AFB Manager Engineering

Ensign-Bickford Industries; Aurora (MO); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

AFB International, a global science and technology leader in pet food palatability, seeks an Engineering and Maintenance Manager to oversee all plant process and equipment, staff, and projects. The role requires on-site presence with flexibility for long hours, evenings, or weekends to support maintenance activity.

Responsibilities include directing engineering staff, managing budgets, leading capital projects, and ensuring safety, quality and equipment reliability in a 24/7 production setting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 6+ years related experience in maintenance/engineering management within manufacturing.
• Prefer degree in mechanical or electrical engineering; experience in food, flavor, or feed industries desired.
• Experience in a SQF-certified (or similar) manufacturing environment strongly desired.
• Experience in kaizen, Lean Six Sigma, or business operating systems with heavy process orientation.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership, direction, and supervision for Engineering and Maintenance staff.
• Manage and maintain plant maintenance and engineering budgets.
• Develop capital and expense plans and execute projects; coordinate installation and startup.
• Provide technical support for safety, quality, reliability, and other areas.
• Write and review work orders, prioritize repairs, and source supplies.
• Develop preventative maintenance program and spare parts inventory.
• Oversee line/equipment layouts and cost benchmarking; write capital requests.
• Ensure equipment safety and food safety; travel up to 10%.

Skills

Leadership

Financial management

Communication

AutoCAD

MS Project

ERP systems

Controls systems

Lean Six Sigma

Ladder logic

PIT operation

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

AutoCAD

Visio

MS Project

ERP systems

MMS systems

Job description

This opportunity is located within our AFB International business, the global science and technology leader in pet food palatability. We develop and produce a full range of liquid and dry palatability enhancers using high-quality ingredients proven to optimize companion animal response and consumption.

Job Description

The Engineering and Maintenance Manager is responsible to maintain all process and production equipment, powered industrial trucks, and plant facilities for safe and efficient operations of the plant; and, is responsible manage the maintenance staff, the local engineering staff, plant projects, and outside contractors as necessary for the safe and efficient operations of the plant.

A strong collaborator, the Engineering & Maintenance Manager is charged with maintaining and improving teamwork and morale in a high volume, high pressure non-union production environment, ensuring that results are delivered without sacrificing safety, quality, or teamwork.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• All functions are performed with employee and contractor safety as the number one priority.
• Provide leadership, direction, and supervision for the Engineering and Maintenance Supervisor, the plant Process Engineer, and the Engineering and Maintenance Assistant. Responsible indirectly for the subordinate maintenance and engineering staff as well.
• Manage and maintain plant maintenance and engineering departmental budgets.
• Responsible for the development of the plant capital and expense plans and implements projects accordingly, or partners with corporate engineering staff for efficient project implementation. Project activities will include initial economic analysis, design and engineering, feasibility planning, equipment sourcing, capital appropriation development, and execution of the project including equipment purchase, coordination and supervision of installation, project cost tracking and control, equipment/system start-up, personnel training, and system documentation.
• Provides technical support to the plant as required including safety, quality, reliability or other areas as needed.
• Resolves problems using solutions that involve new techniques, technologies, or concepts.
• Provides direction and example for interpretation and application of company policies and procedures to the maintenance and engineering activities of the plant.
• Maintains a working knowledge of new technologies which may improve operations and develops recommendations accordingly.
• Maintains a working knowledge of safety policies and regulations to ensure plant safety and a safe environment and culture for all plant associates.
• Provides direction for and application of company policies and procedures for the plant engineering and maintenance activities.
• Writes and reviews job work orders, evaluates alternatives, prioritizes and schedules repair and execution to ensure continuous production operations in a safe and cost-effective manner. Follows-up to insure repairs are completed in a timely manner and are producing acceptable results. Sources and purchases supplies and materials as needed.
• Responsible to develop and execute preventative maintenance program in conjunction with support staff and personnel, including maintaining the spare parts inventory.
• Develop line/equipment layouts, develop system/equipment costs, benchmarking of standards.
• Evaluate alternative options and recommending "best case" scenarios.
• Writing capital requests.
• Ordering equipment and coordinating installation.
• Startup of equipment/systems and assessment of performance versus projected benefit(s).
• Provide technical troubleshooting as required to support ongoing plant operations.
• Accountable for the plant engineering and maintenance budget including the effective implementation of CAR's.
• Budgetary responsibility for routine plant operations is approximately $3MM annually. CAR's and extraordinary maintenance activity can range in the millions as well.
• Accountable for equipment safety, the safe design, installation, operation, and maintenance of the equipment to ensure an injury free work environment.
• Accountable to ensure equipment is designed and maintained to produce safe food products for our customers.
• Travel up to 10%.

Schedule

This is a 24/7/365 production facility.

The Engineering and Maintenance Manager is expected to be on site during normal business working hours, and available to work long hours, evenings, or weekends as required for project or maintenance activity. The Engineering and Maintenance Manager is expected to be on call and available to assist with after-hours situations as required.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Supervise the Engineering and Maintenance Supervisor, the Plant Process Engineer, and the Engineering and Maintenance Assistant. Two direct reports, 10 additional indirect reports

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience

Bachelor's degree and 6 or more years' related experience, with at least two (2) years progressive experience in maintenance/engineering management within a manufacturing facility. Prefer degree in a mechanical or electrical engineering discipline, and experience within the food, flavor, or feed industries. Experience in a SQF-certified (or similar) manufacturing environment strongly desired. Prior experience in kaizen, operational excellence, Lean/Six Sigma, or business operating systems with heavy process orientation required.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must have the following knowledge, skills and abilities.

• Leadership skills necessary to provide effective performance management of the engineering and maintenance staff at the plant.
• Professional skills and competencies necessary to recruit and hire highly qualified and capable staff for the engineering and maintenance department at the plant.
• Financial skills necessary to manage large budgets and projects.
• Interpersonal and communications skills necessary to engage in and deliver meaningful and constructive communications across a wide range of audiences from entry level production operators all the way to the board of directors.
• Computer skills should include but not limited to: MS Office products, Visio, MS Project, MMS systems, ERP systems, understanding of basic networking principles and set ups, Understanding of Controls Systems and basic ladder logic principles, AutoCAD.
• Operator skills to operate a variety of Powered Industrial Trucks, and a familiarity with equipment operation is a plus as well.
• Technical writing skills and skills in the presentation of technical information, for effective delivery of complex information to audiences of technical, professional, and layman.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to sit and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 55 pounds.

Work Environment

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to wet and/or humid conditions; moving mechanical parts; high, precarious places and fumes or airborne particles. The employee is occasionally exposed to toxic or caustic chemicals; outside weather conditions; extreme cold and extreme heat. The noise level in the work environment is usually loud. Appropriate PPE use required.

AFB International is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, national origin, or veteran status.