Maintenance Department Manager

Lakeside Foods, Inc; Manitowoc (WI); On-site; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental & Vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid vacation and personal time

Training and professional development

Safety-focused workplace

Growth opportunities

Job summary

Lakeside Foods, Inc seeks a Maintenance Department Manager to lead daily maintenance operations, drive equipment reliability, and manage a team in a hands-on, working-manager role. You will oversee preventive maintenance, repairs, and capital projects while ensuring safety and food-safety compliance in our Manitowoc facility.

The role emphasizes developing the maintenance team, maintaining downtime reporting, and coordinating with operations to resolve plant issues, with opportunities for growth

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• Relevant associate or bachelor's degree preferred.
• 3–5 years of relevant experience preferred.
• Prior leadership experience preferred.
• Equivalent combination of education and experience considered.
• Strong operational understanding of plant machinery and maintenance processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, schedule, and develop maintenance team members.
• Manage daily maintenance activities, preventive maintenance programs, equipment repairs, and installations.
• Troubleshoot and support hands-on repairs to production equipment, utilities, and building systems.
• Improve equipment reliability and uptime by identifying recurring issues and implementing solutions.
• Identify, justify, and manage capital improvement projects, including schedules and budgets.
• Support procurement, installation, and commissioning of new equipment.
• Manage the maintenance budget, vendors, contractors, spare parts, and supplies.
• Maintain accurate work orders, maintenance records, and downtime reporting.
• Ensure compliance with LOTO, OSHA, Arc Flash, GMPs, HACCP/Preventive Controls, sanitation, and food safety requirements.
• Maintain an organized, safe, and audit-ready maintenance operation.
• Partner with Operations and other departments to quickly resolve equipment and facility issues

Skills

Mechanical troubleshooting

Blueprints/schematics

Leadership

Budget management

Vendor management

Maintenance systems

OSHA certification

Education

Associate or Bachelor's degree preferred

Job description

At Lakeside Foods and our family of companies, we're committed to providing wholesome foods to enrich people's lives through food. We are a culture that pursues our vision of growth and innovation with passion, confidence, and commitment. We are strongest together - valuing collaborative contribution, transparency and new ideas to enable change and growth. We are committed to an inclusive and respectful environment that promotes a healthy work-life balance, and there's a seat at the table for you.

Lakeside Foods is seeking a Maintenance Department Manager to lead the daily operations of our maintenance department while driving equipment reliability, facility performance, and continuous improvement. This is a hands-on, working manager role responsible for developing the maintenance team, managing preventive maintenance and repairs, supporting capital projects, and keeping plant equipment and facilities operating safely and efficiently.

What You'll Get

• Competitive pay based on experience
• Affordable, market-leading medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan with company match
• Paid vacation and personal time
• Paid training and professional development opportunities
• A safety-focused, team-oriented workplace
• Opportunities for growth with a stable, family-owned company

What You'll Do

• Lead, coach, schedule, and develop maintenance team members
• Manage daily maintenance activities, preventive maintenance programs, equipment repairs, and installations
• Troubleshoot and support hands-on repairs to production equipment, utilities, and building systems
• Improve equipment reliability and uptime by identifying recurring issues and implementing solutions
• Identify, justify, and manage capital improvement projects, including schedules and budgets
• Support procurement, installation, and commissioning of new equipment
• Manage the maintenance budget, vendors, contractors, spare parts, and supplies
• Maintain accurate work orders, maintenance records, and downtime reporting
• Ensure compliance with LOTO, OSHA, Arc Flash, GMPs, HACCP/Preventive Controls, sanitation, and food safety requirements
• Maintain an organized, safe, and audit-ready maintenance operation
• Partner with Operations and other departments to quickly resolve equipment and facility issues

What You'll Bring

Education & Experience

• High school diploma or GED required
• Relevant associate or bachelor's degree preferred
• 3-5 years of relevant experience preferred
• Prior leadership experience preferred
• Equivalent combination of education and experience considered
• Strong operational understanding of plant machinery and maintenance processes

Skills & Abilities

• Strong mechanical and equipment troubleshooting capabilities
• Working knowledge of mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and facility systems
• Ability to read blueprints, schematics, and technical drawings
• Strong leadership, organizational, and team-development skills
• Effective problem-solving and decision-making abilities
• Ability to manage maintenance priorities, projects, vendors, and budgets
• Basic computer proficiency and ability to work with maintenance systems
• OSHA 10/30 and First Aid/CPR/AED certifications preferred, or willingness to obtain through company-provided training

Why Lakeside Foods

Founded in 1887, Lakeside Foods is a family-owned company committed to quality, safety, and operational excellence. We invest in our people and provide opportunities for maintenance professionals to lead teams, improve operations, and make a measurable impact.

Lakeside Foods and our family of companies welcomes people of all backgrounds and the varied ideas they bring to the workplace. Being an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer is part of our heritage and culture. We recruit, hire and promote employees based on qualifications and merit, without regard to race, religion, age, gender, disability, marital or veteran status. Lakeside Foods participates in E-Verify.

Equal Opportunity Employer, including Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities