Automation and Controls Maintenance Supervisor

The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated; Rocky Mount (NC); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Vacation and sick time

Medical, dental & vision

401K with match

Dining discounts

Job summary

The Cheesecake Factory Bakery is seeking an Automation and Controls Maintenance Supervisor to lead a dedicated maintenance team in a high-volume bakery environment. You will oversee troubleshooting, preventive maintenance, and continuous improvement of PLC-based control systems, conveyors, and process equipment.

Responsibilities include supervising technicians, coordinating PMs via CMMS, and ensuring safety, quality, and regulatory compliance across all operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Computer, or Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• 10+ years of maintenance experience in an industrial food or bakery environment.
• 2+ years in a supervisory or lead role.
• Strong background with PLCs, VFDs, and automated control systems.
• Familiarity with ammonia refrigeration, boiler systems, and compressed air utilities.
• Experience with CMMS systems and maintenance planning and scheduling.
• NFPA 70 trained.
• Technical knowledge: PLC/HMI programming (Siemens, Allen-Bradley); Rockwell FactoryTalk View ME/SE and Ignition.

Responsibilities

• Supervise a maintenance team across production, utilities, and packaging areas.
• Assign daily work orders, PMs, and project tasks via the CMMS.
• Write daily shift reports detailing activities.
• Provide technical guidance and coaching to improve troubleshooting and mechanical depth.
• Enforce maintenance standard work, safety practices, and GMP compliance.
• Oversee HR/Safety policies and training completion on time.
• Lead reliability and continuous improvement initiatives to maximize uptime.

Skills

People management

PLC programming

Electrical troubleshooting

Mechanical troubleshooting

Industrial automation

Safety compliance

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Mechanical Engineering

Tools

RSLogix500

RSLogix5000

Studio5000

FactoryTalk

Ignition

ICS/ROCKWELL

Job description

Position Overview:

At The Cheesecake Factory Bakery, We Don't Do Ordinary! Nothing is scaled down. Not the pride, not the fun, and definitely not the teamwork. Here, you'll do meaningful work alongside great people who care about each other and are passionate about supporting the teams behind the iconic cheesecakes our guests enjoy every day. That's the kind of culture that has earned us a place on Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For® list every year since 2014.

The Automation and Controls Maintenance Supervisor provides hands-on leadership to the maintenance team supporting a complex, food manufacturing operation. This role ensures safe, reliable, and efficient performance of production and utility systems, including spiral coolers, ovens, depositing equipment, conveyors, boilers, ammonia refrigeration, compressed air, and PLC-controlled systems.

This person is accountable for executing preventive and predictive maintenance programs, troubleshooting equipment failures, and driving continuous improvement initiatives to maximize equipment uptime and overall plant performance.

You’ll thrive in this position if you are:

• An Experienced People Manager: you’re at home managing and elevating a team. You lead by example and enable your staff to realize their potential.
• Intellectually Curious: you’re a lifelong learner. You pick things up, dissect them to see how they work, and figure out how to improve or fix them.
• Exhaustively meticulous: you have an unrelenting attention to detail, leaving nothing to chance while understanding what deserves your immediate attention and what can wait.
• Always Thinking Two Steps Ahead: you understand the domino effect when critical system issues occur. You aim to be proactive, but you know how to get in front of problems to contain them.

Here’s more of what you’ll get to do:

Leadership & Team Development

• Supervise a team of maintenance technicians and mechanics across production, utilities, and packaging areas.
• Assign daily work orders, PMs, and project tasks using the CMMS.
• Write daily shift reports that accurately detail activities that took place during the shift.
• Provide technical guidance, coaching, and support to enhance troubleshooting skills and mechanical depth.
• Enforce maintenance standard work, safety practices, and GMP compliance.
• Ensure compliance with HR/ Safety policies and procedures including verifying timecard activity, overseeing the disciplinary action process, and ensure safety and certification training is completed on time.
• Foster a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Act as the management representative on site when the Plant Engineer is not available.

Maintenance Execution

• Lead troubleshooting and repair of mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, and hydraulic systems across all bakery process areas.
• Support operation of spiral coolers, ovens, depositors, conveyors, and associated control systems.
• Ensure timely and thorough completion of preventive maintenance tasks, lubrication routes, and inspection-based PMs.
• Oversee maintenance of critical utilities including ammonia refrigeration, steam/boiler systems, and compressed air.
• Partner with Production to minimize downtime and proactively address recurring issues.
• Manage parts requisitions, ensure proper use of spare inventory, and maintain work order documentation in the CMMS.
• Produce reliable automation solutions to meet business needs including electrical panel design, device selection, flow charts, project schedules, scope of work, and cost estimates.
• Maintain all Automation related programs and documentation including PLC programs, HMI programs, electrical diagrams, P&IDs, pin charts, sequence of operations, etc.
• Maintain all automation programming software for the facility such as Rockwell Software, Wonderware, ICIS, Network Management, etc.

Reliability & Continuous Improvement

• Analyze downtime and equipment history to identify root causes and develop corrective actions.
• Collaborate with Engineering and Production on process improvements and equipment upgrades.
• Support capital projects, installations, and equipment commissioning.
• Promote reliability-centered maintenance practices to extend asset life and reduce reactive work.

Safety, Quality & Compliance

• Ensure all maintenance activities comply with OSHA, PSM, and food safety standards.
• Enforce lockout/tagout, confined space, and hot work procedures.
• Maintain equipment and documentation readiness for internal and external audits.
• Partner with Quality, Sanitation, and Operations to ensure all work supports food safety and GMP compliance.

