Maintenance Manager

Nutrition bar confectioners

Cato, NY

Pay: $75,000-$85,200/yr

Shift: Full time

Maintenance Department Manager

**Department:** Maintenance

**Reports To:** Plant Manager / Operations Manager

**Location:** [Facility Location]

**Employment Type:** Full-Time

Position Summary

The Maintenance Department Manager is responsible for leading and managing all maintenance activities for a high-volume granola/nutrition bar manufacturing facility operating **three production lines**. This position oversees preventive and corrective maintenance, equipment reliability, facility maintenance, spare parts, maintenance personnel, and continuous improvement initiatives.

The Maintenance Manager will work closely with Production, Quality, Sanitation, Engineering, and Safety to ensure that all production equipment operates safely, reliably, and efficiently while minimizing unplanned downtime.

Key ResponsibilitiesMaintenance Operations

• Lead the day-to-day maintenance activities for three production lines and supporting facility equipment.
• Ensure production equipment is maintained in a safe, reliable, and efficient condition.
• Respond to equipment breakdowns and coordinate troubleshooting and repairs.
• Prioritize maintenance activities based on production needs, safety, quality, and equipment reliability.
• Develop and maintain an effective preventive and predictive maintenance program.
• Establish maintenance standards and procedures for production and facility equipment.
• Monitor equipment downtime and identify recurring failures.

Production Equipment

Oversee maintenance of equipment such as:

• Ingredient handling and conveying systems
• Mixers and blending equipment
• Bar forming and sheeting equipment
• Extruders and depositing systems
• Cutting equipment
• Enrobing/coating equipment, where applicable
• Ovens and baking equipment, where applicable
• Cooling conveyors and refrigeration systems
• Packaging and wrapping equipment
• Checkweighers, metal detectors, and inspection equipment
• Motors, gearboxes, pumps, pneumatics, hydraulics, and electrical systems
• PLCs, HMIs, sensors, VFDs, and automated controls

Team Leadership

• Supervise, train, and develop maintenance technicians and other maintenance personnel.
• Establish work assignments, priorities, and schedules.
• Develop technician skills through hands-on training and formal training programs.
• Establish clear expectations for safety, workmanship, documentation, and response time.
• Participate in hiring, performance evaluations, disciplinary actions, and employee development.
• Promote a culture of accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.

Preventive & Predictive Maintenance

• Maintain an effective PM schedule for all critical production and facility equipment.
• Ensure PMs are completed accurately and on schedule.
• Review PM results and modify schedules based on equipment history and failure trends.
• Implement predictive maintenance techniques where appropriate, including vibration analysis, thermal inspections, lubrication programs, and equipment condition monitoring.
• Track equipment history and use maintenance data to reduce recurring failures.

Electrical & Automation

• Provide leadership for electrical and controls-related maintenance.
• Troubleshoot PLCs, HMIs, VFDs, sensors, instrumentation, and automated systems.
• Coordinate with automation personnel and outside contractors when advanced controls support is required.
• Maintain appropriate documentation for electrical and control systems.
• Support equipment upgrades, automation projects, and production-line improvements.

Spare Parts & Maintenance Inventory

• Establish and maintain an organized spare-parts inventory.
• Identify critical spare parts for production equipment.
• Maintain appropriate inventory levels for critical components.
• Work with Purchasing and suppliers to obtain parts and services cost-effectively.
• Develop preferred vendors and maintain supplier relationships.
• Control maintenance-related spending and stay within the department budget.

Food Safety & Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure maintenance activities support the facility's food-safety and quality programs.
• Follow GMP, HACCP, food-safety, and sanitation requirements.
• Ensure maintenance work does not create product contamination risks.
• Maintain proper procedures for tools, lubricants, parts, and equipment used in food-production areas.
• Ensure maintenance personnel follow required hygiene and food-safety practices.
• Support internal and external audits as required.

Safety

• Maintain a strong safety culture within the maintenance department.
• Ensure employees follow Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) procedures.
• Ensure proper machine guarding and electrical safety practices.
• Conduct or participate in safety inspections and corrective actions.
• Ensure technicians are properly trained on applicable safety procedures.
• Address unsafe equipment conditions immediately.

Reliability & Continuous Improvement

• Analyze downtime data and identify opportunities to improve eq