Plant Maintenance Supervisor - Dairy Manufacturing

Maintenance Supervisor

Crystal Creamery, California's leading dairy manufacturer, is seeking an experienced Maintenance Supervisor to join our Modesto manufacturing team. This is an excellent opportunity for a hands-on leader who thrives in a fast-paced manufacturing environment and is passionate about equipment reliability, employee development, safety, and continuous improvement.

As the Maintenance Supervisor, you will lead a skilled maintenance team responsible for maximizing equipment uptime, supporting production operations, and ensuring all maintenance activities are performed safely, efficiently, and in compliance with regulatory standards.

Leadership & Team Development

Lead, coach, mentor, and develop a team of Maintenance Mechanics and Technicians.

Plan and assign daily work activities while ensuring priorities are met.

Conduct employee training, performance evaluations, coaching, and corrective action as needed.

Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, safety, and continuous improvement.

Maintenance Operations

Direct all corrective, preventive, and predictive maintenance activities.

Troubleshoot mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, and PLC-related equipment issues.

Coordinate emergency repairs to minimize production downtime.

Work with outside contractors and vendors when specialized repairs or installations are required.

Ensure equipment reliability and maximize plant productivity.

Planning & Scheduling

Develop and manage preventive maintenance schedules using the company's CMMS.

Coordinate maintenance activities with Production, Engineering, Sanitation, and Quality departments.

Prioritize work orders to support production schedules while minimizing operational disruptions.

Assist with equipment installations, upgrades, and capital improvement projects.

Safety & Regulatory Compliance

Ensure compliance with all OSHA, FDA, SQF, GMP, environmental, and company safety standards.

Conduct routine safety inspections and maintenance audits.

Promote safe work practices, including Lockout/Tagout (LOTO), confined space, and machine guarding requirements.

Maintain accurate maintenance documentation and regulatory records.

Inventory & Budget Management

Manage maintenance parts inventory and spare equipment.

Monitor maintenance expenditures and help manage departmental budgets.

Identify cost-saving opportunities while maintaining equipment reliability and product quality.

Coordinate purchasing of maintenance supplies and equipment.

Continuous Improvement

Analyze maintenance metrics including downtime, PM compliance, and equipment reliability.

Lead root cause analysis and corrective action efforts.

Recommend and implement process improvements to increase efficiency and reduce costs.

Support Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives.

Collaboration & Communication

Partner with Production, Engineering, Quality Assurance, and Plant Leadership to achieve operational goals.

Communicate maintenance priorities and equipment status effectively across departments.

Build strong working relationships with employees, contractors, and vendors.

Qualifications

Required

Minimum of 5 years of industrial maintenance experience in a manufacturing environment.

Minimum of 2 years of supervisory or leadership experience.

Strong knowledge of industrial mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, and PLC systems.

Experience using Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS).

Excellent leadership, communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

Ability to prioritize multiple tasks in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Preferred

Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical field.

Experience in dairy, food, or beverage manufacturing.

Knowledge of food safety standards including GMPs, SQF, and FDA regulations.

Experience with Continuous Improvement or Lean Manufacturing methodologies.

Physical & Work Requirements

Ability to lift, carry, push, and pull equipment and materials as needed.

Ability to work in a manufacturing environment with varying temperatures, moisture, noise, and moving machinery.

Must be available to work off-shifts, weekends, holidays, and respond to emergency maintenance situations as business needs require.

Ability to stand, walk, bend, climb ladders, and perform physical work throughout the shift.