Maintenance & Reliability Manager

Confidential Employer; Tennessee; On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Confidential Employer in Tennessee seeks an experienced Maintenance & Reliability Manager to lead maintenance strategy and execution in a high-volume production environment. This hands-on manufacturing leader will drive safety, equipment reliability, and the continuous improvement of preventive and predictive maintenance programs.

You will partner with operations and engineering to maximize equipment availability, support equipment installation, and optimize maintenance processes across the

Qualifications

• 7+ years in maintenance/manufacturing in a high-volume environment.
• Automotive manufacturing experience strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, and pneumatic systems.
• Strong preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance practices.
• Leadership of maintenance technicians and skilled trades.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop plant maintenance team with safety and reliability focus.
• Develop and optimize PM/PD maintenance programs.
• Improve uptime and reduce failures via root cause analysis.
• Oversee maintenance planning, scheduling, and spare parts.
• Partner with production to minimize downtime and improve efficiency.
• Support equipment installation and commissioning.

Skills

Maintenance leadership

Preventive maintenance

Predictive maintenance

Root cause analysis

Equipment reliability

OEE

Budget management

Team development

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related technical field

Tools

PLC systems

Robotics

Vision systems

Job description

A well-established automotive manufacturing organization is looking for an experienced Maintenance & Reliability Manager to lead maintenance strategy and execution within a high-volume production environment.

This position combines technical maintenance leadership, equipment reliability, team development, and manufacturing support. The individual will work closely with operations and engineering leadership to maximize equipment availability, strengthen preventive and predictive maintenance practices, and support the introduction and optimization of manufacturing equipment.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on manufacturing leader who understands both the technical side of maintenance and the operational demands of an automotive production environment.

What You'll Lead

In this role, you will have responsibility for maintenance activities supporting production equipment and facility operations.

Key areas of responsibility include:

• Lead and develop the plant maintenance team, establishing clear expectations around safety, responsiveness, equipment reliability, and execution.
• Develop and optimize preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance programs.
• Improve equipment uptime and reduce recurring failures through structured troubleshooting and root cause analysis.
• Oversee maintenance planning, scheduling, manpower allocation, and technical support.
• Partner with production teams to minimize downtime and improve manufacturing efficiency.
• Establish appropriate spare-parts strategies and inventory controls for critical equipment.
• Support equipment installation, commissioning, validation, and production ramp-up activities.
• Work cross-functionally with Engineering, Production, Quality, and other technical teams to resolve equipment and process issues.
• Support manufacturing equipment transfers, upgrades, modifications, and optimization activities.
• Identify opportunities to improve equipment reliability, productivity, safety, quality, and operating cost.

Reliability & Continuous Improvement

A major focus of this position will be moving beyond reactive maintenance and building a disciplined reliability culture.

You will help drive improvement through metrics and methods such as:

• Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)
• Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF)
• Mean Time to Repair (MTTR)
• Preventive Maintenance compliance
• Root cause analysis and permanent corrective actions
• Maintenance cost performance
• Right First Time (RFT)

Safety & Compliance

Safety is a critical component of this leadership position. The Maintenance & Reliability Manager will:

• Promote a strong safety culture within the maintenance organization.
• Ensure maintenance activities are performed in accordance with applicable safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements.
• Oversee contractor activities and safe work practices.
• Identify and address equipment-related safety risks.
• Incorporate safety considerations into equipment modifications, installations, and maintenance procedures.

Budget, Projects & Equipment Investment

In addition to daily maintenance leadership, this position will have responsibility for longer-term asset planning and investment.

Responsibilities will include:

• Managing the maintenance operating budget.
• Monitoring maintenance spending and identifying cost-saving opportunities.
• Supporting capital equipment planning and investment decisions.
• Preparing business justification for equipment improvements and reliability projects.
• Participating in equipment installation and industrialization projects.
• Prioritizing investments based on safety, reliability, production requirements, cost, and overall business impact.

What We're Looking For

We're interested in candidates who bring a strong combination of technical depth and manufacturing leadership experience.

• Approximately 7+ years of progressive maintenance and/or manufacturing experience in a high-volume industrial environment.
• Previous leadership responsibility for maintenance technicians, skilled trades, or other technical employees.
• Automotive manufacturing experience strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, and pneumatic systems.
• Strong understanding of preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance practices.
• Demonstrated experience improving equipment reliability and reducing downtime.
• Experience with equipment installations, manufacturing expansions, transfers, launches, or industrialization projects is beneficial.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Industrial Technology, or a related technical field preferred. Equivalent relevant technical experience and certifications may also be considered.
• Experience supporting highly automated equipment including PLCs, robotics, and vision systems

Leadership Style

Success in this position will require someone who is comfortable being visible on the manufacturing floor and working directly with both technical and operational teams.

We're looking for a leader who:

• Takes a structured, data-driven approach to problem solving.
• Can move effectively between long-term planning and urgent production issues.
• Builds accountability while developing and supporting employees.
• Communicates effectively across technical and non-technical teams.
• Understands the realities of a fast-paced automotive manufacturing environment.
• Is comfortable challenging existing practices and introducing more effective maintenance and reliability methods.