Maintenance & Operations Gatekeeper

Roquette Group; Newark (DE); On-site; USD 83,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Roquette Group in Newark, Delaware, is seeking a Maintenance & Operations Gatekeeper to serve as the primary liaison between Operations and Maintenance, ensuring work requests are properly defined and prepared for execution.

The role drives work management, backlog control, schedule adherence, and integration to maximize plant reliability and business performance while supporting MOC compliance and budget considerations.

Qualifications

• Associate’s degree in engineering or related technical field preferred.
• 5+ years in manufacturing operations, maintenance, reliability, planning, or work management.
• Experience with Management of Change (MOC), permit systems, and work management systems.
• Experience with CMMS and Microsoft Office.

Responsibilities

• Review, assess, and steward incoming service requests to ensure they are value-adding and well-scoped.
• Coach work request originators on high-quality requests and maintenance processes.
• Coordinate with Operations and Maintenance to ensure proper preparation, scheduling, and readiness.
• Support MOC process coordination for non-like-for-like requests.
• Prioritize maintenance work based on plant risk, production needs, and budget considerations.
• Manage backlogs with Maintenance Supervisor and Planner; participate in planning and forecast meetings.
• Coordinate communication regarding job readiness and schedule execution across teams.
• Review and approve maintenance permits and ensure documentation meets site standards.

Skills

Planning & scheduling

Cross-functional collaboration

Prioritization

Education

Associate’s degree or technical equivalent

Tools

CMMS

MS Office

Job description

We are looking for our next Maintenance & Operations Gatekeeper within our Manufacturing Operations team. The Maintenance & Operations Gatekeeper serves as the primary liaison between Operations and Maintenance, ensuring work requests are properly defined, prioritized, planned, and prepared for execution. This role drives effective work management processes, backlog control, schedule adherence, and seamless integration between Operations and Maintenance to maximize plant reliability and business performance.

This position is located in Newark, Delaware.

Compensation:

The current salary range for this role is estimated to be $83,000 - $110,000. In addition, this position may also be eligible to earn performance-based incentive compensation. The specific compensation offered to a candidate will be influenced by a variety of factors including but not limited to skills, qualifications, experience, and location.

What You’ll Do:

• Review, assess, and steward incoming service requests to ensure they are value-adding, properly scoped, and contain adequate troubleshooting and technical information.
• Coach work request originators on the creation of high-quality work requests and maintenance work processes.
• Coordinate with Operations and Maintenance to ensure work is properly prepared, scheduled, and ready for execution.
• Support compliance with the Management of Change (MOC) process by coordinating with the requestor and appropriate stakeholders when a service request is identified as non-like-for-like.
• Prioritize maintenance work based on plant risk, equipment condition, production requirements, reliability objectives, and budget considerations.
• Manage incoming and active maintenance backlogs in partnership with Maintenance Supervisor and Maintenance Planner.
• Participate in daily and weekly maintenance planning, scheduling, and forecast meetings.
• Coordinate communication regarding job readiness and schedule execution between Operations, Maintenance, and supporting functions.
• Review and approve maintenance permits and ensure documentation meets site standards and compliance requirements.
• Support urgent work management while maintaining alignment with maintenance planning and scheduling processes.
• Contribute to maintenance budget monitoring and provide input on spending forecasts and prioritization decisions.
• Promote compliance with maintenance work processes and operational discipline standards across the facility.

What You’ll Need:

Education:

• Associate’s degree in engineering, Maintenance Technology, Operations Management, or a related technical discipline preferred.
• Equivalent combination of education, technical training, and manufacturing experience will be considered.

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years of experience in manufacturing operations, maintenance, reliability, planning, or work management.
• Experience with maintenance planning and scheduling processes.
• Working knowledge of Management of Change (MOC), permit systems, and work management systems.
• Strong understanding of industrial maintenance and manufacturing operations.
• Experience utilizing computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS) and Microsoft Office applications.
• Proven ability to prioritize work, influence cross-functional teams, and manage competing business demands.

Supervisory Responsibility

• No direct reports.
• Provides functional leadership and coordination across Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, and Reliability teams.

Work Environment

• This role spends approximately 30% of the time in an office environment and 50% of the time in the plant environment. (manufacturing only)

Physical Demands

• Must be able to stand, walk, climb stairs, and work in industrial environments including hot, cold, and noisy conditions.
• Must be capable of wearing required personal protective equipment, including respiratory protection when necessary.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

• Full-time position.
• Flexibility to support maintenance planning, scheduling activities, outages, and plant operational needs.

Business Travel

• Minimal travel required.
• Occasional travel for training, corporate meetings, or support of other manufacturing sites.

Key Success Factors

• Ability to assess and challenge work requests based on business value and plant priorities.
• Strong planning, prioritization, and coordination skills.
• Ability to build productive relationships across Operations and Maintenance.
• Demonstrated commitment to operational discipline and continuous improvement.
• Confidence in decision-making while balancing production, reliability, safety, and cost objectives

AAP/EEO Statement

Roquette is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic factors, military/veteran status or other characteristics protected by law. “AAP, EEO, Drug-Free Workplace”

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 employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.