Maintenance Manager

Manufacturing Maintenance Manager – Heavy Industrial Manufacturing | $90K–$110K

Employer: Scout HR
Location: Ferndale, Michigan
Job Type: Full-Time, Direct Hire (Permanent)
Compensation: $90,000–$110,000 annually, depending on experience
Work Location: On-site
Industry: Precision Forging, Heavy Manufacturing, Metal Processing

About the Role

Scout HR is partnering with an established precision forging manufacturer in Ferndale, Michigan, to hire an experienced Manufacturing Maintenance Manager to lead plant maintenance operations, improve equipment reliability, and support continued manufacturing growth.

This is an excellent opportunity for a hands-on maintenance leader who enjoys troubleshooting complex industrial equipment, developing maintenance technicians, and implementing preventive maintenance strategies that keep production operations running safely and efficiently.

The organization operates heavy hydraulic and mechanical forging presses ranging from approximately 1,000 to 2,750 tons, along with industrial heating furnaces, heat-treat equipment, CNC machining centers, and other metal processing machinery. The company serves customers across aerospace, defense, and automotive manufacturing and is expanding its production and machining capabilities.

The Manufacturing Maintenance Manager will be responsible for leading a maintenance team, overseeing preventive and predictive maintenance programs, troubleshooting critical production equipment, and supporting the installation and commissioning of new machinery.

This isn't your typical Maintenance Manager role.

The organization is looking for a working manager who can lead a team while remaining actively involved in diagnosing equipment failures, improving maintenance processes, and reducing production downtime.

The ideal candidate has direct experience in forging, metal stamping, die casting, heat treating, or another heavy industrial manufacturing environment involving large presses, furnaces, and complex mechanical systems.

Success in this role requires hands-on technical expertise, strong maintenance leadership, and the ability to balance equipment reliability, production priorities, and plant safety.

Work Environment

• Full-time, permanent position located in Ferndale, Michigan.
• On-site manufacturing environment involving heavy industrial machinery and high-temperature production processes.
• Hands-on leadership responsibilities overseeing a small team of maintenance technicians.
• Regular collaboration with plant leadership, production, and quality management.
• Direct involvement in preventive maintenance, equipment troubleshooting, and production support.
• Opportunity to support equipment installations and manufacturing capacity expansion.
• Specific shift, schedule, team size, and any on-call requirements will be discussed during the hiring process.

Must-Haves, Non-Negotiables

To be successful in this role, candidates must have:

• Previous plant, production, or manufacturing maintenance experience within a press-based or heat-intensive industrial environment, such as forging, metal stamping, die casting, heat treating, or metal finishing.
• Hands-on experience maintaining and troubleshooting large hydraulic or mechanical presses or comparable heavy industrial equipment.
• Strong working knowledge of hydraulic systems, mechanical drives, gearboxes, and industrial machinery.
• Experience troubleshooting industrial electrical systems, including high-voltage equipment.
• Working knowledge of programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and industrial control troubleshooting.
• At least two years of experience leading maintenance technicians, supervisors, or maintenance teams while remaining hands-on with equipment maintenance.
• Experience managing preventive maintenance programs, maintenance work orders, and equipment records.
• Familiarity with computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS), such as PLEX or comparable maintenance software.
• Ability to diagnose equipment failures, perform root-cause analysis, and implement corrective maintenance solutions.
• Strong understanding of lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures and industrial workplace safety practices.
• Ability to prioritize maintenance activities based on production requirements and equipment criticality.
• Strong communication, organizational, leadership, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work on-site in Ferndale, Michigan.

Important: This position requires hands-on maintenance experience in a heavy industrial manufacturing environment. Candidates whose backgrounds are primarily in building maintenance, property management, facilities maintenance, or light assembly operations may not meet the position's technical requirements.

Nice-to-Haves, Preferred

• Direct experience maintaining forging presses, including closed-die or open-die presses and forging hammers.
• Experience maintaining billet heating furnaces, industrial heat-treat systems, or high-temperature manufacturing equipment.
• Knowledge of furnace calibration, pyrometry, and CQI-9 heat-treat requirements.
• Experience building, rebuilding, or significantly improving preventive maintenance programs.
• Experience installing, commissioning, or relocating heavy industrial manufacturing equipment.
• Familiarity with CNC machining center maintenance.
• Experience maintaining shot blast, vibratory finishing, or other metal processing equipment.
• Experience working in manufacturing environments operating under AS9100, IATF 16949, or ISO 9001 quality management systems.
• Familiarity with maintenance requirements in ITAR-regulated manufacturing environments.
• Experience managing spare parts inventory, outside maintenance contractors, and maintenance budgets.

What You Will Do – Essential Job FunctionsManufacturing Equipment Maintenance & Reliability

• Oversee maintenance and reliability of heavy industrial manufacturing equipment, including forging presses, furnaces, trim presses, saws, CNC machining centers, finishing equipment, compressors, and overhead cranes.
• Perform hands-on troubleshooting and repairs involving hydraulic, mechanical, electrical, and PLC-controlled systems.
• Respond to equipment breakdowns and prioritize corrective maintenance to minimize production disruptions.
• Diagnose recurring equipment failures and implement effective root-cause corrective actions.
• Identify opportunities to improve equipment reliability, operating performance, and maintenance efficiency.
• Support the safe and reliable operation of critical manufacturing assets.

