Facilities Manager

Job Function: The Facilities Manager is responsible for the safe, reliable, and cost-effective operation of Bradford’s West Warwick, Rhode Island manufacturing facility, including its production equipment, building systems, utilities, and grounds. Reporting to the COO and EVP of Operations, this role leads the in-house maintenance team and outside contractors to keep the plant running, protect employees, and meet regulatory, quality, and customer requirements. The position requires strong technical and mechanical knowledge, hands-on leadership of a skilled maintenance workforce in a unionized environment, and the ability to balance day-to-day reliability with longer-term planning for capital projects, energy use, and facility improvements.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Maintenance Team Leadership

• Lead, schedule, and supervise the maintenance team, including assigning work, setting daily priorities, and ensuring appropriate coverage across shifts.
• Recruit, train, and develop maintenance staff in partnership with Human Resources; identify skill gaps and support cross-training in mechanical work.
• Administer the collective bargaining agreement as it applies to maintenance employees, including work assignments, scheduling, and overtime, and partner with the VP of Human Resources on attendance, discipline, and grievance matters.
• Set clear performance expectations for maintenance staff and provide regular feedback, coaching, and recognition.

Equipment, Building Systems, and Maintenance Programs

• Ensure proper maintenance, repair, and appearance of the facility, including production and filling equipment, material handling and transfer systems, boilers and steam distribution, compressed air, water, and plumbing systems.
• Own the preventive maintenance and work order program, including scheduling, completion tracking, and maintenance history records, using the site’s computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) or work order system.
• Improve equipment reliability by analyzing recurring breakdowns, leading root cause investigations, and implementing corrective actions that reduce unplanned downtime.
• Manage spare parts and maintenance supply inventory to balance parts availability with cost.
• Support new equipment installations, line changes, and production start-ups in partnership with Operations, Engineering, and Quality.

Safety, Compliance, and Quality (In partnership with the EHS Department)

• Provide constant attention to safety and ensure maintenance work follows OSHA requirements and site safety programs, including lockout/tagout, confined space, hot work, working at heights, and electrical safety.
• Ensure building emergency and life-safety systems (e.g., fire alarm, sprinkler and suppression systems, emergency lighting, extinguishers) are inspected, tested, and maintained through in-house inspections and vendor service contracts.
• Establish and maintain systems and records to meet permit conditions and applicable environmental, fire, and building code requirements; support regulatory inspections as needed.
• Maintain facility conditions that support current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP), sanitation, pest control, and customer and third-party audit requirements; partner with Quality to close audit findings and corrective actions.
• Ensure contractors working on site meet Bradford’s safety, insurance, and site orientation requirements.

Vendors, Projects, and Budget

• Manage vendor and contractor relationships for facility services, including scope of work, requests for proposals, bids, contracts, deliverables, and evaluation of vendor performance.
• Plan and manage facility projects and capital improvements, including scope, budget, schedule, and coordination with Production to minimize disruption.
• Develop and manage the facilities and maintenance budget and track spending against plan.
• Prepare cost analyses, capital requests, and energy management strategies to reduce utility costs and improve efficiency.
• Track and report maintenance and facility metrics (e.g., preventive maintenance completion, downtime, work order backlog, spend against budget) to the COO and EVP of Operations.

General

• Anticipate, identify, prioritize, and resolve problems through effective planning and scheduling.
• Respond to after-hours facility and equipment emergencies, including on-call availability as needed.
• Partner with department managers and Operations, Quality, and Human Resources personnel to support site goals.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

1. Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Facilities Management, or a related field preferred; an equivalent combination of education, trade credentials, and directly relevant experience will be considered in lieu of a degree.
2. 5–10 years of facilities or maintenance experience in a manufacturing environment, including experience supervising maintenance or facilities personnel.
3. Experience in a regulated manufacturing environment (e.g., personal care, consumer products, food, or pharmaceutical) is strongly preferred.
4. Experience leading employees in a unionized environment is preferred.
5. Strong mechanical aptitude and the ability to multi-task and troubleshoot manufacturing machinery and support systems.
6. Intermediate to advanced knowledge of building trades, including electrical, plumbing, welding, steam distribution, and mechanical systems and equipment repair.
7. Working knowledge of OSHA standards, basic construction, and building and fire code requirements.
8. Experience managing contractors, vendors, budgets, and capital projects.
9. Experience with a CMMS or work order system and proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook).
10. Excellent problem-solving and diagnostic skills, with a high degree of attention to detail.
11. Strong supervisory and communication skills, with the ability to communicate clearly and plainly with hourly maintenance and production employees and professionally with leadership, auditors, and vendors.

Work Environment

Regular exposure to an active manufacturing environment, including the production floor, mechanical rooms, rooftops, and outdoor grounds. The role involves exposure to noise, heat, moving machinery, and chemicals used in production, and requires the use of personal protective equipment in accordance with site safety protocols. Work requires frequent standing, walking, bending, and climbing ladders, and the ability to lift and carry up to 50 pounds. Availability outside normal business hours is required for emergencies, shutdowns, and project work. Reasonable accommodation will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this role.