What we require:

Skills and Experience

• Associate or bachelor’s degree in industrial maintenance, Engineering, or related field preferred.
• Education: A Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Computer, or Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• Minimum of 10 years of maintenance experience in an industrial food or bakery environment, with at least 2 years in a supervisory or lead role.
• Strong background with PLCs, VFDs, and automated control systems.
• Familiarity with ammonia refrigeration, boiler systems, and compressed air utilities.
• Experience with MS Office Software, CMMS systems, and maintenance planning and scheduling processes.
• NFPA 70 trained.
• Technical Knowledge: Strong proficiency in PLC/HMI programming (e.g., Siemens, Allen-Bradley), industrial networks, and data acquisition/historian systems
• Advanced knowledge of HMI systems focused on Rockwell Factory Talk View ME/SE and Ignition
• Advanced knowledge of industrial process historians.
• Advanced knowledge of Ethernet networks.
• Advanced electrical control design capabilities.
• Knowledge and experience in Industrial Robot Programming is a plus.
• Skills/Training:
  • RSLogix500
  • RSLogix5000
  • Studio5000
  • FactoryTalk View ME/SE
  • Ignition
  • CCW
  • VFD Troubleshooting/Programming/Commissioning
  • Servo Troubleshooting/Programming/CIP Motion
  • Networking (Ethernet IP)

Skills & Competencies

• Proven leadership ability to motivate, develop, and guide technical teams toward high performance.
• Strong mechanical and electrical troubleshooting expertise, with hands‑on problem‑solving skills.
• Working knowledge of three-phase power and machine control, ensuring safe and efficient operations.
• Comprehensive understanding of food safety, sanitation, and PSM programs, supporting compliance and reliability.
• Effective communicator with cross‑functional partners and hourly associates, fostering collaboration.
• Excellent verbal and written English skills, essential for clear documentation and team alignment.
• Highly organized and detail-oriented, adept at managing competing priorities in a fast‑paced, 24/7 environment.
• Subject Matter Expert in packaging machinery, electrical systems, control systems, refrigeration, steam systems, and conveyors.
• Strong leadership and managerial courage, consistently making principled decisions even when unpopular.
• Positive attitude and high energy level, contributing to team morale and productivity.
• Flexible and responsive, available for shifts, weekends, and emergencies as needed.
• Customer‑focused mindset, viewing maintenance as a critical service provider to the business.
• Maintenance: Oversee the installation, repair, and proactive maintenance of PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers), robotic systems, and electrical hardware.
• Troubleshooting: Diagnose complex electrical, mechanical, and software failures to minimize production downtime.
• Project Management: Lead system upgrades, continuous improvement projects, and equipment commissioning.

Work Environment

• Industrial bakery setting with exposure to
  • Hot or cold temperatures
  • Allergens
  • High noise levels
  • Moving machinery
  • Wet or frozen surfaces
  • Cramped, confined work areas
• May require night, weekend, or holiday work based on production schedules and emergency needs.

General Physical Demands

• Ability to stand and walk for prolonged periods (8–12 hours per shift).
• Frequent bending, kneeling, squatting, and stooping to access equipment and confined spaces.
• Regular reaching overhead, at shoulder height, and below waist level to service machinery.
• Climbing ladders or platforms (up to 20 feet) as needed to access equipment.
• Work in confined spaces may be required, such as under conveyors or inside equipment housings.

Lifting and Carrying

• Frequent lifting of parts and tools up to 25 pounds.
• Occasional lifting of equipment components up to 50 pounds.
• Occasional team lifting or use of mechanical aids for items over 75 pounds.
• Ability to carry materials and tools across plant areas or upstairs.

Manual Dexterity and Motor Skills

• Hand‑eye coordination required for precision work such as wiring, calibrating instruments, or using hand tools.
• Sufficient grip strength to use wrenches, drills, and other manual tools.
• Fine motor skills to handle small parts, fasteners, and electrical connectors safely.

Sensory Requirements

• Ability to identify signs of mechanical or electrical issues, including odors, smoke, or abnormal sounds.

Environmental Conditions

• Work performed in hot, cold, humid, refrigerated, and frozen spaces.
• Regular exposure to moderate to high industrial noise levels (hearing protection may be required).
• Occasional exposure to dust, lubricants, and cleaning chemicals, with proper PPE provided.
• Exposure to vibration from power tools or running machinery.

Other Functional Requirements

• Ability to perform physically demanding tasks throughout a full shift.
• Must maintain balance while working on elevated platforms or uneven surfaces.
• Ability to respond promptly and safely to alarms or hazardous conditions.
• May require night, weekend, or holiday work based on production schedule and emergency needs.

What we offer:

• Eligible for annual bonus
• Vacation and sick time
• Medical, Dental & Vision
• 401K with company match
• 25% discount when dining as a guest
• Discounted cheesecake purchase program
• Annual stipend for dining in our restaurants

About the Company:

The Cheesecake Factory Bakery creates over 35,000 delicious cheesecakes per day across our two facilities in Calabasas, CA and Rocky Mount, NC plus other baked products for our restaurants, international licensees, and third‑party bakery customers.
The Cheesecake Factory Bakery is a subsidiary of The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated. Recognized as a Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® since 2014, The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated is a global $3.8 billion public company with more than 370 casual dining restaurants and over 48,000 staff members.
We are an E-Verify and equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming workplace for all. We welcome applicants from a wide variety of identities, ideas, perspectives, backgrounds and experiences to apply. The Cheesecake Factory offers reasonable accommodation to job applicants with disabilities.
#SoCheesecake #LifeAtCheesecake
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