Maintenance Manager

Maintenance Manager

Position Summary

The Maintenance Manager leads day-to-day maintenance activities in a manufacturing environment while remaining hands-on with equipment troubleshooting, repairs, and preventive maintenance. This working-manager role is responsible for improving equipment reliability and uptime, coordinating maintenance priorities with production, supporting safe and efficient operations, and coaching maintenance associates. The manager works directly alongside the team to diagnose and resolve mechanical and electrical issues and drive continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

Hands-On Maintenance & Troubleshooting

• Work alongside maintenance technicians to troubleshoot, diagnose, repair, and maintain manufacturing equipment.
• Provide hands-on support for mechanical and electrical repairs, equipment breakdowns, and urgent production needs.
• Support industrial equipment and systems involving automation, PLCs, robotics, hydraulics, and pneumatics, as applicable.
• Respond to equipment failures, help identify root causes, and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence.

Preventive Maintenance & Reliability

• Coordinate and perform preventive and predictive maintenance activities to improve equipment reliability and reduce unplanned downtime.
• Monitor equipment condition, maintenance backlogs, and recurring failures; prioritize work based on safety, production needs, and business impact.
• Maintain accurate maintenance records and use equipment history and performance data to identify improvement opportunities.
• Help manage spare parts and maintenance supplies to ensure critical items are available when needed.
• Recommend equipment repairs, upgrades, and replacement needs to extend asset life and control maintenance costs.

Team Leadership

• Lead, coach, and support maintenance technicians and other maintenance associates while maintaining an active role in daily work.
• Assign and prioritize work, coordinate schedules, and ensure maintenance activities are completed safely and effectively.
• Support hiring, onboarding, training, performance feedback, and skills development for the maintenance team.
• Promote accountability, teamwork, safe work practices, and continuous improvement.

Manufacturing & Cross-Functional Support

• Partner with production and operations leaders to coordinate maintenance work with production schedules and minimize downtime.
• Collaborate with engineering and continuous improvement teams on equipment improvements, troubleshooting, and new equipment installations.
• Support quality and productivity goals by ensuring equipment is properly maintained and capable of meeting production requirements.
• Follow applicable safety procedures, maintenance standards, and regulatory requirements.

Planning & Continuous Improvement

• Organize daily maintenance priorities and balance planned work with breakdown response.
• Identify opportunities to improve maintenance processes, preventive maintenance compliance, equipment performance, and cost effectiveness.
• Participate in root cause analysis and implement practical corrective actions for recurring equipment issues.
• Track key maintenance measures such as downtime, work-order completion, and preventive maintenance performance.

Required Qualifications

• Relevant experience in industrial maintenance within a manufacturing environment; leadership or lead-technician experience preferred.
• Strong hands-on mechanical and electrical troubleshooting and repair skills.
• Working knowledge of industrial automation, PLCs, robotics, hydraulics, pneumatics, and manufacturing equipment.
• Experience with preventive maintenance, equipment reliability, and root cause problem-solving.
• Ability to lead a team while actively participating in maintenance work on the floor.
• Strong communication, organization, prioritization, and cross-functional teamwork skills.
• Experience with Lean Manufacturing or continuous improvement practices preferred.

Key Competencies

• Hands-on troubleshooting and problem solving
• Maintenance planning and work prioritization
• Team leadership, coaching, and accountability