Maintenance Lead

Next Century Spirits Inc; Zebulon (NC); On-site; USD 75,000 - 98,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

401(k) matching

Dental insurance

Health insurance

Opportunity for advancement

Paid time off

Parental leave

Vision insurance

Job summary

Next Century Spirits Inc. in Zebulon, NC is seeking a Maintenance Lead to oversee bottling lines, processing equipment, and plant infrastructure. This hands-on role focuses on uptime, preventive maintenance, and working with vendors to fix issues quickly.

The ideal candidate has 3+ years in manufacturing maintenance, strong mechanical skills, and experience with bottling equipment. On-site role with a fast-paced production environment.

Qualifications

• 3+ years hands-on maintenance in manufacturing or food & beverage.
• Strong mechanical aptitude with ability to troubleshoot bottling/packaging equipment.
• Knowledge of pneumatic, hydraulic, electrical, and basic PLC systems.
• Experience maintaining facility infrastructure (air, HVAC, pumps, utilities).
• Ability to read manuals, schematics, and technical drawings.
• Comfort with external vendors; manage repair and parts sourcing.
• Strong organizational skills; manage preventive maintenance schedule.
• Commitment to safety; familiar with OSHA standards.
• High school diploma or equivalent; tech training or certs a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead maintenance of bottling line equipment and facility infrastructure at Zebulon plant.
• Monitor, maintain, repair bottling lines, fillers, labelers, cappers to maximize uptime.
• Improve changeover processes to reduce downtime across lines.
• Troubleshoot mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, electrical issues plant-wide.
• Coordinate with vendors and contractors for repairs.
• Develop and maintain a preventive maintenance program.
• Partner with Operations and Quality on line changes and upgrades.
• Maintain a safe working environment per safety standards.

Skills

Maintenance leadership

Troubleshooting

Mechanical aptitude

Pneumatic systems

Hydraulic systems

Electrical systems

PLC basics

Vendor coordination

Preventive maintenance

Safety compliance

Education

High school diploma

Technical/vocational training

Certifications (preferred)

Tools

N/A

Job description

Benefits

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Opportunity for advancement
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Vision insurance

Maintenance Lead

Who we are

Established in Raleigh, NC in 2018, Next Century Spirits blends traditional techniques and unique finishing technologies to create enhanced distilled spirits. Our patented post distillation filtering and finishing technology creates a tool for the traditional distiller to expand their repertoire of achievable flavors and aromas while improving quality, maintaining consistency, and reducing supply chain issues. This technology allows for tight control over the entire production process, resulting in the ability to create bold and unique flavor customization options for brands to choose from to expand product portfolios and fulfill market needs. As we have matured so to have our aspirations of developing our own portfolio of brands.

Primary Duty

We are seeking an experienced Maintenance Lead to serve as the technical lead for all production and processing equipment at our Zebulon, NC facility. This is a hands‑on, critical role responsible for keeping our bottling lines and plant infrastructure running at peak performance. The ideal candidate is a mechanically skilled problem‑solver who takes ownership of uptime, drives continuous improvement in changeover times and equipment reliability, and knows how to work effectively with both internal teams and outside vendors to get things fixed fast.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary technical lead for all bottling line equipment, processing systems, and facility infrastructure at the Zebulon production facility
• Proactively monitor, maintain, and repair bottling lines, fillers, labelers, cappers, conveyors, and other production equipment to maximize uptime and minimize unplanned downtime
• Lead and continuously improve changeover processes to reduce time between production runs across all lines
• Troubleshoot and resolve mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, and electrical issues across the full plant — from bottling lines to compressed air systems, HVAC, pumps, and utilities
• Coordinate with equipment vendors, service contractors, and parts suppliers to efficiently resolve complex repairs and source components
• Develop and maintain a preventive maintenance program covering all production and facility equipment, including scheduling, documentation, and parts inventory management
• Partner with Operations and Quality teams to support line changeovers, new product trials, and equipment upgrades or installations
• Maintain a safe working environment by adhering to all safety protocols, identifying hazards, and ensuring equipment meets applicable safety standards

This Job Might Be for You If

• You enjoy solving problems. You get energized by a challenge, whether it’s a downed line at 7am or a recurring issue that’s stumped everyone else. You dig in until you find the root cause.
• You take ownership. When something breaks, you don’t wait to be told. You’re already on it. And when something keeps breaking, you figure out why and fix it for good.
• You are mechanically curious. You like to understand how things work, not just patch them. You’re always looking for a better, smarter way to keep things running.
• You are highly collaborative. You know that production, quality, and maintenance have to work as one team. You communicate clearly and proactively, and you help those around you understand what’s going on with the equipment.
• You are motivated and driven. You don’t punch the clock and go home when there’s a line down. You take pride in the plant running well and you hold yourself to a high standard.
• You are adaptable. One day it’s a filler head, the next it’s a compressor, the next it’s a new piece of equipment being installed. You handle the variety and you thrive in it.
• You thrive in a fast‑moving environment. Things change quickly in a growing production facility. You have the resilience and flexibility to keep up and keep the plant moving forward.
• You have strong communication skills. You document what you did, communicate issues clearly to the team, and work well with vendors to get to resolution fast.
• You want to work in an industry that is a ton of fun . . . with people who are a ton of fun.

Required Skills and Qualifications

• 3+ years of hands‑on maintenance experience in manufacturing, food & beverage, or similar production environment
• Strong mechanical aptitude with proven ability to troubleshoot and repair bottling, filling, labeling, and packaging equipment
• Working knowledge of pneumatic, hydraulic, electrical, and basic PLC systems
• Experience maintaining facility infrastructure (compressed air systems, HVAC, pumps, utilities, etc.) in addition to production line equipment
• Ability to read and interpret equipment manuals, schematics, and technical drawings
• Comfortable working with external vendors and service contractors; experience managing repair and parts sourcing relationships
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize competing demands and manage a preventive maintenance schedule
• Commitment to safety — familiar with OSHA standards and safe work practices in a production environment
• High school diploma or equivalent required; technical/vocational training or relevant certifications a plus

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in spirits, wine, beer, or beverage manufacturing
• Experience with high‑speed bottling lines, rotary fillers, or inline labeling/capping systems
• Welding, fabrication, or machining skills
• Experience supporting equipment installations or capital projects
• Forklift certification or experience operating material handling equipment