Plant Operations Maintenance Manager

Responsible for providing strategic leadership and operational oversight for plant maintenance, reliability, asset management, and skilled trades development across the manufacturing organization. This role partners closely with site and enterprise leadership to optimize equipment reliability, maintenance performance, workforce capability, and continuous improvement.

The position will lead a team of maintenance professionals while also owning the enterprise strategy and execution of maintenance training, apprenticeship, and skilled trades development programs across the manufacturing network.

• Provide strategic and operational oversight of plant maintenance, reliability, asset management, and maintenance performance to support safe, efficient, and reliable manufacturing operations.
• Establish and execute site maintenance and reliability strategies aligned with business and manufacturing objectives.
• Lead, develop, and coach a small team of direct reports while fostering a culture of accountability, technical excellence, and continuous improvement.
• Partner closely with site leadership and cross-functional stakeholders to identify opportunities to improve equipment performance, maintenance effectiveness, and operational reliability.
• Own the enterprise strategy, design, implementation, execution, and continuous improvement of maintenance training and skilled trades development programs across the manufacturing network.
• Develop and implement standardized, competency-based technical training programs for maintenance technicians covering mechanical, electrical, automation, controls, reliability, predictive maintenance, and plant-specific equipment.
• Design, launch, and manage apprenticeship and skilled trades development programs from strategy through implementation and ongoing optimization.
• Conduct workforce capability assessments and skills-gap analyses to identify current and future technical talent requirements.
• Establish structured training, mentoring, career development, and progression programs for maintenance and skilled trades personnel.
• Build and sustain relationships with technical schools, colleges, universities, apprenticeship organizations, and industry associations to develop talent pipelines and attract future skilled professionals.
• Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs), dashboards, and reporting mechanisms to measure maintenance effectiveness, workforce capability, training outcomes, and reliability performance.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on maintenance processes, asset reliability, technical capability, and operational performance.
• Drive the effective use of preventive and predictive maintenance strategies, reliability methodologies, and maintenance planning and scheduling practices.
• Ensure effective root cause analysis, corrective action, and problem-solving processes are implemented to eliminate recurring equipment and reliability issues.
• Identify and implement best practices, standards, and processes that improve maintenance consistency and technical capability across the manufacturing network.
• Support the development of a long-term skilled trades workforce strategy aligned with business growth and evolving manufacturing technologies.
• Travel domestically and internationally as required to support manufacturing sites and enterprise initiatives.

• 10+ years of progressive experience in manufacturing, maintenance, reliability, engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 5+ years of leadership experience within a manufacturing environment.
• Experience leading maintenance or technical teams supporting multi-shift manufacturing operations preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of preventive and predictive maintenance programs, reliability engineering methodologies, root cause analysis, and maintenance planning and scheduling.
• Demonstrated experience developing technical training, apprenticeship, competency, or skilled trades development programs.
• Experience conducting workforce capability assessments and skills-gap analyses and translating findings into effective development strategies.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing equipment, maintenance systems, reliability practices, and technical workforce development.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills; experience with CMMS, ERP systems, maintenance planning tools, and plant operating systems preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Industrial Maintenance, Manufacturing, or a related technical field required.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and collaborate effectively with site leadership, technical teams, operations, HR, and other cross-functional stakeholders.
• Willingness and ability to travel up to 50% domestically and internationally.

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