Maintenance Manager

Chicago Meat Authority Inc; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) Employer Match

Paid Time Off

Paid Holidays

On-site Fitness Center

Meat Purchase Program

Job summary

Chicago Meat Authority Inc. seeks a Maintenance Manager to lead maintenance across all shifts, ensuring timely response to issues and reliable support for production operations.

The role requires strong leadership, analytical thinking, and a focus on safety and process improvement. The position oversees preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance, maintains CMMS-driven scheduling and metrics, and partners with production for continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical or industrial engineering or equivalent experience.
• 5 years’ experience with production maintenance in a related environment.
• Experience utilizing and developing CMMS (computerized maintenance management system).
• PC proficiency (Microsoft suite, PLC programming and CAD would be a plus).

Responsibilities

• Direct and manage maintenance activities and staff across all shifts.
• Lead preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance to maximize equipment uptime.
• Establish 24/7 emergency maintenance response program to minimize downtime.
• Ensure safety programs and compliance with LOTO and machine guarding.
• Manage maintenance budget and inventory for repairs and spares.
• Coordinate with production to improve equipment and processes.

Skills

Leadership

Multi-tasking

Communication

Maintenance leadership

Analytical thinking

Education

Bachelor’s in mechanical or industrial engineering

Equivalent experience

Tools

CMMS

Microsoft Office

PLC programming

CAD

Job description

Chicago Meat Authority (CMA) is proud to have celebrated 34 years in the food industry. Located in Chicago’s historic Stockyards, CMA is a forward-thinking processor of value-added beef, pork, and poultry items with a strong focus on selling the Healthcare, Hotel, and Institutional Markets (HRI), meat purveyors, and multi‑unit regional and national chains up to and including big box stores. In addition, CMA specializes in custom cuts for further processors including but not limited to grinding operations, deli manufacturers, and the prepared entrée market.

CMA is seeking a Maintenance Manager to be responsible for the on‑going maintenance of the facility and equipment. The job requires a high level of expertise and strong leadership skills. This is a fast‑paced environment that requires swift and strategic decisions to prevent downtime. The position also requires analytical skills to develop new ideas, systems, and technology, along with improving current ones.

What You Get to Do

• Direct and manage all maintenance activities and staff across all shifts, ensuring timely response to equipment issues, effective staffing, and reliable support of production operations.
• Lead maintenance planning, including preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance, to maximize the availability, reliability, and performance of processing equipment, building systems, and facility infrastructure.
• Establish and maintain an effective 24/7 emergency maintenance response program to minimize equipment downtime, production disruption, and product loss.
• Monitor, promote, teach, support, and champion safety processes and culture within the Maintenance Department, including ownership and enforcement of the facility’s Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) and machine‑guarding programs, required training, inspections, and safe work practices.
• Enforce and champion all CMA policies and procedures to protect employees, company property, tools, equipment, raw materials, and finished products.
• Establish and maintain systems to continuously monitor equipment condition and reliability, utilizing the CMMS to manage preventive‑maintenance schedules, work orders, equipment histories, maintenance backlog, and performance metrics to identify recurring failures, improve equipment uptime, and drive continuous improvement.
• Manage the maintenance budget and ensure cost‑effective decisions regarding equipment repairs, capital purchases, critical spare parts, and maintenance supplies while maintaining appropriate inventory levels to minimize production downtime.
• Partner with Production Management to develop proactive solutions to equipment and production‑flow issues, including preventive engineering, equipment improvements, layout alterations, and daily plant setups.
• Lead maintenance of critical facility infrastructure and utilities, including refrigeration, electrical, HVAC, compressed air, boilers, water/wastewater, building systems, and processing equipment, as applicable.
• Coordinate the company’s fire protection and safety control programs and support compliance with applicable OSHA, EPA, USDA/FSIS, and other regulatory requirements. Partner with Quality Assurance and Sanitation to ensure all maintenance activities meet food safety, sanitation, GMP, HACCP, and USDA/FSIS requirements and do not create product contamination or foreign‑material risks.
• Coordinate, manage, design, price, and schedule work with contractors and service providers for expansion, remodeling, equipment installation, and continuous improvement projects while ensuring compliance with company safety, food safety, and regulatory requirements.
• Where applicable, oversee the safe operation, preventive maintenance, and regulatory compliance of refrigeration systems, including ammonia refrigeration and applicable Process Safety Management (PSM) requirements.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned to support organizational and business needs.

What We Want from You

• Ability to prioritize and multi‑task, organizing own workload to maintain high quality and output while achieving set deadlines and targets.
• Strong leadership, interpersonal and communication skills.
• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical or industrial engineering or equivalent experience.
• 5 years’ experience with production maintenance in a related environment.
• Experience utilizing and developing CMMS (computerized maintenance management system) and peripheral systems (work order, requisition, asset register, parts inventory, labor and equip trending and forecasting, etc.).
• PC proficiency (Microsoft suite, PLC programming and CAD would be a plus).

What We Value

• Ability to perform effectively within ambiguous situations.
• Ability to foster an atmosphere of collaboration and accountability.
• Proactive and hands‑on leadership.
• Demonstrate personal resiliency in actions.
• Excellent analytical, organizational and problem‑solving skills.

Compensation

• The base salary range for this position is $100,000 to $150,000 annually, with starting compensation typically positioned around the midpoint of the range. The final offer will be based on factors including education, skills, relevant experience, qualifications, and internal compensation considerations.
• 401(k) Employer Match 50% of your first 6%
• Paid Time Off
• Paid Holidays
• On‑site Fitness Center
• Meat Purchase Program

We Are Winning When

We follow and are guided by our mission, and we demonstrate our values every day!

"To be the preferred supplier of our customers, the preferred customer of our strategic suppliers, and a model employer in our industry."

Chicago Meat Authority, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics.

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.