Maintenance Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, schedule, and develop a team of industrial maintenance technicians.
• Provide hands-on technical guidance during equipment troubleshooting and repair activities.
• Assign maintenance priorities based on production requirements, equipment condition, and operational needs.
• Coach maintenance personnel on troubleshooting methods, safe work practices, and maintenance procedures.
• Coordinate maintenance coverage across production shifts.
• Promote accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement within the maintenance function.

Preventive & Predictive Maintenance Management

• Develop, implement, and maintain preventive and predictive maintenance programs for manufacturing equipment.
• Establish maintenance schedules that support equipment reliability and minimize unplanned downtime.
• Maintain accurate equipment records, work orders, and maintenance history within a CMMS or comparable system.
• Evaluate equipment performance and identify recurring maintenance concerns.
• Recommend improvements to maintenance procedures, inspections, and equipment servicing practices.
• Support long-term equipment reliability through proactive maintenance planning.

Industrial Electrical, Hydraulic & Mechanical Troubleshooting

• Troubleshoot complex hydraulic systems, mechanical drives, gearboxes, motors, and electrical equipment.
• Diagnose industrial electrical and PLC-related equipment failures.
• Support troubleshooting of high-voltage industrial equipment using appropriate safety procedures.
• Identify mechanical and electrical issues that affect equipment performance.
• Coordinate corrective maintenance activities and verify equipment functionality following repairs.
• Provide technical support to maintenance personnel during complex equipment failures.

Furnace Maintenance, Quality & Compliance

• Support maintenance and reliability of industrial heating furnaces and heat-treat equipment.
• Maintain furnace calibration and pyrometry documentation required for applicable quality and customer audit standards.
• Support compliance activities involving CQI-9 heat-treat requirements.
• Collaborate with quality personnel to maintain equipment documentation and audit readiness.
• Support maintenance-related requirements associated with AS9100 and other applicable quality management systems.
• Ensure maintenance activities align with internal safety, quality, and operational requirements.

Equipment Installation & Manufacturing Expansion

• Support the installation, relocation, and commissioning of new manufacturing equipment.
• Coordinate maintenance-related activities associated with expanded forging press and CNC machining capabilities.
• Collaborate with operations and outside contractors during equipment installation projects.
• Help evaluate equipment readiness, maintenance requirements, and operational reliability.
• Support equipment startup and troubleshooting during commissioning activities.
• Contribute to manufacturing expansion initiatives through technical planning and maintenance expertise.

Maintenance Planning, Budgeting & Contractor Management

• Manage maintenance spare parts inventory and support availability of critical replacement components.
• Coordinate outside maintenance contractors and equipment service providers.
• Monitor maintenance expenditures and support effective use of department resources.
• Identify opportunities to reduce maintenance costs without compromising safety or equipment reliability.
• Support purchasing decisions involving maintenance supplies, replacement parts, and equipment servicing.
• Maintain accurate documentation of maintenance activities and resource requirements.

Plant Safety & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Enforce lockout/tagout procedures and established industrial safety practices.
• Promote safe maintenance activities around heavy machinery, high-temperature equipment, and electrical systems.
• Work closely with the Plant Manager and Quality Manager to prioritize repairs and maintenance requirements.
• Communicate equipment concerns, downtime risks, and maintenance progress to leadership.
• Support production schedules by coordinating maintenance activities with operational needs.
• Contribute to a culture of safety, accountability, equipment reliability, and continuous improvement.

Compensation

Annual Base Salary Range: $90,000–$110,000, depending on relevant experience, technical qualifications, and leadership background.

This is a direct-hire, permanent opportunity with an established precision forging manufacturer.

Any additional incentive compensation or bonus eligibility will be discussed during the hiring process if applicable.

Benefits & Opportunities

• Permanent, direct-hire employment.
• Competitive annual base salary.
• Opportunity to lead and develop an industrial maintenance team.
• Hands-on responsibility for heavy forging presses, industrial furnaces, and CNC machining equipment.
• Direct involvement in preventive maintenance strategy and equipment reliability improvements.
• Opportunity to support manufacturing expansion and new equipment installations.
• Collaboration with experienced plant leadership and quality management professionals.
• Exposure to manufacturing operations serving aerospace, defense, and automotive customers.
• Opportunity to contribute to long-term plant reliability, operational efficiency, and manufacturing growth.

Specific employee benefits, insurance coverage, retirement programs, paid time off, and bonus eligibility will be discussed during the hiring process once confirmed.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Scout HR is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to qualified applicants. Employment decisions are made in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local employment laws.

We encourage qualified industrial maintenance leaders with relevant heavy manufacturing experience to apply.

Interested in learning more? Apply today to be considered for this direct-hire Manufacturing Maintenance Manager opportunity in Ferndale, Michigan!

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $90,000.00 - $110,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Tuition reimbursement
• Vision insurance

Experience:

• PLC: 3 years (Preferred)
• Hydraulics: 3 years (Preferred)
• press: 3 years (Preferred)
• employee management: 3 years (Preferred)

Work Location: In person