Field Mechanical Support Lead - 100% Travel

Altium Packaging; Texas; On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Altium Packaging seeks a Mechanical Support Technician to stabilize and strengthen maintenance and production across U.S. and Canada plants.

You will deploy on short notice to address outages, startup challenges, safety risks, or chronic issues, acting as on-site technical leader during critical events. You will build capability, lead root-cause analyses, and drive corrective actions with hands-on work on blow molding lines and packaging equipment.

Qualifications

• 6–10 years in a high-output plastics manufacturing environment.
• 5–10 years in maintenance and/or production technical roles.
• Demonstrated troubleshooting of blow molding systems and downstream bottle processing equipment.
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs and work on the plant floor.

Responsibilities

• Serve as on-site technical leader during escalations and emergencies across U.S. and Canada plants.
• Provide hands-on technical leadership for maintenance and production systems, including blow molding lines and packaging equipment.
• Lead root-cause analyses and ensure corrective actions are implemented and sustained.
• Build sustainable technical capability across operators and maintenance technicians.
• Identify recurring issues and partner with leadership to implement standard work and processes.
• Reinforce safety standards and ensure compliance during all recovery activities.
• Coordinate with vendors and service providers during escalations to accelerate resolution.
• Document root causes and lessons learned from each deployment.

Skills

Troubleshooting

Leadership under pressure

Hands-on technician

Decision making

Effective communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Blow molding equipment (Uniloy, Bekum, Rocheleau)

Job description

Work Shift

Salary Exempt (United States of America)

Location Address:

123 Main St, Anycity, Texas 12345

Work Shift

Salary Exempt (United States of America)

the Mechanical Support Technician is a highly mobile, urgent-response technical leader responsible for stabilizing, restoring, and strengthening maintenance and production operations across all U.S. and Canada manufacturing plants.

This role functions as part of an Operations Emergency Response Team, dispatched on short notice to address critical production interruptions, major equipment failures, start-up challenges, safety risks, or chronic performance issues. This role is expected to move quickly, assume on-site leadership, and drive resolution under pressure.

The role exists to eliminate losses, restore throughput, and build lasting technical capability across maintenance and production teams, with particular emphasis on blow molding bottle processing environments. This is not a regional advisory role or desk-based position, it is a hands-on, field-driven, execution-focused leadership role requiring urgency, decisiveness, and strong technical capability.

Emergency & Rapid Response (Primary Focus)

• Serve as a first responder for critical operational events, including:
• Unplanned extended downtime
• Major blow molding or downstream equipment failures
• Major line startup or restart failures
• Chronic defect, scrap, or throughput crises
• Deploy to any U.S. or Canada plant on a moment’s notice to assess conditions, stabilize operations, and execute immediate corrective action.
• Act as on-site technical leader during escalation events, partnering directly with Plant Managers, Operations Leaders, and Maintenance Leaders.
• Lead structured root cause analysis and ensure corrective actions are implemented, verified, and sustained.
  
  

Operations Technical Execution (Maintenance & Production)

• Provide hands-on technical leadership across maintenance and production systems, including:
• Blow molding machines (Uniloy, Bekum, Rocheleau, and similar platforms)
• Bottle processing and packaging equipment
• Upstream and downstream assets (blenders, grinders, leak testers, vision systems, trimmers, baggers, conveyors, cooling beds)
• Plant utilities and support systems (chillers, compressed air, vacuum systems)
• Troubleshoot complex mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical, and controls-related issues directly on the plant floor.
• Support execution—not just design—of corrective actions alongside plant teams.
• Major PM/Overhaul work
• Operate Blow Mold production line in emergency situations
  
  

Capability Building & Training

• Build sustainable technical capability across operators and maintenance technicians, with a specific focus on:
• Bottle processing fundamentals
• Equipment troubleshooting processes
• Standardized maintenance and operating practices
• Deliver hands-on, floor-based training (1:1 or small group) across maintenance and production.
• Support and continuously improve operator and maintenance technical training programs.
  
  

Continuous Improvement & Loss Elimination

• Identify recurring issues and systemic gaps impacting safety, quality, cost, or delivery.
• Partner with Operations and Maintenance leadership to implement standard work, processes, and controls that prevent recurrence.
• Support site teams in sustaining improvements after departure.
  
  

Safety & Compliance

• Reinforce strict adherence to safety standards, PPE, and environmental regulations during all intervention and recovery activities.
• Ensure emergency repairs and corrective work comply with local, state, federal, and company requirements.
  
  

Vendor & Resource Coordination

• Partner with equipment vendors and technical service providers during escalations to accelerate resolution.
• Support plants with vendor troubleshooting, parts strategy, and post-event learning.
  
  

Documentation & Reporting

• Document root causes, corrective actions, and lessons learned from each deployment.
• Reasonable mandatory overtime may be required due to business needs.
  
  

Required

• Supports all manufacturing plants across the United States and Canada.
• Travel up to 100%, often with little advance notice.
• Must be able to work extended hours during critical recovery periods.
• 6–10 years’ experience in a high-output plastics manufacturing environment, with strong exposure to bottle processing operations.
• 5–10 years of hands-on experience in maintenance and/or production technical roles.
• Demonstrated expertise in troubleshooting blow molding systems and downstream bottle processing equipment.
• Proven ability to lead under pressure during unplanned operational events.
• Strong decision-making skills with the ability to assess incomplete information in fast-moving environments.
• Willingness and capability to be hands-on on the plant floor.
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs. and work in manufacturing environments.
  
  

Preferred

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• Experience leading multi-site or organizational level technical initiatives.
• Budget and cost-management exposure.
• Experience leading cross-functional operations and maintenance teams.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to influence without authority.
  
  

Altium Packaging, Our Culture Differentiates Us!

We incorporate our Guiding Principles into all aspects and at all levels of the organization and use them as a framework for decision-making. We believe our Guiding Principles foster a culture of excellence that benefits both employees and customers.

Our Guiding Principles

• Act with Integrity & in Compliance
• Drive Value Creation
• Be Disciplined Entrepreneurs
• Focus on the Customer
• Act with Humility
• Treat others with Dignity and Respect
• Seeking Fulfillment in your Work
  
  

We Believe in Rewarding our Most Important Resource – Our People!

We show our commitment to Total Rewards by providing a competitive, comprehensive benefits package. In addition to medical, dental and vision plans, company holidays and vacation days, tuition reimbursement, learning and training opportunities, bonus potential, and a 401(k) plan with company contributions, Altium Packaging locations offer rewards and recognition programs and opportunities to make a difference in the community.

EEO Statement

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.

Take your career to the next level at Altium Packaging!