Maintenance & Reliability Manager

Sun Recruiting; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Sun Recruiting, Inc. is seeking a hands-on Site Maintenance & Reliability Leader for a fast-paced chemical manufacturing site in the Chicago area.

You will own maintenance, reliability, and stores performance, driving strategy and building team capability to improve equipment performance and safety. The ideal candidate has 7–10 years in a chemical plant environment (or 10+ years with maintenance focus), strong leadership, and proven ability to partner with Production, Engineering, and R&D on

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering.
• 7–10 years in a chemical plant environment, or 10+ years with maintenance, reliability, and PM programs.
• Success developing/executing maintenance and reliability strategies to improve equipment performance, ops efficiency, and cost.
• Strong leadership to mentor mechanical, electrical, welding, planning, scheduling, supervision, reliability engineering, and stores personnel.
• Hands-on experience with predictive and preventive maintenance, plant troubleshooting, engineering best practices, and continuous improvement.
• Safety-focused leadership ensuring EHSS expectations across site activities and contractor performance.
• Strong cross-functional communication with Production, Engineering, and R&D on capital projects, new processes, or product development.
• Experience developing/managing budgets, monthly reporting, and spend-versus-budget reviews preferred.

Responsibilities

• Own maintenance, reliability, and stores performance within a fast-paced chemical manufacturing environment.
• Set and execute M&R strategy, strengthen team capability, improve equipment performance, and support safe, efficient operations.
• Serve on the site leadership team and report to the Site Manager with hands-on, safety-focused leadership and technical judgment.

Skills

Leadership & mentoring

Cross-functional collaboration

Budgeting & reporting

Safety leadership

Troubleshooting

Predictive & preventive maintenance

Education

Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering

Job description

Key Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering or Mechanical Engineering required.
• Approximately 7 to 10 years of experience in a chemical plant environment, or 10+ years of plant experience with direct responsibility for maintenance, reliability, and predictive/preventive maintenance programs.
• Demonstrated success developing and executing maintenance and reliability strategies that improve equipment performance, operational efficiency, and cost effectiveness.
• Strong leadership background with the ability to lead and mentor mechanical, electrical, welding, planning, scheduling, supervision, reliability engineering, and stores personnel.
• Hands-on experience with predictive and preventive maintenance, plant troubleshooting, engineering best practices, and continuous improvement.
• Safety-focused leader who can ensure EHSS expectations are met across departmental activities, site work, and third-party contractor performance.
• Strong cross-functional communication skills and experience partnering with Production, Engineering, and Research and Development on capital projects, new processes, or new product development.
• Experience developing and managing budgets, monthly reporting, and spend-versus-budget reviews is preferred.

About the Role:

This replacement opening reports to the Site Manager and serves on the site leadership team. This person will own maintenance, reliability, and stores performance within a fast-paced chemical manufacturing environment. The role will set and execute M&R strategy, strengthen team capability, improve equipment performance, and support safe, efficient operations. The ideal candidate will be a hands-on, safety-focused leader with strong technical judgment and the ability to build trust across the site.