Maintenance & Engineering Manager

Clover Sonoma; Lakeville (MN); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Clover Sonoma seeks an experienced Maintenance and Engineering Manager to lead our Maintenance Department and ensure reliable, safe, and efficient operation of our 24/7 facilities.

The role focuses on managing preventive maintenance, equipment performance, and regulatory compliance while coordinating with Operations and Quality teams to meet production goals. This is an on-site leadership position reporting to the Director of Plant Operations.

Qualifications

• 4+ years progressive experience in industrial maintenance leadership.
• Direct maintenance experience in food/beverage manufacturing.
• Experience leading maintenance teams and developing staff.
• Proven ability to manage preventive maintenance programs and schedules.
• Strong CMMS, maintenance reporting, and data analysis skills.
• Experience creating SOPs and implementing process improvements.
• Knowledge of pasteurizers, separators, CIP systems, and bottling lines.
• Familiarity with boilers, HVAC, refrigeration, and wastewater systems.
• Experience tracking KPIs like OEE and maintenance costs.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day maintenance operations for production equipment and plant utilities.
• Develop and continuously improve preventive/predictive maintenance programs.
• Plan work orders, technician assignments, and resource allocation.
• Standardize procedures, SOPs, and best practices for efficiency.
• Manage CMMS (ManagerPlus) and SAP for work orders and parts inventory.
• Lead equipment troubleshooting and root cause analysis.
• Ensure safety, food quality, and regulatory compliance across operations.
• Monitor maintenance KPIs, budget performance, and downtime causes.
• Oversee spare parts, vendor relationships, and expenditures.
• Collaborate with Operations, Quality, and plant leadership on improvements.
• Support equipment installations, automation projects, and capital work.

Skills

Maintenance leadership

Food/bev manufacturing

Preventive maintenance

CMMS

Equipment reliability

Safety compliance

Team supervision

Budget management

Technical troubleshooting

Tools

ManagerPlus

SAP

Job description

As a purpose-driven, certified B corporation, Clover is leading the way for conscious businesses by demonstrating care for all stakeholders and moving the world forward. We are committed to lowering our environmental impact and meeting our sustainability targets, by providing kids and adults with healthy, nutritious, and delicious products that are made with care for animals, people, and the planet.

About the Role

Clover Sonoma is seeking an experienced Maintenance and Engineering Manager to lead our Maintenance Department and support the reliable, safe, and efficient operation of our 24/7 milk processing, bottling, and distribution facilities. This role is responsible for overseeing maintenance and engineering operations, ensuring the reliability and performance of production equipment, facility infrastructure, and utility systems while minimizing downtime and optimizing operational efficiency.

The ideal candidate will provide strong technical leadership, drive continuous improvement initiatives, and ensure all activities meet Clover Sonoma’s high standards for food safety, production quality, regulatory compliance, and workplace safety. This is an on-site leadership position requiring regular engagement with maintenance personnel, manufacturing operations, and plant equipment. This role reports directly to the Director of Plant Operations.

Departmental & Facility Operations Management

• Lead day-to-day maintenance operations for production equipment, processing systems, and plant utilities to ensure safe, reliable, and efficient manufacturing operations.
• Develop, implement, and continuously improve preventive and predictive maintenance programs to minimize unplanned downtime, improve equipment reliability, and extend equipment lifespan.
• Plan and prioritize maintenance activities, including work orders, technician assignments, resource allocation, parts availability, and preventive maintenance schedules.
• Establish, document, and standardize maintenance procedures, SOPs, and best practices to promote consistency, accountability, and operational efficiency.
• Utilize computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS), such as ManagerPlus, and applicable enterprise systems, including SAP, to manage work orders, maintenance records, parts inventory, and performance reporting.
• Lead equipment troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and corrective actions for recurring equipment failures and operational inefficiencies.
• Ensure reliable operation and regulatory compliance of plant utilities, including boilers, steam, compressed air, refrigeration, HVAC, and wastewater systems.
• Maintain compliance with applicable safety, food quality, environmental, and regulatory requirements, including boiler operating requirements and electrical safety practices.
• Monitor and improve key maintenance performance indicators, including Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), preventive maintenance completion rates, equipment downtime, maintenance costs, and budget performance.
• Oversee spare parts inventory, purchasing, vendor relationships, and maintenance expenditures to support operational needs and budget compliance.
• Collaborate with Operations, Quality, and plant leadership to identify improvement opportunities, resolve equipment-related challenges, and support production goals.
• Support equipment installations, automation initiatives, facility improvements, and capital projects as needed, while maintaining primary accountability for daily maintenance operations.
• Manage and coordinate all third-party vendors related to maintenance activities and engineering services.

