Automation and Controls Maintenance Supervisor

Automation And Controls Maintenance Supervisor

At The Cheesecake Factory Bakery, we don't do ordinary! Nothing is scaled down. Not the pride, not the fun, and definitely not the teamwork. Here, you'll do meaningful work alongside great people who care about each other and are passionate about supporting the teams behind the iconic cheesecakes our guests enjoy every day. That's the kind of culture that has earned us a place on Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For list every year since 2014.

The Automation and Controls Maintenance Supervisor provides hands-on leadership to the maintenance team supporting a complex, food manufacturing operation. This role ensures safe, reliable, and efficient performance of production and utility systems, including spiral coolers, ovens, depositing equipment, conveyors, boilers, ammonia refrigeration, compressed air, and PLC-controlled systems.

This person is accountable for executing preventive and predictive maintenance programs, troubleshooting equipment failures, and driving continuous improvement initiatives to maximize equipment uptime and overall plant performance.

You'll thrive in this position if you are:

• An experienced people manager: you're at home managing and elevating a team. You lead by example and enable your staff to realize their potential.
• Intellectually curious: you're a lifelong learner. You pick things up, dissect them to see how they work, and figure out how to improve or fix them.
• Exhaustively meticulous: you have an unrelenting attention to detail, leaving nothing to chance while understanding what deserves your immediate attention and what can wait.
• Always thinking two steps ahead: you understand the domino effect when critical system issues occur. You aim to be proactive, but you know how to get in front of problems to contain them.

Leadership & Team Development

• Supervise a team of maintenance technicians and mechanics across production, utilities, and packaging areas.
• Assign daily work orders, PMs, and project tasks using the CMMS.
• Write daily shift reports that accurately detail activities that took place during the shift.
• Provide technical guidance, coaching, and support to enhance troubleshooting skills and mechanical depth.
• Enforce maintenance standard work, safety practices, and GMP compliance.
• Ensure compliance with HR/Safety policies and procedures including verifying timecard activity, overseeing the disciplinary action process, and ensure safety and certification training is completed on time.
• Foster a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Act as the management representative on site when the Plant Engineer is not available.

Maintenance Execution

• Lead troubleshooting and repair of mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, and hydraulic systems across all bakery process areas.
• Support operation of spiral coolers, ovens, depositors, conveyors, and associated control systems.
• Ensure timely and thorough completion of preventive maintenance tasks, lubrication routes, and inspection-based PMs.
• Oversee maintenance of critical utilities including ammonia refrigeration, steam/boiler systems, and compressed air.
• Partner with Production to minimize downtime and proactively address recurring issues.
• Manage parts requisitions, ensure proper use of spare inventory, and maintain work order documentation in the CMMS.
• Produce reliable automation solutions to meet business needs including electrical panel design, device selection, flow charts, project schedules, scope of work, and cost estimates
• Maintain all Automation related programs and documentation including PLC programs, HMI programs, electrical diagrams, P&IDs, pin charts, sequence of operations, etc.
• Maintain all automation programming software for the facility such as Rockwell Software, Wonderware, ICIS, Network Management, etc.

Reliability & Continuous Improvement

• Analyze downtime and equipment history to identify root causes and develop corrective actions.
• Collaborate with Engineering and Production on process improvements and equipment upgrades.
• Support capital projects, installations, and equipment commissioning.
• Promote reliability-centered maintenance practices to extend asset life and reduce reactive work.

Safety, Quality & Compliance

• Ensure all maintenance activities comply with OSHA, PSM, and food safety standards.
• Enforce lockout/tagout, confined space, and hot work procedures.
• Maintain equipment and documentation readiness for internal and external audits.
• Partner with Quality, Sanitation, and Operations to ensure all work supports food safety and GMP compliance.

What we require:

Skills and Experience

• Associate or bachelor's degree in industrial maintenance, Engineering, or related field preferred.
• Education: A Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Computer, or Mechanical Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• Minimum of 10 years of maintenance experience in an industrial food or bakery environment, with at least 2 years in a supervisory or lead role.
• Strong background with PLCs, VFDs, and automated control systems.
• Familiarity with ammonia refrigeration, boiler systems, and compressed air utilities.
• Experience with MS Office Software, CMMS systems, and maintenance planning and scheduling processes.
• NFPA 70 trained.
• Technical Knowledge: Strong proficiency in PLC/HMI programming (e.g., Siemens, Allen-Bradley), industrial networks, and data acquisition/historian systems
• Advanced knowledge of HMI systems focused on Rockwell Factory Talk View ME/SE and Ignition
• Advanced knowledge of industrial process historians.
• Advanced knowledge of Ethernet networks.
• Advanced electrical control design capabilities.
• Knowledge and experience in Industrial Robot Programming is a plus.
• Skills/Training:
  • RSLogix500
  • RSLogix5000
  • Studio5000
  • FactoryTalk View ME/SE
  • Ignition
  • CCW
  • VFD Troubleshooting/Programming/Commissioning
  • Servo Troubleshooting/Programming/CIP Motion
  • Networking (Ethernet IP)

Skills & Competencies

• Proven leadership ability to motivate, develop, and guide technical teams toward high performance.
• Strong mechanical and electrical troubleshooting expertise, with hands-on problem-solving skills.
• Working knowledge of three-phase power and machine control, ensuring safe and efficient operations.
• Comprehensive understanding of food safety, sanitation, and PSM programs, supporting compliance and reliability.
• Effective communicator with cross-functional partners and hourly associates, fostering collaboration.
• Excellent verbal and written English skills, essential for clear documentation and team alignment.
• Highly organized and detail-oriented, adept at managing competing priorities in a fast-paced, 24/7 environment.
• Subject Matter Expert in packaging machinery, electrical systems, control systems, refrigeration, steam systems, and conveyors.
• Strong leadership and managerial courage, consistently making principled decisions even when unpopular.
• Positive attitude and high energy level, contributing to team morale and productivity.
• Flexible and responsive, available for shifts, weekends, and emergencies as needed.
• Customer-focused mindset, viewing maintenance as a critical service provider to the business.
• Maintenance: Oversee the installation, repair, and proactive maintenance of PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers), robotic systems, and electrical hardware
• Troubleshooting: Diagnose complex electrical, mechanical, and software failures to minimize production downtime.
• Project Management: Lead system upgrades, continuous improvement projects, and equipment commissioning.

Work Environment

• Industrial bakery setting with exposure to
  • Hot or cold temperatures
  • Allergens
  • High noise levels
  • Moving machinery
  • Wet or frozen surfaces
  • Cramped, confined work areas
• May require night