Maintenance & Engineering Manager

Openwork, formerly Meador Staffing Services; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 121,000 - 147,000; Full time

Job summary

Openwork is sourcing a Plant Engineering & Maintenance Manager for a Chicago-area facility. The role leads maintenance, reliability, mechanical integrity, and engineering activities to drive uptime, safety, and process improvement.

Reporting to the Plant Manager, the candidate will manage a technical team, coordinate capital projects, and ensure PSM, MI, and regulatory compliance while collaborating with production, quality, safety, and leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Chemical Engineering required.
• 5+ years in manufacturing, chemical/process plant, or related environment.
• Maintenance experience required.
• Experience with plant reliability and Mechanical Integrity preferred.
• Knowledge of PSM and MOC in a regulated environment.
• Supervisory or leadership experience preferred.
• Experience with fired boilers, utilities, or related plant equipment is a plus.
• Experience planning shutdowns and managing contractors for capital projects.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and root-cause problem-solving skills.
• Ability to prioritize multiple plant needs and make data-driven decisions.

Responsibilities

• Lead maintenance and reliability program for the plant.
• Develop and mentor maintenance/technical team members.
• Ensure preventive, predictive, and reactive maintenance activities are effective.
• Perform root cause and failure-mode analysis on equipment.
• Improve equipment reliability and plant uptime.
• Ensure PSM, ISO and regulatory compliance in maintenance activities.
• Manage maintenance spending, contractors, and service providers.
• Lead major plant shutdowns and turnarounds and report performance.

Skills

Maintenance leadership

Root cause analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Analytical troubleshooting

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Chemical Engineering

Tools

Capital project management

Job description

We are working with a client to source for a Plant Engineering & Maintenance Manager

Location: Chicago, IL

Compensation: $121,000–$147,000 + potential 10% annual bonus

Reports To: Plant Manager

We are seeking an experienced Plant Engineering & Maintenance Manager to lead maintenance, reliability, mechanical integrity, and engineering activities for a manufacturing facility in the Chicago area.

This is a hands-on leadership position responsible for ensuring equipment reliability, plant performance, PSM and Mechanical Integrity compliance, preventive maintenance, process improvements, and engineering support.

The position leads a technical team that may include Maintenance Technicians, an I/E Technician, Production Engineer, Improvement Engineer, and Developing Engineer. This individual will also work closely with Production, Logistics, Quality, Safety, and plant leadership.

Key Responsibilities

Maintenance & Reliability – 40%

• Lead the plant maintenance and reliability program.
• Manage and develop maintenance and technical team members.
• Ensure preventive, predictive, proactive, and reactive maintenance activities are completed effectively.
• Analyze equipment failures and conduct root cause and failure-mode analysis.
• Develop strategies to improve equipment reliability and plant uptime.
• Ensure maintenance activities meet PSM, ISO, and regulatory requirements.
• Manage maintenance spending, contractors, and outside service providers.
• Lead planning and execution for major plant shutdowns and turnarounds.
• Monitor and report equipment reliability and maintenance performance.

Mechanical Integrity – 15%

• Own and manage the site's Mechanical Integrity (MI) program.
• Coordinate equipment inspections and testing.
• Ensure inspection requirements and documentation remain current.
• Work with internal and external resources to maintain compliance with PSM and MI requirements.

Engineering & Technical Leadership – 35%

• Lead engineering and technical resources supporting plant operations.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives related to capacity, reliability, quality, and process performance.
• Support process optimization and facility improvements.
• Lead technical support for new product scale-ups and manufacturing trials.
• Support plant control systems and cybersecurity initiatives.
• Develop scopes and objectives for capital projects.
• Coordinate minor capital projects and engineering assignments.
• Provide technical support for plant processes, equipment, utilities, and facilities.
• Support Process Safety Management (PSM), Management of Change (MOC), environmental, and regulatory initiatives.

Safety, Training & Compliance – 10%

• Promote a strong plant safety culture.
• Support PSM, risk management, and safety programs.
• Develop procedures and training related to Mechanical Integrity, PSM, and MOC.
• Manage maintenance department training and employee development.
• Participate in audits, inspections, incident investigations, and continuous improvement activities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or Chemical Engineering required.
• 5+ years of experience in a manufacturing, chemical/process plant, latex production, plant engineering, or project engineering environment.
• Maintenance experience required.
• Experience with plant reliability and Mechanical Integrity strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of PSM and MOC within a regulated manufacturing environment.
• Supervisory or team leadership experience preferred.
• Experience with fired boilers, utilities, or related plant equipment is a plus.
• Experience planning shutdowns, managing contractors, and supporting capital projects preferred.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and root-cause problem-solving skills.
• Ability to prioritize multiple plant needs and make sound, data-driven decisions.
• Strong leadership, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a hands-on engineering and maintenance leader who understands what it takes to keep a process manufacturing facility operating safely and reliably.

We are particularly interested in candidates who combine a strong Mechanical or Chemical Engineering background with practical experience in maintenance, reliability, Mechanical Integrity, PSM, plant equipment, and process improvement.

This is an excellent opportunity for an engineering professional who enjoys being close to plant operations and wants responsibility for both the technical engineering and maintenance/reliability sides