Team Leadership & Supervision

• Lead, coach, and develop a maintenance team of approximately 10 employees, including Forepersons, Tier 1 and Tier 2 technicians, and apprentice-level maintenance personnel.
• Foster a collaborative, respectful, and accountable team environment that values technical expertise, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement.
• Establish clear expectations, provide constructive feedback, and support the professional and technical development of maintenance team members.
• Identify skill gaps, coordinate training, and standardize technical knowledge and maintenance practices across the team.
• Conduct daily maintenance briefings, assign work priorities, and ensure effective coordination of scheduled and emergency maintenance activities.
• Promote a proactive maintenance culture focused on safety, equipment reliability, operational discipline, and problem-solving.
• Lead effectively through changing priorities, equipment emergencies, and challenging operational situations while maintaining professionalism and sound judgment.
• Track team performance, review work order completion, and reinforce accountability for safety, quality, productivity, and maintenance standards.
• Exercise supervisory responsibilities related to hiring, performance evaluations, employee development, timecard approvals, leave authorizations, and disciplinary counseling in accordance with company policies and applicable collective bargaining agreements.

What You Bring to the Team

Required Qualifications

• Approximately 4 or more years of progressive experience in industrial maintenance, including significant experience in a technical maintenance leadership or management role.
• Direct maintenance experience in a food or beverage manufacturing environment, with a strong understanding of complex processing equipment and production operations.
• Demonstrated experience leading, supervising, and developing maintenance teams
• Proven ability to develop, implement, and manage preventive maintenance programs, maintenance schedules, work order processes, and resource planning.
• Strong computer proficiency, including experience with computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS), digital work order management, maintenance reporting, and data analysis.
• Experience developing maintenance SOPs, standardizing procedures, and implementing process improvements in a manufacturing environment.
• Technical knowledge of industrial processing equipment, such as pasteurizers, separators, homogenizers, filling and bottling systems, conveyors, and clean-in-place (CIP) systems.
• Working knowledge of industrial plant utilities, including boilers, compressed air, refrigeration, steam, HVAC, and wastewater systems.
• Understanding of industrial electrical safety, mechanical troubleshooting, and applicable safety and regulatory requirements.
• Experience monitoring maintenance performance metrics, managing maintenance budgets, and using operational data to improve equipment reliability and maintenance effectiveness.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to lead experienced technicians, manage competing priorities, and build effective cross-functional relationships.
• Demonstrated commitment to food safety, workplace safety, ethical conduct, and regulatory compliance.

Based in Petaluma, California, in the heart of beautiful Sonoma County, Clover Sonoma offers high quality dairy sourced from its network of local family farms. A pioneer in sustainable dairy farming Clover has the largest organic acreage of regeneratively farmed land in the state and is committed to reducing its carbon footprint by lowering on-farm methane emissions, regenerative farming practices focused on soil health and packaging innovation. The first dairy in the US to become American Humane certified across all of its farms, Clover has delivered on its promise of producing the highest-quality dairy products — including milk, cheese, butter, and more — for more than a century.

As a Certified B Corporation® Clover gives back 5% of net profits to help make nutritious food more accessible and uses its business as a power for good across its support for people, farms, animals, community and planet.

For more information, please visit www.cloversonoma.com and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube.