Director of Maintenance

Pacific Southwest Container, LLC; Modesto (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 215,000; Full time

Job summary

Pacific Southwest Container, LLC is looking for a Director of Maintenance in Modesto, CA. This leader will build a high-performing maintenance organization to enhance safety and efficiency across a multi-shift manufacturing environment. Candidates should have a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related field and over 10 years of experience in maintenance leadership, with substantial knowledge of TPM and continuous improvement principles. The role entails approximately 20% travel to multiple facilities and good collaboration with Operations and Engineering teams.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive maintenance leadership experience in a manufacturing environment.
• At least 2 years of multi-site or enterprise maintenance leadership experience.
• Deep working knowledge of TPM, Reliability, and continuous improvement principles.

Responsibilities

• Build, coach, and develop a strong maintenance leadership team.
• Partner closely with Operations, Engineering, Safety, Quality, HR, and Finance.
• Lead the deployment, maturity, and sustainability of TPM and Reliability-centered practices.

Skills

Coaching

Communication

Change Leadership

Problem Solving

Cross-Functional Partnership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Industrial Maintenance, or related field

Job description

Location: Modesto, CA
Travel: ~20%
Industry: Corrugated Paper Manufacturing
Reports to: VP Operations
Pay Range: $180,000- $215,000 with bonus eligibility

Position Overview

The Director of Maintenance is a people‑first, enterprise‑minded leader responsible for building a high‑performing maintenance organization that enables safe, reliable, and efficient operations across a complex, multi‑shift manufacturing environment. This role acts as a strategic partner to Operations, ensuring maintenance strategies support organizational goals through disciplined application of Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) and Reliability practices. This leader will focus on developing teams, strengthening cross‑functional collaboration, solving systemic problems, and driving continuous improvement—ensuring equipment reliability supports throughput, quality, cost, and safety goals.

Key Responsibilities

Lead & Develop People

• Build, coach, and develop a strong maintenance leadership team and skilled maintenance workforce.
• Establish clear expectations, accountability, and development pathways for leaders and team members.
• Foster a culture of ownership, engagement, and continuous learning aligned with PSC values of 360‑degree health, teamwork, quality, and sustainability.
• Champion safety, compliance, and respectful leadership at all levels of the organization.

Strategic Alignment & Partnership

• Partner closely with Operations, Engineering, Safety, Quality, HR, and Finance to align maintenance priorities with production and business objectives.
• Translate organizational goals into clear maintenance strategies, priorities, and execution plans.
• Serve as a trusted thought partner to manufacturing and company leadership—balancing short‑term needs with long‑term reliability.

TPM & Reliability Leadership

• Lead the deployment, maturity, and sustainability of TPM and Reliability‑centered maintenance practices.
• Establish standards for preventive, predictive, and condition‑based maintenance.
• Drive operator engagement in equipment care and loss elimination.
• Use data and KPIs (OEE, MTBF, MTTR, downtime, cost) to inform decisions and prioritize improvement efforts.

Problem Solving & Continuous Improvement

• Lead root cause analysis (RCA) for chronic equipment issues, safety incidents, and performance losses.
• Shift the organization from reactive to proactive maintenance through disciplined problem‑solving and standard work.
• Champion continuous improvement initiatives that reduce waste, improve uptime, and increase production capacity.

Operational & Financial Stewardship

• Own maintenance budgets, capital planning input, and cost control while maintaining equipment reliability.
• Ensure maintenance practices comply with regulatory, safety, and environmental requirements.
• Support capital projects, equipment installs, and technology upgrades in partnership with Engineering and Operations.

Enterprise Scope & Travel

• Provide leadership and consistency across multiple facilities or operations as applicable.
• Travel approximately 20% to support alignment, capability building, and company initiatives.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Industrial Maintenance, Operations, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• 10+ years of progressive maintenance leadership experience in a manufacturing environment.
• At least 2 years of multi‑site or enterprise maintenance leadership experience.
• Demonstrated success leading people, not just assets—strong coaching, communication, and change leadership skills.
• Deep working knowledge of TPM, Reliability, and continuous improvement principles.
• Strong cross‑functional partnership and influence skills in a complex, fast‑paced environment.

Preferred

• Experience in corrugated, packaging, paper, or similar industry is preferred.
• Experience in a family‑owned or values‑driven organization.
• Exposure to Lean manufacturing, Six Sigma, or similar methodologies.

What Success Looks Like

• Maintenance teams are engaged, capable, and aligned to business priorities.
• Equipment reliability improves measurably, enabling safer operations and higher throughput.
• TPM is embedded as a way of working—not a program.
• Operations and Maintenance operate as true partners, solving problems together.
• The organization moves from reactive fixes to disciplined, data‑driven reliability.