Maintenance & Bindery Technical Specialist

RPI Print; Kennesaw (GA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

RPI Print in Atlanta, GA, is seeking a Maintenance & Bindery Technical Specialist to lead maintenance, training, and continuous improvement across all bindery operations. This role combines field expertise with coaching to maximize uptime and product quality.

You will develop training materials, standardize setup procedures, and partner with operations to push TPM and Lean initiatives, while ensuring safety and regulatory compliance.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED
• 5+ years manufacturing maintenance experience
• Technical training, vocational education, or equivalent hands‑on maintenance experience
• Advanced mechanical troubleshooting skills with the ability to diagnose and repair complex production equipment
• Strong communication, coaching, and leadership skills
• Ability to work independently across multiple production shifts

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary technical expert for all bindery equipment and processes.
• Troubleshoot and resolve mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, and control system issues.
• Perform preventive and corrective maintenance on bindery, finishing, and related production equipment.
• Partner with OEM technicians on complex repairs and equipment upgrades.
• Identify and implement reliability improvements that reduce downtime and improve overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
• Lead root cause analysis for recurring equipment and production issues.
• Own and continuously improve the bindery operator training program.
• Train, certify, and cross‑train bindery operators across all shifts.
• Develop and maintain training materials, SOPs, work instructions, and skills matrices.
• Evaluate operator competency and provide ongoing coaching and refresher training.
• Serve as the primary technical resource for operators and production supervisors during machine setups and production challenges.
• Respond to production issues that impact safety, quality, delivery, or productivity.
• Standardize machine setup procedures and operational best practices.
• Reduce setup time, waste, and equipment downtime.
• Support Lean Manufacturing, TPM, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Maintain maintenance records, training documentation, and certification records.
• Champion a culture of safety and ensure compliance with OSHA, Lockout/Tagout, PPE, and company safety policies.
• Promote safe equipment operation through coaching, observation, and hands‑on leadership.
• Maintain clean, organized, and safe work areas.

Skills

High school diploma or GED

5+ years manufacturing maintenance

Technical training or equivalent

Advanced mechanical troubleshooting

Strong communication and leadership

Independent work across shifts

Education

Technical training or vocational education

Tools

Horizon

Polar

Duplo

Standard

Müller Martini

Job description

Maintenance & Bindery Technical Specialist
Location: Atlanta, GA | Shift: Flex 11 am - 7 pm (assigned as needed to support all production shifts)

About RPI

At RPI, we are transforming how products are created, produced, and delivered worldwide. Every day, our cloud-based platform powers millions of personalized, on-demand items that reach customers with speed, quality, and sustainability. We partner with leading brands, publishers, and creative platforms—including Blurb.com, our consumer-facing self-publishing brand—to bring ideas to life at global scale.

Position Summary

The Maintenance & Bindery Technical Specialist serves as the primary technical resource and Subject Matter Expert (SME) for all bindery operations at RPI's Atlanta facility. This position combines advanced maintenance expertise with operator development, equipment reliability, technical leadership, and continuous improvement to maximize production performance.

Working closely with Operations, Production Supervisors, and Maintenance leadership, you'll ensure bindery equipment operates safely and reliably while developing highly skilled operators through structured training, coaching, certification, and ongoing technical support. This position plays a critical role in standardizing best practices across all production shifts, improving equipment uptime, and strengthening the technical capabilities of the team.

What You'll Do

Technical Leadership & Equipment Reliability

• Serve as the primary technical expert for all bindery equipment and processes.
• Troubleshoot and resolve mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, and control system issues.
• Perform preventive and corrective maintenance on bindery, finishing, and related production equipment.
• Partner with OEM technicians on complex repairs and equipment upgrades.
• Identify and implement reliability improvements that reduce downtime and improve overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
• Lead root cause analysis for recurring equipment and production issues.

Operator Training & Certification

• Own and continuously improve the bindery operator training program.
• Train, certify, and cross‑train bindery operators across all shifts.
• Develop and maintain training materials, SOPs, work instructions, and skills matrices.
• Evaluate operator competency and provide ongoing coaching and refresher training.
• Serve as the primary technical resource for operators and production supervisors during machine setups and production challenges.
• Respond to production issues that impact safety, quality, delivery, or productivity.
• Standardize machine setup procedures and operational best practices.
• Reduce setup time, waste, and equipment downtime.
• Support Lean Manufacturing, Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Maintain maintenance records, training documentation, and certification records.

Safety & Regulatory Compliance

• Champion a culture of safety and ensure compliance with OSHA, Lockout/Tagout, PPE, and company safety policies.
• Promote safe equipment operation through coaching, observation, and hands‑on leadership.
• Maintain clean, organized, and safe work areas.

What You'll Bring

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• 5+ years of manufacturing maintenance experience
• Technical training, vocational education, or equivalent hands‑on maintenance experience
• Advanced mechanical troubleshooting skills with the ability to diagnose and repair complex production equipment.
• Strong communication, coaching, and leadership skills.
• Ability to work independently across multiple production shifts.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience maintaining commercial print, bindery equipment, or finishing equipment.
• Experience with Horizon, Polar, Duplo, Standard, Müller Martini, or similar equipment.
• Experience developing technical training programs.
• Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, TPM, or Root Cause Analysis or similar continuous improvement methodologies.

What Success Looks Like

• Improve equipment uptime, reliability, and OEE.
• Standardize bindery equipment setup and operating procedures across all shifts.
• Develop a highly trained, cross‑functional team of certified bindery operators while maintaining accurate certification records.
• Reduce equipment downtime, setup times, and production waste.
• Promote a culture of technical excellence, continuous learning, and continuous improvement.

Our Core Values

At RPI, our values shape how we work, lead, and grow together:

• Be Trustworthy — Act with integrity
• Act with Ownership — Excellence beyond expectations
• Deliver an Extraordinary Customer Experience — Exceed customer expectations
• Be Adaptable — Focus on the opportunity
• Bias for Action — Take smart risks, learn from new mistakes
• Embrace Sustainability — Create a sustainable future together

If you believe you're a good fit for this role and share our passion for excellence, we'd love to hear from you!