Associate Director, Engineering & Maintenance

Scope of Position

Our client is seeking an experienced Associate Director, Engineering & Maintenance to lead all engineering, maintenance, reliability, and capital project activities at a high-volume manufacturing facility. This strategic leadership role is responsible for maximizing equipment reliability, improving plant performance, developing engineering and maintenance teams, and executing capital investments that support long-term business growth.

Reporting directly to the Site Director, this individual will drive continuous improvement initiatives, oversee preventative and predictive maintenance programs, manage capital projects from concept through completion, and ensure compliance with all safety and regulatory requirements. The ideal candidate is a hands-on engineering leader with strong manufacturing experience, exceptional project management skills, and a passion for building high-performing teams.

Responsibilities

Engineering & Maintenance Leadership

• Lead all engineering, maintenance, reliability, and facilities activities to ensure safe, efficient, and reliable plant operations.
• Develop and execute long-term maintenance strategies that improve equipment reliability, reduce downtime, and increase manufacturing capacity.
• Direct preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance programs utilizing industry best practices and reliability-centered maintenance principles.
• Establish department objectives, performance metrics, and continuous improvement initiatives aligned with business goals.
• Foster a culture of accountability, operational excellence, and employee engagement throughout the maintenance organization.

Capital Project Management

• Develop and manage the site's multi-year capital investment strategy.
• Lead capital projects from planning and budgeting through installation, commissioning, and startup.
• Ensure projects are completed safely, on schedule, within budget, and deliver expected operational improvements.
• Coordinate engineering resources, contractors, vendors, and cross-functional teams to execute capital initiatives successfully.
• Identify opportunities to modernize equipment and improve manufacturing processes through automation and technology.

Reliability & Continuous Improvement

• Champion equipment reliability initiatives utilizing predictive maintenance technologies and root cause analysis.
• Analyze equipment performance data to identify opportunities for increased efficiency, reduced maintenance costs, and improved asset utilization.
• Lead continuous improvement efforts focused on productivity, equipment uptime, energy efficiency, and manufacturing performance.
• Implement best practices in maintenance planning, scheduling, and reliability engineering.

Leadership & Talent Development

• Recruit, develop, mentor, and retain a high-performing engineering and maintenance team.
• Build organizational capability through coaching, training, succession planning, and performance management.
• Ensure employees have the tools, technical training, and resources necessary for success.
• Promote collaboration across engineering, maintenance, operations, quality, and supply chain functions.

Budget & Resource Management

• Develop and manage departmental operating and capital budgets.
• Optimize labor utilization, maintenance spending, inventory, and contractor resources while maintaining operational excellence.
• Monitor financial performance and identify cost-saving opportunities without compromising reliability or safety.

Safety, Compliance & Operational Excellence

• Champion a strong safety culture and ensure compliance with OSHA, environmental, and company safety standards.
• Ensure engineering and maintenance activities comply with all applicable regulatory requirements and industry standards.
• Lead investigations into equipment failures and implement sustainable corrective actions.
• Support plant audits and ensure continuous compliance with corporate policies and regulatory expectations.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with Operations, Production, Quality, Supply Chain, Finance, and Corporate Engineering to support business objectives.
• Coordinate major shutdowns, equipment installations, and maintenance activities to minimize production disruptions.
• Develop and maintain productive relationships with contractors, suppliers, and equipment manufacturers.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related engineering discipline
• Minimum 5 years of leadership experience managing engineering or maintenance teams in a manufacturing environment
• Minimum 5 years of experience leading engineering capital projects
• Manufacturing industry experience with responsibility for equipment reliability and maintenance operations
• Proven experience managing preventive and predictive maintenance programs
• Strong leadership, project management, and problem-solving skills
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration abilities

Preferred

• Master's degree in Engineering or a related technical field
• 8+ years of engineering and maintenance leadership experience within manufacturing
• Experience in food manufacturing, preferably bakery or consumer packaged goods
• Professional certifications such as PMP, CMRP, SMRP, or Lean Six Sigma
• Experience developing and executing capital investment strategies and CAPEX budgets
• Strong knowledge of maintenance management systems (CMMS), reliability engineering, and asset management
• Demonstrated success implementing continuous improvement initiatives that increase equipment reliability and plant performance
• Experience leading organizational change and developing high-performing technical teams