Maintenance Group Leader - Food Production

Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc.; Orrville (OH); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Prairie Farms Dairy Inc. seeks a Maintenance Group Leader to oversee the plant’s maintenance on a shift basis, ensuring reliability, safety and regulatory compliance in our Orrville facility.

You will lead work teams, drive continuous improvement, develop standard work, coach leaders, and collaborate cross-functionally to resolve issues and optimize production. An Associate’s degree in mechanical or electrical disciplines is required, with a Bachelor’s preferred; 3–5 years of leadership

Qualifications

• Associate's degree in mechanical or electrical discipline is required.
• Bachelor's degree in mechanical or electrical engineering is preferred.
• 3–5 years of leadership experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Technical experience with ammonia refrigeration and Process Safety Management (PSM) preferred.
• Strong leadership and communication skills are essential.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop maintenance teams to improve reliability and quality.
• Drive safety and food safety within daily management and operations.
• Develop standard work and use A3 problem solving for decision making at execution level.
• Collaborate with other groups to resolve cross-functional issues and drive improvements.
• Coach work-area leaders with bi-weekly feedback, goal setting, and performance reviews.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Problem solving

Automation

Confidentiality

Education

Associate’s degree in mechanical or electrical discipline

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical or electrical engineering

Tools

MS Office

Automation controls

Job description

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact this employer to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

Maintenance Group Leader - Food Production

Plant Full Time Clerical Orrville, OH, US

About Prairie Farms – “Farmer Owned. Locally Produced. Since 1938.”

We are a farmer-owned cooperative. This means we are owned and operated by over 800+ farm families who are critical members of society. They have selflessly taken on the tremendous task of producing nutritious, high-quality milk for a growing population, which requires being on the job 24/7, 365 days a year.

We have represented American agriculture since our founding in 1938. Many of our dairy farms are operated by several generations of family members with roots dating back to the 1800s. On average, each farm milks around 120 cows and everyone pitches in to keep them happy and healthy - which means around-the-clock care!

Our Mission:

• To produce dairy products of the highest quality
• To conduct our business with professional integrity
• To exceed expectations of our customers and consumers
• To support our communities in a positive, sustainable manner
• To deliver exceptional patronage to our network of farm families
• To simply “do right” for our farm families, employees, and communities
• Thrift retirement plan with generous company contributions
• Excellent health benefit plans including medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Company paid Short Term Disability and Life Insurance
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Health Saving Account (HSA)
• Paid Time Off
• Paid Holidays
• Employee Assistance Program

Job Description

Maintenance Group Leader

Summary/Objective

This role, reporting to the Maintenance and Reliability Manager, oversees the manufacturing and plant operations on a shift basis. This position has direct responsibility for work teams and larger projects in compliance with food safety, quality and regulatory requirements.

Essential Functions

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Departmental Duties

• Provide support to improve quality excellence, food safety, and product development efforts, cooperating closely with the quality control team
• Develop a culture of accelerated continuous improvement utilizing standard work, problem identification, A3 problem solving, and decision making at the level of execution
• Responsible for leading operational improvements in the assigned work area teams
• Ensure work area teams follow the continuous improvement framework in the areas of Safety, Food Safety Quality and Productivity when conducting Daily Management Meetings
• Help other group leaders achieve their goals through guidance and modeling
• Work with other group and team leaders, both operational and functional, to identify, prioritize and resolve issues between the teams
• Develop the leadership capabilities of work area team leaders with formal bi-weekly coaching, goal setting, training and timely completion of performance reviews
• Keep a pulse on the engagement level and attitude of other group leaders and team leaders
• Support team leader in developing and maintaining standard work, implementing and following defined standards
• Support in hiring process with candidate review and interviews
• Primary liaison between work teams and other management
• Stay current with industry trends and technology
• Live and promote our vision and mission

Safety, Food Safety Quality, Productivity

• Ensure appropriate implementation and management of Safety and Food Safety Quality GMP's
• Ensure that we adhere to all state and federal regulations in the areas of safety and food safety quality
• Ensure that we follow all company and customer standards
• Work with teams to set goals to improve and demonstrate meaningful improvements in Safety, Food Safety Quality, and Productivity
• Other duties as assigned

PSM Program

• Ensure regulatory compliance with OSHA PSM, EPA RMP, IIAR standards, and other applicable dairy industry guidelines.
• Administer the MOC process for changes to equipment, processes, chemicals, and operating conditions.
• Ensure proper pre-startup safety reviews (PSSR) are completed for applicable changes.

Required Duties of all Associates

• Manage all company business according to the cultural objectives of the company
• Understand and execute the principles of the company’s Operational Excellence program driving the right behaviors, standards and continuous improvement across all operating entities
• Participate in cross-functional teams as required to advance the business interests of the company
• Compliance with all company and regulatory policies/guidelines relating to associate safety, food safety and food quality
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office
• Excellent organizational and leadership abilities
• Excellent communication skills including written and oral presentation skills
• Must demonstrate excellent analytical and critical thinking skills
• Ability to maintain confidentiality
• At ease in fast-paced, dynamic, unionized manufacturing environment
• Strong aptitude for automation, automation controls and control logic

Education and Experience Required

• Associate’s degree in mechanical or electrical discipline, required
• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical or electrical engineering, preferred
• Technical experience with ammonia refrigeration and Process Safety Management, preferred
• Minimum of 3-5 years leadership experience in a manufacturing environment

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

• Typically, a 5 day work week, 2nd shift
• Additional hours and days (holidays, week-ends) as required

80% on-site supervision, problem solving, implementing, and observing

10% office, planning, reporting

Travel

• Limited travel is expected for this position

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the associate for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Furthermore, they do not establish a contract for employment and are subject to change at the discretion of the company.

EEO Statement

Prairie Farms Dairy Inc. is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.