Maintenance Manager

Join Our Team at LaClare Creamery!

LaClare Creamery is seeking an experienced Maintenance Manager to lead our plant maintenance operations at our cheese manufacturing facility in Malone, WI. This role is responsible for overseeing maintenance strategy, safety, reliability, and continuous improvement to support efficient production and regulatory compliance.

Why You’ll Love This Role

As the Maintenance Manager, you’ll lead a skilled maintenance team in a collaborative, safety‑focused environment. This role combines hands‑on leadership with strategic planning, offering the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on equipment performance, food safety, and continuous improvement initiatives across the facility.

Location: Malone, WI – role is 100% on site

Reports to: Director of Facilities & Capital Projects

What You’ll Do

• Lead and manage the Maintenance Department in alignment with company standards and operational goals.
• Partner with Production and Quality leadership to complete all maintenance work within production areas.
• Oversee daily maintenance operations to ensure tasks are completed accurately, on time, and safely.
• Supervise maintenance safety practices and ensure compliance with company policies and regulatory requirements.
• Research and implement methods, equipment, and technologies to improve safety, quality, and efficiency.
• Address equipment issues impacting quality or food safety immediately and prevent recurrence.

What We’re Looking For

We’re looking for a strong people leader with technical expertise, integrity, and a continuous‑improvement mindset. The ideal candidate will also bring:

• Proven leadership experience managing maintenance teams in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to effectively collaborate across departments.
• Experience with preventative maintenance programs, parts inventory management, and maintenance documentation.
• Ability to analyze issues, drive root‑cause solutions, and implement improvements.
• High level of professionalism, accountability, and ethical conduct.
• Ability to positively receive feedback and continuously develop themselves and their team.

Why Join LaClare Creamery?

• Lead critical maintenance operations supporting award‑winning products.
• Opportunities for continuous learning and advancement.
• A supportive team environment that values safety, respect, and professionalism.
• Competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits package.

Key Tasks & Responsibilities

• Work with Production Manager, Quality Manager, and production team to complete all maintenance tasks within production areas.
• Supervision: Oversee daily maintenance operations to ensure all tasks are being completed on time and accurately.
• Safety: Supervise maintenance safety practices and training to be compliant with company expectations and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain and control repair and maintenance, utilities and expense related to maintenance costs.
• Address equipment problems related to quality or safety at once and work to prevent recurrence.
• Research methods and equipment to improve quality, safety, and efficiency.
• Establish and maintain superior organization with parts inventory, PM program, records, and shop cleanliness.
• Ensure that critical parts are in stock or readily available to reduce downtime.
• Supervise maintenance programs to sustain audit-ready standards every day.
• Pasteurizer: Familiar with pasteurization concepts, equipment, and regulatory requirements.
• Inspections: Maintenance liaison for regulatory and customer inspections.
• Projects: Significant role for production projects, new equipment, and expansion.
• Production Process: Knowledge of PC based machine control systems.
• Operates and maintains wastewater treatment, sludge processing and handling equipment.
• Assists and leads with environmental documentation and reporting but not limited to water and waste.
• Lean improvement: Lead efforts to optimize organization, labor efficiency, maintenance improvements and reduce overall cost per pound.
• Assists in corresponding with a variety of regulatory agencies.
• Effectively promotes Company values and culture drivers.
• Perform all duties in a safe manner.
• All other duties as assigned.

Experience, Skills & Attributes

• 5-10 years of maintenance experience in a manufacturing setting (dairy/food industry is a plus).
• 3+ years of supervisory/leadership experience, including team development
• Strong verbal communication and active listening skills, with the ability to clearly share information in one‑on‑one and group settings
• Consistent, organized, and self‑disciplined professional with a commitment to continuous learning. High emotional intelligence and keeps personal biases out of the decision-making process.
• Stays on top of the food safety regulations and industry trends for the creamery and the entire organization.
• Portrays unquestionable integrity in all dealings and relationships. Gives honest and accurate accounting of self, others, and situations.
• Attending to every detail of our business with a sense of urgency, enthusiasm, and thoroughness as if failure to do so would result in a lost vat of cheese or customers.
• Adaptable and resilient mindset with a positive attitude toward change and continuous improvement.
• Self‑motivated learner focused on ongoing personal and professional development.
• Open to feedback and performance evaluations, with a proactive approach to improvement.
• Stay current on cheese making techniques and food safety regulations used by professionals in the industry. Read and study available literature about all aspects of cheese making (making techniques, pressing, aging, etc.).
• Be able to safely lift 80+lbs occasionally, stand for 8 hours/day and frequently twist, bend, climb, grasp, and other repetitive movements.
• Ability to perform work in environments with varying temperatures including hot conditions and cold storage