, vertical baggers, fillers, scales, and process equipment
- Experience working directly with automation vendors such as Fanuc, Kawasaki, MIR, or similar
- Proven ability to lead teams while remaining technically involved
- Strong communication, organization, and cross-functional collaboration skills
- Experience supporting automation in food-grade or GMP-regulated facilities
Nice To Haves
- Bachelor’s Degree
- 3PL experience supporting manufacturing or packaging operations
Responsibilities
- Hire, train, and support site Maintenance Managers and maintenance technicians with an emphasis on hands-on technical capability
- Provide interim coverage for site Maintenance Manager roles, including direct participation in troubleshooting, repairs, and corrective maintenance
- Audit maintenance programs with on-site involvement in equipment condition, PM effectiveness, and root-cause analysis
- Troubleshoot and resolve complex equipment issues related to production, packaging, and automation systems
- Lead and personally participate in equipment installations, removals, demolition, commissioning, and startup
- Support and execute Factory Acceptance Tests (FATs) and Site Acceptance Tests (SATs)
- Implement and standardize CMMS programs
- Establish spare parts programs and maintenance tool standards
- Create and maintain technical maintenance documentation and SOPs
- Train maintenance technicians and operators on production and packaging equipment
- Manage automation vendors while remaining hands-on during installs, modifications, and repairs
- Lead network-wide maintenance and reliability initiatives focused on production uptime and equipment performance
- Develop, improve, and enforce preventive and predictive maintenance strategies
- Coordinate outages, capital projects, and equipment upgrades
- Maintain accurate service records, spare parts inventories, and technical documentation
- Ensure compliance with OSHA, GMP, and food-grade manufacturing standards
- Identify trends in downtime, failure modes, and maintenance data to improve reliability
Benefits
- medical, dental, and vision insurance
- 401(k) with company match
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
Education Level
High school or GED
