Facilities & Maintenance Manager

Farmer's Fridge; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 100,000 - 113,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

401(k) with match

Paid time off

Paid sabbatical

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Farmer’s Fridge seeks a Facilities & Maintenance Manager to lead maintenance, reliability, and continuous improvement of our 100,000-square-foot Chicago facility. You’ll drive preventative maintenance, manage technicians and vendors, and partner with Operations, Quality, and IT to keep systems safe and productive.

This leadership role requires strong background in food manufacturing facilities, CMMS expertise, and a track record of reducing downtime and optimizing budgets while delivering

Qualifications

• 5+ years of facilities or maintenance leadership experience in a food manufacturing or similarly regulated production environment.
• Experience managing maintenance operations in refrigerated or temperature-controlled facilities.
• Expert-level knowledge of preventive maintenance programs and CMMS systems.
• Strong technical knowledge of industrial manufacturing equipment, refrigeration systems, conveyors, utilities, and facility infrastructure.
• Ability to balance competing priorities with safety, food quality, and uptime at the center of decisions.
• Collaborative leader with cross-functional influence across Operations, Quality, Food Safety, IT, and vendors.
• Budget management, performance metrics, and cost optimization experience.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Facilities Management, or related field preferred.

Responsibilities

• Own the preventative maintenance strategy for the production facility, ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient operation.
• Lead and develop the maintenance team while managing external contractors and vendors.
• Build and improve maintenance programs, inspection routines, and documentation to minimize downtime.
• Oversee maintenance and repair of facility infrastructure and manufacturing equipment, including refrigeration and utilities.
• Partner with Quality Assurance and Food Safety to meet regulatory requirements.
• Manage the facility maintenance budget with cost efficiency and reliability in mind.
• Develop performance metrics and use data for continuous improvement.
• Administer the on-call program and lead during after-hours incidents and emergencies.
• Collaborate with Operations, IT, Engineering, and plant leadership on improvement initiatives.

Skills

Facilities leadership

Maintenance management

Preventive maintenance

CMMS

Budget management

Cross-functional collaboration

Regulatory compliance

Refrigeration systems

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Facilities Management

Tools

CMMS software

Job description

Farmer’s Fridge makes fruits and vegetables accessible and approachable for everyone. We offer a variety of fresh, healthy, ready-to-eat meals and snacks through our fresh food vending machines, wholesale partners, and our office pantry solution — providing chef-curated meals to customers within seconds. Today, we operate a network of Fridges and partner with clients nationwide in high-foot-traffic areas, such as airports, hospitals, universities, and large office buildings — where there is limited accessibility to fresh, healthy, grab-n-go options.

We care deeply about what we’re creating and aspire to make sure our customers feel that through every touchpoint. This shows up in many ways across the business. We are committed to prioritizing food safety, we are passionate about product quality, we value our employees, we champion the best idea no matter where it comes from, and we’re committed to making an overall positive impact as we scale.

About this Role

We're looking for a Facilities & Maintenance Manager to lead the maintenance, reliability, and continuous improvement of our 100,000-square-foot food manufacturing facility in Chicago. This role is responsible for ensuring our building, equipment, and critical systems operate safely, efficiently, and reliably, helping us deliver fresh, high-quality food to customers every day.

You’ll lead our preventative maintenance strategy, oversee maintenance technicians and third-party vendors, manage facility budgets, and partner closely with Operations, Quality, Food Safety, and IT to keep our facility running at its best. This is a highly visible leadership role for someone who enjoys solving complex operational challenges, building scalable processes, and leading through both strategy and execution.

What You’ll Do

• Own the preventative maintenance strategy for our production facility, ensuring equipment and building systems operate safely, reliably, and efficiently.
• Lead, coach, and develop the maintenance team while managing external contractors and vendors to deliver high-quality work on time and within budget.
• Build and continuously improve preventative maintenance programs, inspection routines, and documentation to minimize downtime and extend equipment life.
• Oversee maintenance and repair of facility infrastructure and manufacturing equipment, including refrigeration systems, conveyors, processing equipment, automated assembly equipment, and building utilities.
• Partner closely with Quality Assurance and Food Safety to ensure all maintenance activities meet regulatory and food safety requirements.
• Manage the facility maintenance budget, balancing cost efficiency with operational reliability and long-term capital planning.
• Develop meaningful performance metrics and use data to identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Administer the facility's on-call program and provide leadership during after-hours maintenance issues and operational emergencies.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Operations, IT, Engineering, and plant leadership to support business continuity and facility improvement initiatives.

Who You Are

• 5+ years of facilities or maintenance leadership experience within a food manufacturing or similarly regulated production environment.
• Proven experience managing maintenance operations in refrigerated or temperature-controlled facilities.
• Expert-level knowledge of preventative maintenance programs, CMMS systems, and equipment reliability best practices.
• Strong technical knowledge of industrial manufacturing equipment, refrigeration systems, conveyors, utilities, and facility infrastructure.
• Ability to balance competing priorities while keeping safety, food quality, and operational uptime at the center of every decision.
• Collaborative leader who builds strong relationships across Operations, Quality, Food Safety, IT, and external vendors.
• Proven experience managing budgets, analyzing performance metrics, and identifying opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
• A bachelor's degree in Engineering, Facilities Management, or a related field is preferred.

The base salary range for this role is $100,000 - 113,000. The base pay offered will be determined by factors such as experience, skills, training, certifications, education, and any applicable minimum wage requirements.

In addition to base salary, this position is eligible for company performance-based bonuses and equity.

We Provide a Comprehensive Benefits Package, Including

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance (multiple plans available)
• 401(k) with immediate employer match vesting
• Paid time off (including vacation, sick leave, and holidays)
• Paid sabbatical after 5 years of service
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Benefits At Farmer's Fridge:

In This Together - We stay connected, whether in person or virtually. We encourage business transparency through monthly town hall meetings and weekly financial updates. We set out to make the best product on the market, and we believe we’ve done it. We value your input in the new menu creation process. From regular tasting panels, where employees provide new menu feedback.

Happier Workdays - Each day at work should fill you with joy. We're a fun and passionate group, and we don't take ourselves too seriously. Bring your unique self to