Liberty Maintenance Manager

Liberty Maintenance Manager

Job Title: Liberty Maintenance Manager
Department: Maintenance
Reports To: Head of Maintenance
FLSA Status: Exempt
Location: Liberty
Work Arrangement: Onsite
Shift / Schedule: 1st
Travel Requirements: Minimal; travel between plants occasionally when needed
Employment Type: Full-time

Role Overview / Purpose and Scope

The Maintenance Manager provides hands-on leadership to Farmer Focus production facilities in Harrisonburg, VA. This role is responsible for leading maintenance operations, supporting safe and reliable plant performance, overseeing maintenance teams, and ensuring the successful completion of machine maintenance, troubleshooting, repair, and improvement of food processing and ancillary equipment.

The Maintenance Manager plays a key role in supporting the production of Farmer Focus premium organic chicken by maintaining a safety-first mindset, partnering with Operations, managing reliability improvement initiatives, and leading projects that support established performance metrics. This position is responsible for preventive maintenance programs, reliability improvement, downtime reduction, maintenance training, repair and maintenance spending, capital projects, plant systems, support equipment, and safety program facilitation.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide hands-on leadership to maintenance teams supporting production facilities.

• Facilitate implementation of preventive maintenance programs.

• Ensure production machines and support equipment are running at maximum efficiency.

• Oversee machine maintenance, troubleshooting, repair, and improvement of food processing and ancillary equipment.

• Initiate corrective, preventive, and continuous improvement opportunities.

• Actively participate in developing, implementing, and verifying corrective and improvement actions.

• Provide a safe working environment for all employees and support achievement of acceptable incident rates.

• Seek, develop, implement, and facilitate training programs for Maintenance personnel.

• Partner with Plant Managers to develop, implement, and facilitate training programs for Maintenance Group Leads, Manufacturing Technicians, and Maintenance Technicians.

• Interact directly with the Complex Manager to support effective preventive maintenance and reduction of downtime.

• Maintain open communication channels to support positive internal customer relations.

• Control repair and maintenance spending.

• Ensure timely ordering of materials and parts for the plant.

• Maintain responsibility for plant systems and support equipment.

• Maintain responsibility for plant repair and maintenance needs and operating supplies.

• Manage capital projects.

• Audit production equipment to identify maintenance, safety, reliability, or improvement needs.

• Facilitate Lockout/Tagout, Hot Work Permit, Confined Space Entry, Workplace Inspections, OSHA Inspections, Safety Bulletin, General Safety, and Respiratory Protection safety programs.

• Plan, select, develop, coach, and lead a strong maintenance team.

• Lead improvement efforts in maintenance reliability, predictive maintenance, and preventive maintenance.

• Support compliance with safety standards, company policies, regulatory expectations, and plant procedures.

• Perform all other related duties as assigned by Management.

Compensation: $125,000 - $150,000

Benefits

Farmer Focus offers a competitive total rewards package designed to support team members’ health, financial well-being, and professional growth. Available offerings may include weekly payroll, paid time off and sick leave, semi-subsidized medical coverage, dental and vision plan options, a 401(k) plan with company match, HSA and FSA, education reimbursement opportunities, employee assistance programs (EAP), and internal learning, development, and career growth programs.

All benefits, programs, and offerings are subject to eligibility requirements, plan terms, and company policies, and may be changed, amended, or discontinued by Farmer Focus at any time.

Qualifications

• 5 years of experience in maintenance management.

• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of advanced equipment maintenance tracking software applications.

• Demonstrated knowledge of safety standards programs and formal building maintenance programs.

• Ability and proficiency with cost/benefit analysis and capital expenditure justification.

• Thorough understanding of Total Productive Maintenance and/or reliability work processes.

• Demonstrated expertise in facility maintenance management, staff supervision, budgeting, and maintenance training.

• Significant leadership skills in managing maintenance workers in problem solving, communication, time management, and multitasking.

• Experience leading improvement efforts in maintenance reliability, predictive maintenance, and preventive maintenance.

• Ability to plan, select, and develop a maintenance team.

• Ability to manage repair and maintenance spending, operating supplies, materials, parts, and capital projects.

• Ability to work cross-functionally with Plant Managers, the Complex Manager, Operations, Maintenance leaders, technicians, and other internal partners.

• Working knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel.

• Ability to learn various PC-based production and operations applications.

• Ability and willingness to work safely, including wearing and using appropriate personal protective equipment.

• Ability to perform the essential functions of the role with or without reasonable accommodation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, Agricultural Engineering, or a related discipline.

• Experience working in a food or beverage operation.

• Experience in poultry processing, food processing, manufacturing, production, or operations.

• Experience managing capital expenditure projects in a production or manufacturing environment.

• Experience facilitating safety programs, including Lockout/Tagout, Hot Work Permit, Confined Space Entry, Workplace Inspections, OSHA Inspections, General Safety, and Respiratory Protection.

• Experience with maintenance reliability systems, CMMS tools, predictive maintenance tools, and preventive maintenance planning.

New team members must be able to pass a drug, alcohol and background screening post-offer and prior to the start of their employment. The Immigration Reform and Control Act requires that verification of employment eligibility be documented for all new employees by the end of their third day of work.

Work Environment, Physical Demands, and Travel

Work is conducted primarily in a manufacturing and poultry production environment. This role requires access to production areas, maintenance areas, plant systems, support equipment areas, and other operational spaces throughout the facility. The team member must be able to tolerate varying heat, wet, and chill conditions within the plant. The team member may be exposed to temperatures ranging from approximately 28 degrees to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, including ambient and high-humidity conditions. The team member may handle product ranging from approximately 25 degrees to 50 degrees Fahrenheit and may be exposed to noise levels ranging from approximately 50 dB to 110 dB. The team member may also be exposed to chemicals used in poultry and food processing facilities. Hearing and eye-protective equipment are required in the production area. Hair and beard nets are required in the production area. Additional personal protective equipment may be required based on task, location, and safety requirements. This position may require standing, walking, bending, reaching, climbing, working near production equipment, inspecting equipment, accessing maintenance areas, and responding to plant operational needs in a fast-paced environment. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

This position does not have an application deadline. Farmer Focus will recruit until the role is filled.

Recruiter and Agency Disclaimer

Unsolicited resumes or candidate profiles submitted by staffing agencies, recruiters, or search firms to any Farmer Focus employee without a current written agreement and an active, role-specific request from the Recruiting team will be considered the property of Farmer Focus. Farmer Focus will not pay a fee for any placement resulting from the receipt of an unsolicited resume or candidate profile.

All external recruiters and agency partners supporting Farmer Focus searches must comply with applicable federal, state, and local employment laws, including compensation transparency requirements and restrictions on seeking salary history where applicable.

About Farmer Focus

Farmer Focus exists to promote and protect generational family farms by shifting farm-level decision-making and chicken ownership back to farmers and empowering them to farm the way they know is best. We are committed to producing 100% organic and humanely raised chicken that is better for people, the planet, and animals. Our culture is grounded in servant leadership and guided by our CARES values: Community, Accountability, Respect, Excellence, and Stewardship. Our top priorities are people, safety, and quality. At Farmer Focus, our vision is to disrupt the status quo by creating bold opportunities for people who demand more and deserve better.

Or: EOE, including disability/vets