General Summary
The Maintenance Unit Leader is responsible for leading the maintenance function within a unionized manufacturing facility. This role oversees maintenance operations, reliability initiatives, workforce development, labor relations, capital project support, and maintenance budgeting. The Maintenance Unit Leader partners closely with Operations, Engineering, Safety, Quality, and Union Leadership to maximize equipment reliability, plant efficiency, employee engagement, and operational performance while ensuring compliance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement and all safety requirements.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Leadership & Labor Relations
Provide leadership and direction to Maintenance Team Leaders and maintenance personnel.
Foster a safe, accountable, and engaged work environment.
Ensure consistent application of company policies, work rules, and the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Participate in labor-management meetings, grievance discussions, investigations, and contract administration activities.
Develop succession plans and employee development strategies for maintenance personnel.
Lead performance management, coaching, and talent development efforts.
Maintenance Operations
Oversee daily maintenance activities across all shifts.
Ensure effective execution of preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance programs.
Establish maintenance priorities to support production and business objectives.
Monitor work order completion, backlog management, and maintenance effectiveness through CMMS systems.
Coordinate maintenance resources to support planned outages, major repairs, and capital projects.
Ensure proper staffing levels and overtime administration in accordance with contractual requirements.
Reliability & Continuous Improvement
Develop and execute long-term equipment reliability and asset care strategies.
Analyze downtime, maintenance costs, and equipment performance metrics.
Lead root cause analysis investigations and implement sustainable corrective actions.
Identify opportunities to improve equipment uptime, productivity, and maintenance effectiveness.
Support implementation of predictive maintenance technologies and reliability-centered maintenance practices.
Champion continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, quality, cost, and operational excellence.
Financial & Strategic Management
Develop and manage departmental maintenance budgets.
Control maintenance spending while ensuring reliability and operational requirements are achieved.
Review contractor utilization and maintenance service agreements.
Assist in developing capital expenditure plans and maintenance-related business cases.
Track key performance indicators including downtime, PM compliance, maintenance costs, and workforce productivity.
Safety, Food Safety & Compliance
Ensure compliance with OSHA regulations, environmental requirements, and company safety programs.
Promote a culture of zero injuries through visible leadership and accountability.
Oversee compliance with Lockout/Tagout, Machine Guarding, Arc Flash, Confined Space Entry, and other critical safety programs.
Ensure maintenance activities support food safety, quality, GMP, and regulatory requirements.
Lead safety investigations and corrective action implementation as necessary.
Cross-Functional Leadership
Partner with Operations leadership to support production goals.
Collaborate with Engineering on equipment upgrades and capital projects.
Support plant startup, shutdown, and major maintenance planning activities.
Serve as a key stakeholder in site-wide continuous improvement initiatives.
Build strong working relationships with union leadership and plant employees.
Qualifications
Required
High School Diploma or GED.
Minimum of 5 years of maintenance experience in a manufacturing environment.
2+ yrs of maintenance leadership experience
Knowledge of mechanical, electrical, automation, hydraulic, and pneumatic systems.
Experience leading teams in a union manufacturing environment.
Strong problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills.
Compensation and Benefits:
The target base salary range for this full-time, salaried position is between
$92,400-$127,100
Individual base pay depends on work location and additional factors such as experience, job-related skills, and relevant education or training. Total pay may include other forms of compensation. In addition, we offer competitive health, dental, 401k and wellness benefits beginning on the first day of employment. Please ask your Talent Acquisition Partner for more information about our total rewards package.
