Maintenance Manager (Manufacturing Plant)

RiseMe; Washington (NC); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

AAF International is seeking a Maintenance Manager to lead the maintenance department with a focus on project management, automation systems, and preventive maintenance optimization. The role aims to maximize equipment uptime, improve OEE, and support both daily operations and long-term capital projects.

Leading a team of technicians and contractors, you will develop scopes and schedules, coordinate cross-functional work, and ensure safety and compliance across two closely located plants.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in a technical field.
• 5+ years of maintenance management in manufacturing/industrial settings.
• Strong leadership, organizational and communication skills.
• Solid OSHA knowledge, safety protocols and environmental compliance.
• Experience managing capital projects and automation initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Plan, manage, and execute maintenance and engineering projects including capital improvements.
• Develop scopes, budgets, timelines, and resource plans.
• Coordinate with Engineering, Operations and EHS for timely delivery.
• Track milestones, mitigate risks, and implement corrective actions.
• Lead automation system implementations (PLCs, SCADA, robotics, IoT).
• Train maintenance team on new technologies and platforms.
• Develop preventive and predictive maintenance programs to minimize downtime.
• Utilize CMMS to schedule, track, and report activities.
• Analyze maintenance trends to improve reliability and planning.
• Monitor OEE and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
• Collaborate with production and quality teams on root-cause analysis.
• Champion lean maintenance practices to reduce waste.

Skills

Maintenance management

Project management

Leadership

OSHA compliance

Reliability engineering

Data analysis

Lean maintenance

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical/Electrical/Industrial Engineering or related field

Tools

CMMS

SCADA

PLC

IoT-enabled equipment

Job description

Description

AAF International offers the most comprehensive clean air solutions available across the globe. Selling under the American Air Filter® and the AAF International® brand names, AAF International has been an industry pioneer since 1921 with manufacturing operations in 22 countries with over 6000 employees globally. Our products are the industry benchmarks for quality and performance. Our applications include commercial, industrial and residential solutions from the filters used in your home to the most critical cleanroom and power generation applications.

We are a member of the Daikin Group, the world's largest air conditioning provider with $30 billion in revenue and over 75,000 employees worldwide. Founded in 1924, Daikin has grown into a diversified industrial manufacturing company offering solutions in clean, air, air conditioning, refrigeration, chemicals, oil hydraulics, defense systems and electronics.

Our culture of continuous improvement, safety, and world class operations is driven by our people-centered management philosophy. This philosophy is built around mutual selection: that while AAF seeks top talent people to join and deliver on our team, we also want each team member to receive job satisfaction, growth & development, and continued happiness in being a long-term member of the AAF family. This is fueled by our belief in treating our people, our supply partners, our customers and our environment with the trust and respect we each require, and our passion to give back to our community for our success.

Read more about our philosophy at: http://www.daikin.com/about/corporate/philosophy/index.html

AAF International is an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veteran.

We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, veteran status, uniform servicemember status, age, disability or any other legally recognized protected personal characteristics.

Position Objective:

The Maintenance Manager will lead the maintenance department with a strong focus on project management, application of advanced technologies, automation systems, and the optimization of preventive maintenance strategies. This role will ensure maximum equipment uptime, enhance overall equipment efficiency (OEE), and deliver world-class maintenance support for both routine operations and long-term capital improvement projects.

Key Accountabilities:

• Plan, manage, and execute maintenance and engineering projects, including capital improvement and facility upgrade initiatives.
• Develop project scopes, budgets, timelines, and resource plans.
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams including Engineering, Operations, and EHS to ensure timely and efficient project delivery.
• Track project milestones, manage risks, and implement corrective actions as needed.
• Lead the selection, implementation, and optimization of automated systems, including PLCs, SCADA, robotics, and IoT-enabled equipment.
• Work with internal and external partners to ensure seamless integration of automation technologies into existing infrastructure.
• Train and support the maintenance team on new technologies and automation platforms.
• Develop and implement comprehensive preventive and predictive maintenance programs to minimize downtime and extend asset life.
• Utilize CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) to schedule, track, and report on maintenance activities.
• Analyze maintenance trends and historical data to enhance equipment reliability and maintenance planning.
• Monitor and report on OEE metrics; identify causes of equipment inefficiencies and lead continuous improvement initiatives.
• Collaborate with production and quality teams to drive root cause analysis and implement long-term solutions.
• Champion lean maintenance practices to reduce waste and improve machine performance.
• Supervise daily maintenance activities to ensure safe, timely, and high-quality execution.
• Manage a team of skilled technicians and contractors, including hiring, training, scheduling, and performance evaluations.
• Ensure compliance with safety regulations, company policies, and industry standards.
• Maintain inventory of critical spare parts, tools, and supplies to prevent downtime.

Requirements

Position Requirements:

1. Bachelor’s degree in business, Mechanical, Electrical, or Industrial Engineering, or related technical field preferred or equivalent experience considered;
2. 5+ years of maintenance management experience in a manufacturing or industrial environment;
3. Exceptional leadership, organizational, and communication skills;
4. Solid understanding of OSHA regulations, safety protocols, and environmental compliance;
5. Maintains responsibility for the maintenance needs over two plants approximately 1.5 miles from one another;
6. Exceptional leadership, organizational, and communication skills;
7. Solid understanding of OSHA regulations, safety protocols, and environmental compliance;
8. Strong experience in managing capital projects and maintenance-related automation initiatives;
9. In‑depth knowledge of CMMS systems, reliability engineering, and maintenance best practices;
10. Proficient in analyzing OEE and implementing improvement strategies.