Manager - Mechanical - Pellet Plant

'

: - ( - )

Experience: 15+ yrs

Location: Nashwauk, Minnesota, United States

Job Type: Full-time

We are looking for an experienced Mechanical Maintenance Manager – Pellet Plant to lead mechanical maintenance and reliability operations for critical pellet production equipment.

The role will be responsible for ensuring high equipment availability, mechanical reliability, and operational efficiency through effective preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance programs. The position will lead a multidisciplinary mechanical maintenance team, oversee equipment installations and upgrades, manage maintenance resources, and drive continuous improvement while ensuring compliance with safety, quality, and industry standards.

Requirements

Key Responsibilities

• Plan, schedule, and execute preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance activities for critical pelletization equipment, including mixers, disc pelletizers, balling drums, rotary kilns, and cooler systems.
• Monitor mechanical equipment performance and proactively identify potential failures, recurring issues, and reliability risks.
• Develop and implement strategies to improve equipment reliability, availability, and maintenance effectivenesswhile reducing unplanned downtime.
• Ensure optimal performance and reliability of supporting utility systems, including compressors, pumps, conveyors, hydraulic systems, and related equipment.
• Lead, train, develop, and mentor mechanical maintenance teams comprising engineers, supervisors, and technicians.
• Build a strong culture of safety, accountability, reliability, and continuous improvement within the maintenance function.
• Collaborate closely with Production, Electrical, Instrumentation, Engineering, and other cross-functional teams to ensure seamless plant operations.
• Oversee the installation, commissioning, testing, and start-up of new mechanical equipment and machinery.
• Evaluate and implement mechanical modifications, upgrades, and improvement projects to enhance plant performance and efficiency.
• Manage vendors and contractors to ensure mechanical projects and maintenance activities are completed safely, on schedule, and to required quality standards.
• Ensure compliance with applicable safety standards, mechanical codes, regulatory requirements, and maintenance procedures.
• Conduct regular equipment inspections, maintenance audits, risk assessments, and reliability reviews.
• Ensure accurate documentation of maintenance activities, equipment history, inspections, and compliance records.
• Develop and manage the mechanical maintenance budget, balancing cost efficiency with equipment reliability and operational requirements.
• Optimize spare-parts inventory, procurement, and critical equipment stocking strategies to minimize maintenance delays and costs.
• Prepare and present reports covering mechanical performance, downtime, reliability, maintenance KPIs, and improvement initiatives.
• Use maintenance and equipment data to identify trends, drive root-cause analysis, and improve overall equipment availability.
• Provide technical inputs for long-term capital planning, equipment replacement, and mechanical improvement projects.

What Makes You a Great Fit

• 15–20+ years of experience in mechanical maintenance, preferably within pelletizing, beneficiation, steel, mining, or other heavy industrial environments.
• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline; a master’s degree is preferred.
• Proven experience managing large-scale mechanical maintenance teams and complex industrial equipment.
• Strong practical knowledge of pelletization processes and associated mechanical equipment.
• Hands-on expertise in preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance, equipment reliability, and downtime reduction.
• Strong understanding of hydraulics, pneumatics, lubrication systems, rotating equipment, conveyors, pumps, compressors, and heavy mechanical systems.
• Experience with Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS/MMS) and maintenance planning methodologies.
• Familiarity with relevant industry standards and mechanical codes, including ASME and API.
• Strong experience in equipment installation, commissioning, upgrades, modifications, and maintenance project execution.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop engineers, supervisors, technicians, contractors, and vendors.
• Strong understanding of maintenance budgeting, spare-parts planning, resource optimization, and cost management.
• Excellent troubleshooting and root-cause analysis skills with a data-driven approach to reliability improvement.
• Strong knowledge of industrial safety practices, risk assessment, compliance, and maintenance documentation.
• Excellent communication, leadership, stakeholder-management, and problem-solving capabilities.
• Certifications or formal training in Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM), Root Cause Analysis (RCA), or similar reliability disciplines would be an advantage.