MAINTENANCE SCHEDULER/PLANNER (Chicago)

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Job Description – Maintenance Planner

Position Summary

The Maintenance Planner is responsible for planning, coordinating, and scheduling preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance activities to ensure optimal equipment reliability, operational efficiency, and minimal production downtime. This position works closely with Maintenance, Operations, Engineering, and Purchasing to ensure maintenance work is properly planned, resources are available, and equipment is maintained in a safe, reliable, and cost-effective manner.

The Maintenance Planner plays a critical role in improving maintenance efficiency, maximizing equipment availability, and supporting continuous improvement initiatives across Finkl Steel's manufacturing operations, including the Melt Shop, Forge Shop, Heat Treatment, Machine Shops, and supporting facilities.

Essential Duties and Responsibilitie:

Maintenance Planning & Scheduling

• Develop, maintain, and coordinate weekly and long-term maintenance schedules in collaboration with Maintenance Supervisors and Operations leadership.
• Plan preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance activities to minimize equipment downtime and production disruptions.
• Develop detailed maintenance work packages through on-site reviews with Engineering, Maintenance Supervisors, and mechanics, including job scopes, labor estimates, parts, tools, access requirements, and safety considerations. 
• Prioritize maintenance work orders based on equipment criticality, operational requirements, and safety considerations.
• Coordinate planned equipment shutdowns and maintenance outages with Operations and Engineering.
• Identify opportunities to combine maintenance activities to improve labor efficiency and minimize equipment downtime.
• Maintain a backlog of maintenance work orders and ensure timely planning and scheduling.

Preventive Maintenance & Equipment Reliability

• Develop, review, and continuously improve preventive maintenance programs for production equipment and facility systems.
• Ensure preventive maintenance activities are properly scheduled and completed in accordance with established requirements.
• Analyze equipment failures, maintenance histories, and recurring issues to identify opportunities for improved reliability.
• Collaborate with Maintenance and Engineering to implement corrective actions that reduce unplanned downtime.
• Support predictive maintenance initiatives, including vibration analysis, oil analysis, thermography, and other condition-monitoring programs.
• Assist in establishing equipment maintenance standards, procedures, and best practices.

Work Order Management & CMMS

• Utilize the Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) to create, plan, schedule, track, and close maintenance work orders.
• Ensure work orders contain accurate equipment information, labor estimates, materials, and maintenance instructions.
• Maintain accurate equipment maintenance histories and records.
• Monitor work order completion rates, preventive maintenance compliance, and maintenance backlog.
• Identify opportunities to improve CMMS data accuracy, reporting, and overall system utilization.
• Generate maintenance reports and provide updates to Maintenance leadership regarding planned work, outstanding work orders, and equipment reliability.

Materials, Parts & Resource Coordination

• Coordinate with Purchasing, Stores, and Maintenance personnel to ensure necessary spare parts, materials, and tools are available before scheduled maintenance activities.
• Identify long-lead-time materials and coordinate procurement to prevent maintenance delays.
• Assist in identifying critical spare parts and establishing appropriate inventory levels.
• Support inventory optimization initiatives to balance equipment reliability with inventory costs.
• Coordinate outside contractors and vendors when specialized maintenance services are required.
• Verify that labor, materials, and equipment resources are available before maintenance work is scheduled.

Continuous Improvement & Performance Management

• Analyze maintenance performance data and recommend improvements to planning processes, scheduling effectiveness, and equipment reliability.
• Track and report key maintenance performance indicators, including:
  • Preventive Maintenance (PM) Compliance
  • Planned vs. Unplanned Maintenance
  • Maintenance Schedule Compliance
  • Work Order Backlog
  • Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF)
  • Mean Time to Repair (MTTR)
  • Equipment Downtime
• Participate in root cause analysis investigations for significant equipment failures.
• Identify opportunities to reduce maintenance costs, improve productivity, and increase equipment availability.
• Support the development and implementation of maintenance standard operating procedures.

Safety & Compliance

• Ensure maintenance plans incorporate applicable safety requirements, including lockout/tagout (LOTO), confined space entry, fall protection, and other applicable procedures.
• Coordinate with Maintenance Supervisors and Safety personnel to identify potential hazards associated with planned maintenance activities.
• Ensure maintenance documentation supports compliance with company policies and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Promote a proactive safety culture by incorporating safe work practices into all maintenance planning activities.

Qualifications & Experience:

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required; associate degree or technical certification in Maintenance Technology, Mechanical Engineering Technology, Industrial Technology, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of 3–5 years of experience in industrial maintenance, maintenance planning, or a related manufacturing environment.
• Working knowledge of mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, and industrial equipment systems.
• Experience using a Computerized Maintenance Management System (eMaint familiarity preferred).
• Strong understanding of preventive maintenance programs, work order management, and maintenance scheduling.
• Ability to interpret technical drawings, equipment manuals, and maintenance procedures.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Outlook, and other Microsoft Office applications.
• Experience with SAP preferred
• Effective communication skills and ability to coordinate across multiple departments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in steel manufacturing, forging, heavy industrial manufacturing, or similar environments.
• Familiarity with industrial equipment such as furnaces, forging presses, cranes, hydraulic systems, CNC machinery, pumps, compressors, and material-handling equipment.
• Experience with predictive maintenance technologies and reliability-centered maintenance practices.
• Experience planning major equipment shutdowns or maintenance outages.
• Familiarity with maintenance performance metrics and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional (CMRP) or similar certification.

Key Competencies

• Planning & Organization: Ability to manage multiple priorities, anticipate maintenance requirements, and coordinate resources effectively.
• Technical Knowledge: Strong understanding of industrial maintenance practices, equipment reliability, and manufacturing operations.
• Communication & Collaboration: Ability to work effectively with Maintenance, Operations, Engineering, Purchasing, and outside vendors.
• Problem-Solving: Ability to analyze equipment performance, identify potential issues, and develop practical solutions.
• Attention to Detail: Ensures accuracy and completeness of maintenance work packages, schedules, and documentation.
• Continuous Improvement: Proactively identifies opportunities to improve equipment reliability, maintenance efficiency, and operational performance.
• Safety Focus: Demonstrates a commitment to maintaining a safe working environment.

Physical & Work Environment Requirements

• Ability to work in both office and industrial manufacturing environments.
• Regular exposure to production areas with elevated noise levels, heat, dust, and moving industrial equipment.
• Ability to walk throughout the manufacturing facility, climb stairs, and access equipment areas as needed.
• Must comply with all company safety policies and personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements.
• Flexibility to adjust working hours as needed to support planned shutdowns, maintenance outages, and operational requirements.

Performance Expectations

Success in this position will be measured by the Maintenance Planner's ability to improve maintenance planning effectiveness, increase preventive maintenance compliance, reduce unplanned equipment downtime, maintain an organized work order backlog, and ensure maintenance activities are properly coordinated with production schedules. xhyhwjd

The Maintenance Planner is expected to support a proactive, planned-maintenance culture that improves equipment reliability and overall manufacturing performance.

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