Maintenance Lead Technician (1st shift)

Maintenance Lead

Chelten House Products, Inc. is a fourth-generation, family-owned, food industry manufacturer with facilities in Swedesboro, New Jersey. We are an industry leader widely recognized for our commitment to creating the finest tasting pasta sauces, salad dressings, salsas, ketchups, and other sauces and blends.

Benefits such as medical, vision and dental 1st of the month following start date, company-wide perks and employee appreciation events, supplemental benefits including life insurance and 401(k) contributions, team training sessions and advancement opportunities, paid time off and paid holidays, and annual performance evaluation.

We need a Maintenance Lead who is a highly skilled, hands-on member of the Maintenance team responsible for advanced troubleshooting, repair, preventive maintenance, and equipment reliability activities while serving as a first-line technical resource for Maintenance Technicians on the assigned shift.

The Maintenance Lead is expected to possess a higher level of mechanical and equipment knowledge than the Maintenance Technician and to assist Technicians in diagnosing complex equipment failures, determining appropriate repair approaches, and safely returning equipment to service. This is a working Lead position and is not a substitute for the Maintenance Supervisor. The Lead supports the Supervisor through technical coordination, communication, and escalation but does not independently administer discipline, conduct formal performance evaluations, approve time off, or make staffing decisions.

Perform all essential Maintenance Technician responsibilities while demonstrating a higher level of proficiency in mechanical troubleshooting, equipment repair, preventive maintenance, and equipment reliability. Serve as the first technical point of support for Maintenance Technicians when equipment problems require additional troubleshooting or technical expertise. Diagnose complex mechanical failures and assist Technicians in identifying root causes and appropriate corrective actions. Provide hands-on technical guidance during equipment breakdowns, repairs, changeovers, start-ups, and other maintenance activities. Help coordinate Technician response to equipment issues based on production priorities, equipment criticality, safety, food safety, and available resources. Ensure appropriate communication occurs with Operations during equipment downtime, repair, testing, and return-to-service activities. Monitor the progress of significant repairs and communicate equipment status, repair progress, resource needs, and emerging concerns to the Maintenance Supervisor. Recognize when a problem exceeds the Lead's authority, available resources, or technical capability and promptly escalate to the Maintenance Supervisor. Support execution of preventive, predictive, corrective, and planned maintenance activities and help ensure work is completed to established standards. Review completed repairs and support safe, effective equipment start-up and return to service. Assist Technicians with interpretation of equipment manuals, mechanical drawings, blueprints, schematics, and technical procedures. Support troubleshooting of mechanical systems including pumps, motors, gearboxes, conveyors, pneumatic systems, hydraulic systems, valves, bearings, seals, and other production and ancillary equipment. Identify recurring equipment failures and communicate reliability concerns and recommended follow-up actions to the Supervisor and appropriate Maintenance resources. Utilize the CMMS system to complete assigned work, document repairs, record equipment conditions and parts usage, and identify required follow-up work. Provide hands-on coaching, technical guidance, and knowledge sharing to Maintenance Technicians while reinforcing established maintenance procedures. Reinforce safe work practices, Lockout/Tagout requirements, GMPs, food safety requirements, and proper use of PPE. Support continuous improvement, asset care, and equipment reliability initiatives in partnership with Maintenance, Engineering, and Operations. Maintain assigned tools, equipment, work areas, and PPE and perform other duties as assigned by management.

The Maintenance Lead is expected to exercise sound judgment in determining when an equipment or operational issue requires Supervisor involvement. The Lead must promptly escalate situations involving safety concerns or potential employee injury, food safety, GMP, product contamination, or product integrity concerns, significant or extended production downtime, repeated equipment failures where the underlying cause has not been identified or corrected, repairs requiring resources, outside contractors, parts, or authorization beyond the Lead's authority, electrical, controls, utilities, or other technical issues outside the Lead's demonstrated competency, equipment conditions that could result in additional damage if operation continues, conflicting production and maintenance priorities requiring a management decision, employee conduct, performance, attendance, scheduling, or disciplinary matters, or any condition where the Lead is uncertain that equipment can be safely returned to operation.

High school diploma or equivalent required; technical or trade education in Industrial Maintenance, Mechanical Technology, Mechatronics, Industrial Technology, or a related discipline preferred. Minimum of 5 years of industrial maintenance experience, preferably within food, beverage, pharmaceutical, CPG, or another high-speed manufacturing environment. Demonstrated advanced mechanical troubleshooting and repair capability with strong working knowledge of industrial production equipment and associated mechanical systems. Ability to independently diagnose equipment failures, determine appropriate repair strategies, and recognize when escalation is required. Demonstrated ability to provide technical direction and hands-on coaching to less experienced Maintenance Technicians. Working knowledge of preventive and predictive maintenance practices and experience utilizing a CMMS system. Working knowledge of food safety, HACCP, GMP, Lockout/Tagout, and applicable maintenance safety practices. Strong communication skills and the ability to communicate equipment status and technical issues effectively with Maintenance and Operations leadership.

Advanced mechanical aptitude and equipment/component knowledge, including practical experience with mechanical power transmission, pumps, motors, gearboxes, conveyors, pneumatics, hydraulics, valves, bearings, seals, lubrication, fastening, and joining methods. Working knowledge of industrial electrical systems sufficient to safely troubleshoot within demonstrated competency and recognize when specialized electrical or controls support is required. Ability to read, analyze, and interpret technical procedures, blueprints, diagrams, schematics, equipment instructions, and business correspondence. Strong problem-solving and root-cause analysis skills with the ability to implement sustainable corrective actions. Ability to guide Technicians and coordinate immediate maintenance response without assuming the formal people-management responsibilities of the Maintenance Supervisor. Excellent oral and written communication and the ability to work effectively with Maintenance, Operations, Engineering, Quality, and other departments. Computer proficiency, including CMMS applications and Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Ability to work independently with high quality and productivity while maintaining a positive, team-oriented approach. Willingness to work flexible hours and frequent overtime, including weekends, as business needs require. Ability to safely lift a minimum of 50 pounds and stand for extended periods. Ability to work in high-temperature, high-humidity, cold, outdoor, and production environments and around product dust. Must be able to work in an environment exposed to allergens such as milk, egg, mustard, peanuts, fish, sulfites, sesame, soy, tree nuts, and wheat.