Maintenance Manager

• Department: Operations

Company Description

At Link Snacks , we show up hungry, roll up our sleeves, plaid or otherwise, and dive straight into the hard work. We don’t hide from challenges; we hunt them down. We push harder, move faster, and take the kinds of big swings that built this business in the North Woods of Wisconsin four decades ago.

We’re everyday people who deliver extraordinary results. Innovation, creativity, and urgency aren’t buzzwords, they’re expectations. And just like the real protein snacks we make across our global house of brands— Jack Link’s® , Lorissa’s Kitchen® , Golden Island® , BiFi® , and Peperami® and KOOEE!® to name a few—there’s nothing artificial about us. What you see is exactly what you get: humble, gritty, passionate people who show up every day ready to not just be a participate in the meat snack industry that the Link Family created, but to move faster, innovate harder and keep raising the bar so high, the rest of the world needs a ladder just to see it.

Dominating this space across the world takes a team. A team that runs together, succeeds together, and celebrates together. A team that’s full of relentless energy and spirit that can only be fueled by one thing: a fist full of our delicious meat snacks.

Real Meat Protein. Real People. Real Results. THAT is Link Snacks!

Job Description

The Maintenance Manager oversees the completion of the day-to-day activities involving the maintenance of the building/facility, equipment and machinery, including HVAC, lighting, ammonia refrigeration, utility systems (i.e. boilers, hot water, glycol, etc.), wastewater treatment plant, automated process and packaging equipment, ovens, material handling equipment (LGV’s), grounds keeping, security and overall facility appearance.

The position is responsible for the overall effort of the Maintenance Department, including Maintenance Supervisors, Planners, Schedulers and Technicians, and coordinates the work of team members who repair and maintain building/facility and equipment.

Perform administrative duties necessary for the effective management of the department, including team member safety, selection and development, salary and budget administration, team member counseling and motivation, organization goals and objectives, planning, organizing, integrating, measuring, and reporting the work performed within the department.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Directly supervises Maintenance Supervisors, Assistant Maintenance Manager, Maintenance Materials Manager, Asset Planner, and Administrative Assistant.
• Lead and promote a safety-first culture by actively supporting the site’s Health & Safety program and ensuring compliance with all Food Safety and Quality requirements.
• Serve as the Plant Progressive Maintenance (PM) Pillar Leader, providing strategic and operational leadership for the maintenance function and developing the plant’s 2–3-year maintenance and reliability strategy.
• Manage and continuously improve preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance programs by leveraging industry best practices, manufacturer specifications, and reliability-centered maintenance principles to maximize equipment uptime and operational performance.
• Lead, coach, develop, and mentor maintenance technicians, coordinators, and support staff through performance feedback, training, and technical guidance to build a high-performing maintenance organization.
• Establish, maintain, and optimize inspection schedules, service checklists, work orders, repair plans, maintenance records, and technical documentation to ensure equipment reliability and regulatory compliance.
• Utilize KPIs, root cause analysis, and corrective action methodologies to monitor maintenance performance, eliminate recurring failures, and drive sustainable improvements in equipment reliability and plant performance.
• Champion Continuous Improvement initiatives utilizing TPM, SMED, PDCA, Breakdown Elimination (6W2H), Centerline, CIL, and other operational excellence tools to improve productivity, reliability, and cost performance.
• Lead the implementation, administration, and optimization of the Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) to support maintenance planning, scheduling, asset management, and execution of the Progressive Maintenance Pillar.
• Partner with Operations, Engineering, and site leadership to develop and execute maintenance and reliability plans, including defined deliverables, performance metrics, and long-term asset strategies.
• Manage maintenance-related capital projects and annual capital budgets to enhance capacity, efficiency, infrastructure, safety, quality, and overall plant performance.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with OEMs, contractors, and vendors; negotiate and manage service agreements; define project scopes; and oversee contractor and field service activities to ensure quality, cost, and performance objectives are achieved.
• Provide technical leadership and hands-on support as needed to troubleshoot equipment issues, resolve complex failures, and minimize production downtime.
• Continuously improve maintenance standards, processes, and training programs to enhance team capability, technical expertise, and operational effectiveness.
• Serve as an active member of the Plant Steering Team, contributing to site strategy, performance, and continuous improvement objectives.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Maintenance, or a related technical field;or relevant work experience
• 5 + years of experience in a Maintenance Manager, Maintenance Superintendent, Reliability Manager, or similar maintenance leadership role.
• Experience leading maintenance teams in a manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated experience with industrial wastewater treatment operations, ammonia refrigeration systems, and Process Safety Management (PSM) programs within a food or beverage manufacturing environment.
• Lean Manufacturing and Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) experience, including implementation of preventive and predictive maintenance programs to improve equipment reliability, uptime, and operational efficiency.
• Working knowledge of Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS).
• Strong leadership, project management, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Engineering, Business Administration (MBA), Operations Management, or a related discipline preferred.
• CMRP (Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional), ARP (Asset Reliability Practitioner), CFM (Certified Facility Manager), or other maintenance and reliability certifications preferred.
• Food, beverage, protein, or consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturing experience.
• Experience supporting 24/7 manufacturing facilities.
• Experience managing maintenance operations in USDA- or FDA-regulated manufacturing environments.

Additional Information

The salary range for this role is$140,000.00 - $160,000.00 (Annually). Actual salaries will vary based on several factors, including but not limited to external market data, internal equity, location, and candidate skill set and experience. Base pay is just one component of Jack Link’s Total Rewards package for Team Members. Other rewards may include annual incentive and program-specific awards. Link Snacks provides a variety of benefits to eligible Team Members, including medical, dental and vision benefits, life and disability insurance, 401k participation, paid holidays, and paid time off.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a Team Member to be 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 Team Member is regularly required to sit, use hands to finger, handle, or feel and talk or hear. The Team Member is occasionally required to stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms. The Team Member must occasionally lift and/or more up to twenty-five pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a Team Member encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The work environment is a plant/office setting with varying degrees of temperatures and noise levels. Exposure to manufacturing equipment movement and wet/slippery floors. However, the vast amount of work is conducted in a climate-controlled office. Travel may be required.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER: Link Snacks provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic that is protected by federal, state or local law.

E-VERIFY: Link Snacks is participant in the federal E-Verify program to confirm the identity and employment authorization of all newly hired employees. For information about the E-Verify program, please visit: