Maintenance Lead - 2nd Shift

Piedmont Candy Company

Lexington, NC

Pay: $40-$42/hr

**Piedmont Candy Company is hiring a hands-on Maintenance Lead to run our 2nd shift maintenance team.** If you're a skilled industrial maintenance technician who knows PLCs, high-speed packaging equipment, and how to keep a team moving, this is your next step.

Why you'll like working here

• Lead a small, focused team of 2–3 maintenance technicians
• Stay on the tools – this is a working lead role, not a desk job
• Work on modern automation: Allen Bradley PLCs, servo drives, VFDs, flow wrappers, VFFS baggers, scales, and tub machines
• Stable, established food manufacturer with room to grow

About the role

The Maintenance Lead – 2nd Shift is the go-to maintenance leader on the floor after day shift ends. You'll perform the same advanced electro-mechanical maintenance as our Maintenance Tech II team – troubleshooting, repairs, preventive maintenance, and installs – while assigning work, coaching technicians, and keeping production running. You'll be the main link between 2nd shift maintenance, production, quality, and the Maintenance Manager.

**What you'll do**

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Lead the 2nd shift maintenance team

• Lead, direct, and support 2–3 maintenance technicians on 2nd shift
• Assign and prioritize breakdown repairs, preventive maintenance (PM) work orders, and projects based on production needs
• Train and mentor technicians in PLC troubleshooting, electrical safety, and advanced diagnostics
• Hold a clear shift handoff with 1st shift and the Maintenance Manager: open issues, parts needs, and equipment status
• Make sure PMs and work orders are completed on time and documented in the CMMS
• Give input on technician performance, training needs, and hiring
• Coordinate with production supervisors, line leads, and quality to reduce downtime and set repair priorities
• Escalate major failures, safety concerns, and parts or resource needs to management
• Model and enforce LOTO, PPE, GMP, and food safety practices across the team

Hands-on maintenance and troubleshooting

• Diagnose and repair breakdowns on motors, conveyors, pneumatics, hydraulics, and electrical/PLC systems
• Troubleshoot and repair high-speed packaging equipment: flow wrappers, vertical form-fill-seal (VFFS) baggers, scales, and tub machines
• Troubleshoot and modify PLC logic (Allen Bradley preferred), HMIs, and servo drives
• Perform advanced preventive and predictive maintenance with minimal supervision
• Lead root cause analysis to prevent repeat failures and drive continuous improvement
• Calibrate and maintain process control systems and critical control points

Safety, compliance, and other duties

• Keep accurate CMMS records of work performed and system changes
• Take part in safety training, inspections, and corrective actions
• Support sanitation during changeovers and shutdowns
• Perform facility maintenance as needed (lighting, air systems, plumbing)
• Be available for on-call support and overtime during peak production or equipment emergencies

**What you bring**

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Required

• High school diploma or GED
• 6+ years of hands-on industrial maintenance experience (or 4+ years with a relevant technical degree)
• 1+ year leading, training, or directing other maintenance technicians (formal lead or senior tech role)
• Strong PLC troubleshooting and programming skills (Allen Bradley or equivalent)
• Working knowledge of 3-phase motors, VFDs, relays, motor controls, sensors, and servo drives
• Ability to read and work from electrical schematics and wiring diagrams
• Experience with pneumatics, hydraulics, and mechanical systems on high-speed packaging equipment
• Skilled with diagnostic tools, precision measuring instruments, and electrical test equipment
• Clear communicator who can make good decisions under pressure
• Basic Microsoft Office and CMMS skills

Preferred

• Associate degree or technical certificate in electrical, mechanical, or maintenance technology
• Food manufacturing or packaging industry experience
• Familiarity with GMP, HACCP, SQF, and BRCGS standards and audits
• Bilingual English/Spanish
• Forklift certification (or ability to become certified)

Physical requirements

• Stand and walk for most of the shift
• Frequently bend, squat, kneel, and crouch; occasionally climb stairs and ladders
• Lift, push, and pull up to 50 lbs.
• Work in hot or cold production environments

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job, in accordance with ADA guidelines.

*Piedmont Candy is an Equal Opportunity Employer*