Plant Maintenance Supervisor - Dairy Manufacturing

Join Crystal Creamery

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.

Key Responsibilities

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.

Crystal Creamery is an Equal Employment opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, traits historically associated with race, including but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles (such as braids, locks, and twists), color, national origin, ancestry, creed, religion, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition as defined by applicable state law (including cancer and predisposing genetic characteristics in California), genetic information, marital status, familial status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, sexual orientation (actual or perceived), transgender status, sex stereotyping, age, military or veteran status, domestic violence or sexual assault victim status, or any other basis protected by applicable law.