Maintenance Tech - St. Charles, MO

Build the Future of Bertagni USA

Founded in Bologna, Italy in 1882, Bertagni combines generations of authentic Italian pasta-making expertise with modern food manufacturing and innovation. As we expand our manufacturing presence in the United States, we are seeking a hands-on, technically curious Research & Development Technician to join our new St. Charles operation.

This position offers a unique opportunity to participate in technical training with Bertagni's experienced teams in Italy, bring that knowledge to our U.S. operation, and help develop products and processes for our growing business.

Initially, the position will focus heavily on our pilot line, new product development, customer trials, and commercialization. As full-scale manufacturing expands, the role will also provide technical quality and product support to our high-speed production lines.

Role Summary

The Maintenance Tech maintains, troubleshoots, repairs, and improves production equipment and facility systems in Bertagni USA's high-speed filled-pasta operation. Supports mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, controls, and automated systems while prioritizing safe operation, food safety, equipment reliability, rapid troubleshooting, preventive maintenance, and continuous improvement.

What You’ll Do

• Perform preventive, predictive, corrective, and emergency maintenance on production and facility equipment.
• Troubleshoot mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, and automated systems; diagnose failures and complete safe repairs that minimize downtime.
• Repair and maintain motors, gearboxes, bearings, pumps, conveyors, valves, cylinders, sensors, drives, relays, contactors, and related components.
• Complete adjustments, alignment, lubrication, calibration, setup, and component replacement; verify operation after repair and communicate unresolved issues.
• Read and interpret electrical schematics, mechanical drawings, manuals, and technical documentation.
• Support dough preparation, sheeting, filling, forming, cooking, cooling, chilling, conveying, and product-transfer systems.
• Support packaging, sealing, labeling, coding, inspection, checkweighing, metal/X-ray detection, case-packing, and palletizing equipment.
• Troubleshoot motors, sensors, VFDs, PLC-controlled equipment, and HMI systems.
• Complete preventive maintenance accurately and on schedule; inspect for wear, leaks, vibration, temperature, and alignment concerns.
• Identify repeat failures, participate in root-cause analysis, and recommend improvements to safety, reliability, maintainability, efficiency, and throughput.
• Support OEE, TPM, Lean, 5S, and other continuous-improvement activities as implemented.
• Follow GMP, sanitation, allergen, HACCP/food-safety-plan, and foreign-material-control requirements.
• Protect product and food-contact surfaces; control tools, hardware, lubricants, chemicals, and maintenance materials to prevent contamination.
• Use approved food-grade lubricants where required and ensure equipment is cleaned, reassembled, guarded, and released before production.
• Immediately report conditions that may affect employee safety, food safety, or product quality.
• Follow Lockout/Tagout, electrical safety, machine guarding, PPE, hot-work, confined-space, and elevated-work requirements as applicable.
• Never bypass guards, interlocks, or safety devices; report unsafe conditions, incidents, near misses, and damaged safety equipment.
• Support installation, commissioning, startup, and modification of equipment with OEM technicians, contractors, Engineering, Production, and other resources.
• Learn specialized European/OEM equipment; help develop PM procedures, troubleshooting guides, spare-parts requirements, and maintenance standards.
• Complete CMMS work orders and document failures, repairs, parts used, corrective actions, and follow-up needs.
• Maintain organized tools, parts, manuals, drawings, and shop areas; transfer technical knowledge to technicians and operators.

What We’re Looking For

• High school diploma or GED; industrial maintenance experience in manufacturing, with 3+ years preferred.
• Strong mechanical and industrial electrical troubleshooting skills, including motors, sensors, drives, relays, contactors, and pneumatic systems.
• Ability to read schematics, drawings, and manuals and safely use industrial tools, meters, and diagnostic equipment.
• Basic computer and CMMS skills; effective communication and teamwork.
• Technical degree, certificate, apprenticeship, or equivalent training in industrial maintenance, mechatronics, electrical technology, or automation.
• Food, beverage, CPG, or high-speed automated manufacturing experience.
• PLC/HMI experience, especially Allen-Bradley/Rockwell or Siemens; VFD, servo, refrigeration, packaging, welding, or fabrication experience.
• Preventive/predictive maintenance, root-cause analysis, Lean, TPM, or 5S experience. Pasta-manufacturing experience is preferred but not required.

Core Competencies

• Technical troubleshooting
• Safety and food safety
• Equipment ownership
• Sense of urgency
• Teamwork and communication
• Continuous improvement
• Learning agility

Physical & Work Environment

With or without reasonable accommodation, must be able to stand and walk for extended periods; bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, reach, climb stairs and ladders; use industrial tools; and lift/carry approximately 50 pounds independently. Work may involve moving equipment, wet conditions, refrigerated or warm areas, sanitation activities, ingredients and allergens, approved chemicals, and moderate-to-high noise. Required PPE must be worn.

Schedule & Performance Expectations

May be assigned to day, evening, night, or rotating shifts, including overtime, weekends, holidays, shutdowns, installations, or major maintenance. Performance is evaluated on safety and food-safety compliance, repair quality, equipment reliability, PM completion, downtime response, repeat-failure reduction, troubleshooting, documentation, teamwork, continuous improvement, and development of equipment-specific expertise.