Maintenance Manager

The People Co.; Lakeland (FL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The People Co. is seeking a Maintenance Manager to lead maintenance and reliability at one of its North American facilities. This hands-on leadership role focuses on safety, equipment uptime, and continuous improvement in a food manufacturing environment.

Ideal candidates bring 7+ years of leadership in maintenance, strong experience with ammonia refrigeration, and a proven track record in managing teams, budgets, and external service providers. English/Spanish bilingualism is preferred.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of maintenance leadership experience in food/beverage processing.
• Experience managing and developing maintenance teams in a manufacturing setting.
• Hands-on experience with industrial ammonia refrigeration systems.
• Bilingual communication skills in English and Spanish.
• Strong knowledge of preventive and predictive maintenance methodologies.
• Experience managing budgets, capital projects, and external providers.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop the maintenance team to achieve operational, reliability, and safety objectives.
• Oversee preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance programs to maximize uptime.
• Manage maintenance activities across processing, packaging, utilities, refrigeration, and facilities.
• Ensure safe operation of industrial ammonia refrigeration systems.
• Collaborate with Production, Quality, Safety, and Engineering to support plant performance and CI initiatives.
• Manage budgets, capital projects, contractors, and vendor relationships.
• Implement reliability initiatives to reduce downtime and improve plant efficiency.
• Monitor KPIs like downtime, PM completion, costs, and equipment reliability.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA, GMP, HACCP, and food safety regulations.
• Support equipment installations, upgrades, and facility expansions.

Skills

Leadership

Team development

Maintenance planning

Bilingual English/Spanish

OSHA/GMP/HACCP compliance

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering / related field

RETA / CARO / CIRO certifications

Tools

CMMS (SAP PM)

Maximo

MP2

Maintenance Connection

Job description

Our client is a growing food manufacturer serving customers across North America. They are seeking an experienced Maintenance Manager to lead maintenance and reliability operations at one of their manufacturing facilities.

This is an excellent opportunity for a hands‑on maintenance leader with a strong background in food manufacturing, industrial refrigeration, and team development to drive equipment reliability, operational efficiency, and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities:

• Lead, mentor, and develop the maintenance team to achieve operational, reliability, and safety objectives.
• Oversee preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance programs to maximize equipment uptime and performance.
• Manage maintenance activities across processing, packaging, utilities, refrigeration, and facility systems.
• Ensure the safe and compliant operation of industrial ammonia refrigeration systems.
• Collaborate with Production, Quality, Safety, and Engineering teams to support plant performance and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Manage maintenance budgets, capital improvement projects, contractors, and vendor relationships.
• Implement reliability initiatives to reduce equipment downtime and improve overall plant efficiency.
• Monitor key performance indicators, including downtime, preventive maintenance completion, maintenance costs, and equipment reliability.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA, GMP, HACCP, food safety, and environmental regulations.
• Support equipment installations, upgrades, and facility expansion projects.

The Ideal Candidate Will Have:

• 7+ years of maintenance leadership experience within food manufacturing, beverage manufacturing, or a related processing environment.
• Proven experience managing and developing maintenance teams in a manufacturing facility.
• Hands‑on experience with industrial ammonia refrigeration systems.
• Bilingual communication skills in English and Spanish.
• Strong knowledge of preventive and predictive maintenance methodologies.
• Experience managing maintenance budgets, capital projects, and external service providers.
• Working knowledge of OSHA, GMP, HACCP, and applicable food manufacturing regulations.

Additional Assets:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Industrial Technology, Maintenance, or a related discipline.
• RETA, CARO, CIRO, or other industrial ammonia refrigeration certifications.
• Familiarity with CMMS platforms such as SAP PM, Maximo, MP2, or Maintenance Connection.

What We Will Offer:

• Relocation assistance for qualified candidates.
• An opportunity to lead maintenance and reliability operations within an established food manufacturing organization.
• The ability to influence equipment performance, operational efficiency, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• A leadership role with opportunities to develop a maintenance team and contribute to long‑term facility performance.