Maintenance & Reliability Lead, JDE-Driven Ops

Sonac (by Darling Ingredients); Maquoketa (IA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

The Maintenance Manager at Sonac in Maquoketa, IA leads maintenance and reliability initiatives at our pet food ingredient manufacturing facility. You will optimize production equipment performance, manage JDE-based maintenance planning, work orders, and spare parts inventory to minimize downtime.

You will direct maintenance supervisors and technicians, control the budget, ensure OSHA/EPA compliance, analyze downtime data, and drive continuous improvement through proactive strategies and vendor

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Facilities Management, or related field.
• 3+ years of maintenance management experience.
• Strong knowledge of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.
• Proficiency with computerized maintenance systems (JDE) and Microsoft Office Suite.

Responsibilities

• Maximize JDE functionality to plan, schedule, track, and document all corrective and preventive maintenance activities.
• Oversee spare parts inventory in JDE, including stock levels, purchase orders, cycle counts, and physical inventories to prevent stockouts.
• Develop and implement proactive maintenance strategies using data analysis to transition from reactive to predictive maintenance culture.
• Direct daily activities of maintenance supervisors and technicians, ensuring timely, high-quality execution of tasks aligned with production goals.
• Manage departmental budget, monitoring labor, parts, and contractor costs within JDE and other financial systems.
• Ensure all maintenance operations comply with OSHA, EPA, and internal food safety standards; maintain accurate safety and audit records in JDE.
• Analyze downtime and equipment performance data, conduct root cause analysis, and implement corrective actions.
• Negotiate and manage contracts with external vendors for major projects and specialized repairs.
• Supervise installations, modifications, and contracted work to complete maintenance upgrades and repairs while ensuring quality and minimal production disruption.
• Lead process improvement projects to enhance equipment performance, production efficiency, and product quality.

Skills

Maintenance management

Mechanical systems

Electrical systems

Plumbing systems

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Facilities Management, or related field

Tools

JDE

Microsoft Office

Job description

The Maintenance Manager at Sonac in Maquoketa, IA leads maintenance and reliability initiatives at our pet food ingredient manufacturing facility. You will optimize production equipment performance, manage JDE-based maintenance planning, work orders, and spare parts inventory to minimize downtime.

You will direct maintenance supervisors and technicians, control the budget, ensure OSHA/EPA compliance, analyze downtime data, and drive continuous improvement through proactive strategies and vendor