AFB Maintenance Manager

This opportunity is located within our AFB International business, the global science and technology leader in pet food palatability. We develop and produce a full range of liquid and dry palatability enhancers using high-quality ingredients proven to optimize companion animal response and consumption. Click here to learn more. Job Description The Maintenance Manager is responsible for overseeing all maintenance activities at the plant, ensuring equipment reliability, cost efficiency, and continuous improvement. This role includes implementing proactive maintenance strategies, optimizing storeroom parts management, managing budgets, and leading a team of hourly maintenance employees. Additionally, responsibilities extend to grounds and facility management, as well as overseeing external contractors performing maintenance work. The Maintenance Manager collaborates closely with plant management and global leadership to drive operational excellence. Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned. Team Leadership & Development Lead, develop, and mentor a team of maintenance technicians and support staff. Provide training to ensure best practices in safety, troubleshooting, and equipment maintenance. Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement. Implement new processes, systems and structures by actively managing the people side of change to maximize employee adoption, minimize resistance and achieve desired outcomes. Maintenance Strategy & Reliability Implement proactive maintenance programs and reliability engineering principles to maximize equipment uptime and reduce failures. Drive Breakdown Elimination initiatives to address recurring equipment issues. Identify aging, obsolete, and high-risk equipment based on historical data and develop strategic proposals for its replacement. Utilize Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to track and enhance maintenance performance. Budgeting & Cost Control Develop and manage the maintenance budget, optimizing costs for labor, spare parts, and contracted services. Identify opportunities for cost savings through efficiency improvements, asset optimization, and waste reduction. Storeroom & Spare Parts Management Oversee storeroom operations to maintain optimal inventory levels of spare parts and critical components. Implement best practices for inventory control, cycle counting, and supplier management to prevent stockouts and minimize costs. Adopt planned maintenance kitting practices to improve maintenance efficiency. Utilize CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) to track parts usage and automate reordering. Grounds & Facility Management Ensure grounds and facility maintenance comply with safety, regulatory, and environmental standards. Manage infrastructure, including HVAC, electrical systems, plumbing, and building repairs. External Contractor Management Coordinate and oversee external contractors performing maintenance work. Ensure compliance with safety protocols, work scope, and company policies. Negotiate and manage service contracts for cost-effective, high-quality services. Cross-Functional Collaboration Work closely with plant management, production, and engineering teams to align maintenance activities with operational goals. Interface with global leadership to drive corporate maintenance initiatives. Ensure compliance with company policies, industry regulations, and safety standards. Supervisory Responsibilities This position has supervisory responsibilities for the maintenance team across all shifts in a 24/7 manufacturing environment. Qualifications & Experience Bachelor's degree in engineering, Industrial Maintenance, or a related field; or equivalent technical training and experience. 3+ years of maintenance leadership experience in an industrial manufacturing environment. Strong knowledge of mechanical, electrical, and pneumatic systems. Experience with CMMS software and reliability maintenance strategies. Excellent problem-solving, decision-making, and project management skills. Strong communication and leadership abilities, with a focus on team development and collaboration. Computer skills should include but not limited to: MS Office products, MS Project, ERP systems, CMMS systems, understanding of controls systems and basic ladder logic principles Technical writing skills and skills in the presentation of technical information, for effective delivery of complex information to audiences of technical, professional, and layman. Knowledge of food product manufacturing equipment including but not limited to meat grinders, reactor vessels, spray dryers, and dry blend equipment is highly desired. Previous experience with food safety programs, including HACCP and cGMPs is beneficial. Physical Demands The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to sit and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 55 pounds. Work Environment The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to wet and/or humid conditions; moving mechanical parts; high, precarious places and fumes or airborne particles. The employee is occasionally exposed to toxic or caustic chemicals; outside weather conditions; extreme cold and extreme heat. The noise level in the work environment is usually loud. Appropriate PPE use required. AFB International is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, national origin, or veteran status. Ensign-Bickford Industries, (EBI), founded in 1836, is a privately-owned high technology conglomerate that participates in businesses that are relevant to the future of the world and have multigenerational growth prospects. As One EBI, we innovate in science and technology for the safety, health, and well-being of society, creating exceptional long-term value. Watch the video above to learn more about some of the incredible challenges we take on every day to deliver the best product for our customers, and ultimately the world. Ensign-Bickford Industries (EBI) is a global science and technology organization with unparalleled leadership positions in attractive industries and markets. We are EBI, positioned to take on some of the world's most complex technological and scientific challenges in diagnostics, pet food science, and aerospace and defense. Click here to learn about our Core Values We conduct business in a manner that reflects the highest human and ethical standards. With that commitment to mutually beneficial partnerships and a belief in the efficacy of genuine economic and social service, this cornerstone is the foundation of who we are as a company and our winning vision. AFB International AFB is the leader in pet food flavor enhancers. Ensuring product performance for pet food manufacturers—and their customers—is our business. ⠀ Cawood Cawood is the UK's leading scientific group, recognized for its technical capability and value-added service to customers in land-based industries. ⠀ Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Company EBAD is a global leader in precision energetic systems and other innovative explosives, non-explosive and electromechanical solutions for the defense and aerospace markets. ⠀ EnviroLogix EnviroLogix is an industry leader in the development and manufacturing of tests for the rapid detection of GMOs and mycotoxins throughout the worldwide food production chain.