Hatchery Maintenance & Reliability Leader

Aviagen; City of Watertown (NY); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Aviagen in Watertown, NY is seeking an experienced Maintenance and Reliability Manager to lead the maintenance function across hatchery operations, ensuring safe conditions and regulatory compliance.

You will build a capable team, implement a proactive maintenance program, coordinate with operations, quality, and engineering, and focus on reducing downtime, improving asset reliability, and safeguarding animal welfare.

Qualifications

• Experience leading maintenance work and people in a 24/7 production, agricultural, food manufacturing, or similarly equipment-intensive environment.
• Working knowledge of mechanical, electrical, controls, HVAC, refrigeration, and utility systems, with the judgment to bring in specialized support when needed.
• Experience planning preventive maintenance, troubleshooting recurring failures, managing contractors, and coordinating repairs around production needs.
• Ability to use a computerized maintenance management system or comparable work order and asset tracking tools.
• Strong communication, organization, follow-through, and commitment to employee safety.

Responsibilities

• Lead preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance for hatchery equipment, building systems, and utilities.
• Establish equipment priorities, maintenance schedules, inspection routines, and critical spare parts based on operational risk.
• Review breakdowns and recurring issues, lead root cause analysis, and ensure corrective actions are completed and sustained.
• Coordinate maintenance around egg setting, transfer, hatch, chick processing, cleaning, and delivery requirements to minimize disruption.
• Support long-term asset planning, equipment replacement decisions, and reliability improvements.
• Lead, coach, schedule, and develop the maintenance team; set clear expectations for safe troubleshooting, work quality, documentation, and follow-through.

Skills

Maintenance leadership

Preventive maintenance planning

Root cause analysis

Team leadership

Safety compliance

Communication

Education

Technical degree or trade certification

Engineering degree or equivalent

Tools

CMMS

Asset tracking tools

Job description

Aviagen in Watertown, NY is seeking an experienced Maintenance and Reliability Manager to lead the maintenance function across hatchery operations, ensuring safe conditions and regulatory compliance.

You will build a capable team, implement a proactive maintenance program, coordinate with operations, quality, and engineering, and focus on reducing downtime, improving asset reliability, and safeguarding animal welfare.