Chief Engineer

Chief Engineer

Job Category: Engineering Requisition Number: CHIEF004496

Posted: June 3, 2026

Full-Time

On-site

Newport News, VA 23605, USA

Description

SHIFT: 1st

Why you will love working at Maola®:

• Built on over a century of dedication, Maola is always looking ahead—investing in our people, strengthening our communities, and securing fresh, local dairy for the future.
• Join a farmer-owned cooperative rooted in integrity, sustainability, and a passion for providing fresh, high-quality Maola dairy products.
• We prioritize your well-being with competitive pay and a comprehensive benefits package, including Medical, Dental, Vision, 401(k) with employer match, Life Insurance, paid time off, and more—available within your first month.
• Our employees are an integral part of who we are — what you do and what you think matters.

Starting Annual Salary: $90,000

Summary

This role is responsible for leading and overseeing all maintenance operations within the plant, ensuring the safe, efficient, and reliable functioning of equipment, machinery, and facility infrastructure. This role manages a team of maintenance professionals and works cross-functionally with other departments to support continuous production, utility systems, and facility upkeep.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Directs and coordinates the work of employees involved in the repair, maintenance, and installation of machinery, tools, and equipment, as well as the maintenance of buildings and grounds.
• Oversees the preventive maintenance program, including its development, scheduling, and completion.
• Ensures compliance with all applicable safety rules and company policies; sets a positive example for safety leadership.
• Reviews and prioritizes work orders to ensure timely and effective completion.
• Responsible for the development and management of the annual repair and maintenance budget, including monthly performance tracking.
• Leads capital projects from start to finish – including bid collection, capital request submissions, project tracking, and completion timelines.
• Maintains the maintenance shop, parts storage, and support equipment areas in a clean, organized, and safe condition.
• Coordinates repair, maintenance, and installation activities to ensure minimal disruption to production operations.
• Oversees maintenance of utility systems to provide consistent and safe delivery of heat, steam, power, gas, and compressed air.
• Leads continuous improvement initiatives related to maintenance, reliability, and equipment optimization.
• Actively supports waste reduction efforts, including decreasing machine downtime and improving throughput.
• Facilitate cross-shift and departmental communication through shift handoffs, in-person pass-downs, and routine shift meetings.
• Requisitions necessary tools, equipment, and supplies to support operational needs.
• Participates in plant and operational performance reviews and metric-driven evaluations.
• Must be available on-call to respond to maintenance emergencies during off-shifts, including weekends and holidays.

Basic Requirements

• High School Diploma or Equivalent.
• Technical Degree Preferred.
• Associates or Undergraduate Degree Preferred.
• Experience in dairy processing technologies and food safety standards preferred.
• Experience in NH3 (Ammonia) refrigeration and wastewater pretreatment preferred.
• Minimum 8 years experience in maintenance, equipment repair, or a related field.
• Minimum 6 years of supervisory or leadership experience in an industrial or manufacturing environment.
• Minimum 5 years experience with Preventative Maintenance Programs and CMMS Systems.
• Minimum 5 years of experience troubleshooting and repairing PLCs, VFDs, and industrial electrical systems preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of advanced Microsoft Excel experience, including reporting, KPI tracking, data analysis, and budgeting preferred.

Competencies

• Communication
  • Communicate clearly and effectively through multiple channels – oral, written, visual, and non-verbal – ensuring our messages are understood and delivered appropriately, whether in-person or digitally.
• Accountability
  • Take responsibility for actions and anticipate challenges before they arise.
  • Solve problems both within and outside of departments, proactively addressing issues as they occur.
• Customer Focused
  • Prioritize understanding and meeting both internal and external customer needs.
  • Ensure high levels of satisfaction and loyalty by anticipating customer requirements and striving for exceptional service.
• Initiative
  • Proactive in identifying opportunities and addressing potential threats.
  • Act independently and decisively, rather than waiting for situations to demand action.
• Problem-Solving
  • Possess the ability to identify and address complex issues with minimal guidance.
  • Skilled at analyzing challenges and finding practical, effective solutions.
• Collaboration
  • Take responsibility for deliverables while also supporting others to ensure that collective goals are met.
  • Able to work harmoniously with others toward a common goal, recognizing and valuing each person's contributions, is fundamental to successful collaboration.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk and hear. The employee is frequently required to stand and walk. The employee must be able to reach, bend, extend, and lift 50-60 pounds.

Work Environment

• The work environment may require working in the cooler room with varying degrees of temperature and may include contact with water or dairy liquids.
• Exposed to a noise level of 90 decibels. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate/high. Wet/slippery work conditions.

Maola Local Dairies™ is a farmer-owned cooperative sustainably producing a full suite of nutritious dairy products. Maola processes milk, cream, butter, and dry milk powders through our network of six dairy processing plants. With a keen eye on quality, freshness, and love for the environment, Maola delivers dairy products that are both nutritious and sustainable to our local communities. For more information about Maola, please visit

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other legally protected status.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.