Ice Cream Associate Director, Site Maintenance
Compensation
The Role
Life tastes better with ice cream
With 19.000 expert ice cream colleagues and iconic brands like Wall’s, Cornetto and Ben & Jerry’s, loved in 76 countries, we are the world’s largest Ice Cream company leading the industry.
We create iconic ice cream brands that are part of everyday life, bringing moments of joy to millions of people around the world. Everybody loves ice cream. And as the world’s biggest pure‑play ice cream company, we have the scale and ambition to make a real difference.
What truly sets us apart is how we work.
We move fast and keep things simple. We turn ideas into action, trust people to take ownership, and work as one team to win together with integrity. Our culture is high‑performance, collaborative and focused on getting things done.
We’re curious and ready for what’s next. We embrace digital, use data to make better decisions, and keep learning, including how AI can help us work smarter and serve consumers better.
Terms: Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full‑time basis without the need for current or future employer sponsorship. Employment eligibility will be verified as part of the hiring process.
THE ROLE:
Lead the maintenance and reliability strategy for one of our largest ice cream manufacturing operations!
This is a senior site leadership opportunity for an accomplished engineering and maintenance leader who can shape strategy, influence executive stakeholders and lead the entire maintenance function within a complex, 24/7 manufacturing environment.
As Associate Director, Site Maintenance, you will have end-to-end accountability for production and facility maintenance across the site. Reporting to the Site Director, you will set the direction for asset reliability, engineering capability and maintenance performance, ensuring our equipment, utilities and infrastructure operate safely, reliably and efficiently.
This role requires more than technical expertise. You will be a trusted adviser to senior leadership, connecting engineering and maintenance priorities to the site’s broader safety, quality, service, cost and growth objectives. You will lead an established team of engineering supervisors and highly experienced maintenance professionals, creating the clarity, accountability and engagement needed to modernize ways of working and deliver lasting performance improvement.
**WHAT YOU'LL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR:**
- Own and deliver the site-wide maintenance and reliability strategy across production equipment, facilities, utilities and critical infrastructure.
- Serve as the senior maintenance and reliability partner to the Site Director and wider leadership team, translating complex technical risks and investment needs into clear business recommendations.
- Lead maintenance across critical systems, including ammonia refrigeration, steam, electrical distribution and high-hazard manufacturing assets.
- Establish a disciplined reliability culture through preventive and predictive maintenance, asset-management strategies and data-led performance improvement.
- Lead, coach and develop Engineering Supervisors and skilled maintenance teams supporting a continuous 24/7 operation.
- Create clear expectations and accountability across an experienced technical workforce, building trust while constructively challenging long-established practices.
- Partner with Production, Quality, Safety and Engineering leaders to improve safety, quality, output, reliability and cost.
- Own maintenance budgets, resource planning, spare-parts strategy and the business case for capital and asset-improvement investments.
- Balance immediate operational priorities with longer-term equipment lifecycle, reliability and site-capability requirements.
- Champion compliance with safety, environmental, GMP and regulatory standards, embedding rigorous risk management throughout the function.
- Lead site transformation through the Ice Cream Manufacturing System, continuous improvement practices and The Ice Cream Way behaviors.
- Build the leadership capability, succession pipeline and technical skills required for the future of the operation.
**WE'RE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO…**
Is an engineering-led business leader who is equally comfortable discussing equipment reliability with technical specialists and presenting investment priorities, risk and performance to senior executives.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
- A bachelor’s degree in engineering or a closely related technical discipline.
- Significant maintenance, reliability or engineering leadership experience within a complex manufacturing environment, ideally supporting 24/7 operations.
- The credibility to lead experienced engineering and maintenance professionals, including the ability to navigate resistance, challenge established thinking and build commitment to new ways of working.
- Strong business acumen, with experience managing budgets, evaluating investment choices and connecting tec
Benefits
Estimated- Competitive salary
- Health, dental & vision insurance
- 401(k) with match
- Paid time off
- Bonus potential