Maintenance Director – Food Plant Reliability Leader

The Judge Group, INC.; Modesto (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Judge Direct Placement seeks a Maintenance Director in Modesto, CA to plan, organize, and direct maintenance and reliability across several plants. The role emphasizes TPM, RCM, and digital maintenance to maximize asset uptime and safety.

Lead budgeting, KPI monitoring, and cross-functional collaboration with Operations, Engineering, Quality, and Safety to drive plant performance and continuous improvement in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required, Mechanical Engineering degree preferred.
• 7+ years of maintenance and reliability leadership experience in the food processing industry, with multi-site responsibility preferred.
• Strong knowledge of building systems, relevant codes and standards, safety regulations, compliance, and risk management.
• Proven leadership, communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Budget management and cost control skills.
• Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and execute tasks in a changing and demanding work environment.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute maintenance and reliability strategies that optimize asset performance, improve operational effectiveness, and support continuous production efficiency.
• Design, implement, and sustain preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance programs to maximize equipment reliability, uptime, and food safety standards.
• Establish and manage the maintenance budget, identifying opportunities for cost reduction while contributing to overall EBITDA and financial performance goals.
• Monitor, analyze, and report maintenance KPIs, ensuring achievement of departmental targets related to safety, quality, productivity, and cost control.
• Partner with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Safety, and Supply Chain teams to drive project success, resolve operational challenges, and enhance plant performance.
• Champion maintenance excellence by implementing industry best practices, including TPM, Lean, RCM, and digital technologies.
• Ensure compliance with USDA, OSHA, and PSM regulations while upholding safety and environmental standards.
• Promote a culture of safety through programs, procedures, and training.
• Lead employee development, coaching, mentoring, and succession planning.

Skills

Maintenance leadership

Reliability engineering

Budget management

Cross-functional collaboration

Data analytics

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System)

SAP PM

Job description

Judge Direct Placement seeks a Maintenance Director in Modesto, CA to plan, organize, and direct maintenance and reliability across several plants. The role emphasizes TPM, RCM, and digital maintenance to maximize asset uptime and safety.

Lead budgeting, KPI monitoring, and cross-functional collaboration with Operations, Engineering, Quality, and Safety to drive plant performance and continuous improvement in a fast-paced environment.