MAINTENANCE MANAGER

Meats by Linz

Hammond, IN

Estimated pay: Est. $30–$47/hr (market estimate, not employer-stated)

Position Summary

Meats by Linz is seeking a hands-on Maintenance Manager who will work directly in our production, processing, warehouse, and cold-storage areas while leading the maintenance team. This role is responsible for troubleshooting, repairing, and maintaining production machinery, material-handling equipment, refrigeration-related systems, and facility equipment to keep operations safe and running efficiently.

The Maintenance Manager will be actively present on the production and warehouse floors, working alongside maintenance technicians and mechanics to diagnose equipment problems, perform and oversee repairs, and prevent downtime. This role leads daily maintenance priorities, coaches the team, and partners with floor supervisors to resolve equipment issues quickly in a fast-paced food manufacturing and distribution environment.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Maintenance Operations and Equipment Reliability

• Work on the production and warehouse floors to inspect, troubleshoot, maintain, and repair processing machinery, production equipment, conveyors, material-handling equipment, dock equipment, and other operational assets.
• Perform and oversee preventive maintenance directly on equipment to reduce breakdowns, improve reliability, and extend equipment life.
• Hands-on diagnose mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, and control-system problems and determine the safest, most effective repairs.
• Perform repairs and adjustments when qualified, and guide maintenance team members through equipment installations, modifications, and scheduled maintenance.
• Coordinate directly with production and warehouse supervisors to prioritize urgent repairs and keep work areas operating with minimal disruption.
• Monitor equipment condition on the floor, identify developing issues, and take corrective action before failures interrupt production or warehouse activity.
• Ensure maintenance work is completed properly and that essential work orders and repair details are recorded.
• Provide hands-on direction to outside service technicians and vendors when specialized repairs are required.

Electrical and Technical Troubleshooting

• Troubleshoot electrical issues involving motors, drives, controls, sensors, wiring, and industrial equipment.
• Work directly with technicians on automated machinery, control panels, and production equipment troubleshooting.
• Ensure electrical repairs and modifications are performed safely by qualified personnel in accordance with applicable requirements.
• Identify recurring equipment failures on the floor, determine likely root causes, and implement practical fixes to prevent repeat breakdowns.

Team Leadership and Supervision

• Directly supervise, coach, train, and develop maintenance technicians, mechanics, and assigned maintenance employees while working alongside them in production and warehouse areas.
• Set daily floor priorities, assign hands-on maintenance tasks, and verify preventive and corrective work is completed effectively.
• Ensure maintenance coverage is available to support production and warehouse shifts and respond to urgent breakdowns.
• Provide on-the-job coaching and address performance, attendance, and work-quality concerns with maintenance employees.
• Set expectations for safe work, accountability, teamwork, and responsive support to production and warehouse operations.
• Train maintenance employees on equipment, troubleshooting methods, repair practices, and safe work procedures.

Food Safety, Sanitation, and Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure maintenance work follows company safety procedures, OSHA requirements, and applicable regulations.
• Follow and reinforce food safety, sanitation, GMP, and quality requirements while working in production and warehouse environments.
• Make sure repairs do not compromise product safety, equipment cleanliness, or sanitary conditions.
• Coordinate with Quality Assurance and Sanitation on equipment cleaning, inspection, and safe release back into operation after maintenance.
• Complete required maintenance, inspection, and safety records accurately and promptly.
• Enforce lockout/tagout and other machine-safety practices during all maintenance work.

Parts, Tools, and Resource Management

• Use maintenance parts, tools, supplies, labor, and outside services responsibly; alert leadership when major repairs or replacement parts are needed.
• Monitor repair needs and parts usage during daily maintenance work and avoid unnecessary costs or repeat repairs.
• Keep critical spare parts, tools, and supplies organized and available for equipment repairs.
• Assess equipment condition and recommend repair or replacement based on safety, reliability, and operational needs.
• Coordinate with parts suppliers, vendors, and service providers to obtain needed parts and complete repairs promptly.

Facility and Utility Management

• Inspect and maintain facilit