Plant Maintenance Manager

Job Description Job Title: Plant Maintenance Manager Location: Garden City, KS Hire Type: Direct Hire Target Salary Range: $105,000 - $120,000/year Benefits: Medical, dental, vision, PTO, 401(k), and additional company benefits. Must-Have Skills: Maintenance leadership experience in a manufacturing or production environment Preventive maintenance (PM), corrective maintenance, and emergency maintenance programs Ammonia refrigeration systems and boiler systems experience (required) Strong troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and KPI-driven maintenance performance CMMS systems experience OSHA compliance, GMP standards, and industrial safety programs Maintenance planning, scheduling, and uptime optimization Spare parts / inventory management for maintenance operations Team leadership, supervision, coaching, and employee development Job Summary: We are seeking a Maintenance Manager to lead the maintenance department at a high-volume manufacturing facility in Garden City, KS. This role is responsible for ensuring reliable operation of plant equipment and facilities through strong preventive maintenance programs, rapid response to breakdowns, and effective team leadership. The Maintenance Manager will oversee maintenance technicians, drive equipment reliability, manage CMMS systems, ensure compliance with OSHA and food safety standards, and support continuous improvement initiatives to improve uptime, efficiency, and cost control. Job Duties: Lead, supervise, and develop the maintenance team, including hiring, training, coaching, scheduling, and performance management Oversee preventive, corrective, and emergency maintenance programs to maximize uptime and equipment reliability Serve as escalation point for critical equipment failures and downtime events Ensure safe operation and maintenance of ammonia refrigeration systems, boilers, and plant utilities Drive root cause analysis and continuous improvement initiatives to reduce repeat failures and improve KPI performance Manage CMMS system usage for work orders, maintenance tracking, and reporting Oversee maintenance planning, scheduling, and prioritization of workload to reduce downtime and unnecessary overtime Manage spare parts inventory and maintenance supplies to ensure operational readiness Ensure compliance with OSHA regulations, GMP standards, and company safety policies Partner with engineering, production, and leadership teams to improve equipment performance and facility reliability Support capital improvement planning, equipment evaluation, and cost-reduction initiatives Maintain effective communication with leadership on equipment performance, risks, and improvement opportunities Qualifications: 5-8+ years of maintenance, mechanical, or industrial engineering experience in a manufacturing environment 1+ year of leadership or supervisory experience required (maintenance management experience preferred) Strong hands-on knowledge of industrial equipment, facility systems, and production maintenance practices Required experience with ammonia refrigeration systems and boiler systems Experience in preventive and corrective maintenance programs in a production environment Strong troubleshooting, analytical thinking, and root cause problem-solving skills Experience with CMMS systems and maintenance KPI tracking Knowledge of OSHA regulations and industrial safety standards Experience managing maintenance schedules, budgets, and spare parts inventory Strong leadership, communication, and team development skills Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with changing operational needs Food, beverage, or dairy manufacturing experience preferred but not required Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or genetic information. Meet Your Recruiter Alicia Alexander Technical Recruiter & Team Mentor Alicia Alexander is a Technical Recruiter and Team Mentor at Sterling Engineering with four years of recruiting experience and nearly three years with Sterling. She specializes in engineering, manufacturing, and technical recruiting, supporting roles across maintenance, reliability, operations, engineering, and industrial environments, including food and life sciences. Alicia is passionate about helping people find careers where they feel genuinely happy, supported, and positioned for long-term growth. She enjoys building meaningful relationships with candidates, helping them take the next step in their careers, and supporting companies as they build strong, high-performing teams. With a background in psychology and human resources from North Central College, Alicia brings a people-focused approach to recruiting. Her understanding of relationship building, communication, and candidate motivation helps her create successful matches between talent and opportunity. Alicia is known for developing strong partnerships with both candidates and hiring managers, with a focus on creating long-term placements that benefit both the individual and the organization. View phone number on click.appcast.io View email address on click.appcast.io Connect on LinkedIn Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or genetic information. As one of the most respected names in engineering staffing, Sterling has hundreds of opportunities with top employers. If you've got a friend or colleague seeking their next move in engineering, we could have their next opportunity. We offer a referral bonus for every referral that we place. Submit referral now.