Magnolia - Senior Maintenance & Reliability Engineer

Milliken & Company; Blacksburg (SC); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Milliken & Company is seeking an Engineering Services Professional to lead maintenance and reliability in the Magnolia Finishing Plant, overseeing 20–25 maintenance staff and coordinating across Preparation, PVA Recovery, Dye, and FR processes.

The role focuses on safe, reliable operation, performance management of the team, and collaboration with production leadership to sustain operational stability while driving improvements in maintenance practices.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering required.
• Experience in manufacturing or industrial maintenance.
• Demonstrated leadership or supervisory experience.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Directly supervise and lead a team of approximately 20-25 maintenance associates, including supervisors and technicians.
• Own performance management responsibilities including goal setting, coaching, feedback, and development.
• Prioritize and coordinate daily maintenance activities within assigned departments.
• Ensure work is completed safely, efficiently, and in accordance with plant standards and expectations.
• Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.

Skills

Leadership

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Problem solving

Fast-paced environment

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering

Job description

Milliken & Company is a global manufacturing leaderwhose focus on materials science delivers tomorrow's breakthroughs today. Fromindustry-leading molecules to sustainable innovations, Milliken creates products thatenhance people's lives and deliver solutions for its customers and communities. Drawing on thousands of patents and a portfolio with applications across the textile, flooring, chemical and healthcare businesses, the company harnesses a shared sense of integrity and excellence to positively impact the world for generations. Discover more about Milliken's curious minds and inspired solutions at Milliken.com and on Facebook, Instagramand LinkedIn.

Position Overview

The Engineering Services Professional is responsible for leading maintenance and reliability efforts within assigned production areas of the Magnolia Finishing Plant, including Preparation, PVA Recovery, Dye, and FR processes. This role provides direct leadership to a team of approximately 20-25 associates, including a mix of maintenance technicians and supervisors.

The position is accountable for safe, reliable, and efficient operation of production equipment and for the overall performance management and development of the assigned team. The Engineering Services Professional partners closely with production leadership to ensure operational stability while driving continuous improvement in maintenance practices.

This position reports to the Engineering Services Leader.

Key Responsibilities

Maintenance & Team Leadership

• Directly supervise and lead a team of approximately 20-25 maintenance associates, including supervisors and technicians.
• Own performance management responsibilities including goal setting, coaching, feedback, and development.
• Prioritize and coordinate daily maintenance activities within assigned departments.
• Ensure work is completed safely, efficiently, and in accordance with plant standards and expectations.
• Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.

Equipment Performance & Execution

• Lead troubleshooting efforts across mechanical and electrical systems.
• Drive structured root cause analysis for recurring or high-impact failures.
• Monitor downtime trends and respond to performance gaps.
• Partner with production leaders to maintain operational stability and minimize disruptions.
• Support small improvement projects focused on safety, reliability, and efficiency.

Reliability Systems Improvement

• Develop and refine preventive maintenance strategies.
• Improve maintenance planning, scheduling, and execution effectiveness.
• Audit maintenance quality and documentation practices.
• Support equipment criticality assessments and spare parts strategy.
• Influence maintenance spending decisions within assigned areas.

Safety & Compliance

• Reinforce plant safety expectations and ensure compliance with established procedures.
• Ensure adherence to Lockout/Tagout and other safe work practices.
• Participate in safety observations and continuous safety improvement efforts.
• Participate in weekend coverage rotation (approximately once per quarter).

Technical Scope

• Pumps, motors, gearboxes, rotating equipment, and process piping
• Electrical panels, motor controls, and industrial control systems
• Process heating, chemical handling, and recovery systems
• Production support utilities and auxiliary equipment

Qualifications - Required

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related engineering discipline
• Experience in manufacturing, industrial maintenance, or related industrial environment
• Demonstrated leadership or supervisory experience
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Effective written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced industrial environment

Qualifications - Preferred

• Experience leading supervisors and technical teams
• Working knowledge of maintenance systems and reliability principles
• Exposure to industrial mechanical and electrical troubleshooting
• Familiarity with continuous improvement methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma, etc.)
• Experience in textile, chemical processing, or continuous manufacturing operations

What We're Looking For

• Ownership and accountability for operational results
• Ability to balance hands-on execution with systems-level improvement
• Strong collaboration across production and maintenance teams
• Initiative in identifying and implementing improvement opportunities
• Leadership potential aligned with future Engineering Services Leader development

Milliken is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition, including but not limited to lactation), sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression (including transgender status), ancestry, national origin, citizenship, age physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran or military status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

To request a reasonable accommodation to complete a job application, pre-employment testing, a job interview, or to otherwise participate in the hiring process, please .