Industrial Maintenance Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Maintenance Manager

Location: Wytheville, VA
Department: Maintenance
Reports To: Plant Manager

Position Summary

The Maintenance Manager leads the plant's maintenance department and is responsible for keeping equipment, facilities, and utility systems safe, reliable, and operational.

This position oversees electrical, mechanical, and preventive maintenance activities in a rubber mixing, extrusion, and injection molding manufacturing environment. The Maintenance Manager leads maintenance employees, plans and prioritizes work, manages department resources, supports troubleshooting and repairs, and drives improvements that reduce equipment downtime.

Success in this role requires strong leadership, hands-on industrial maintenance knowledge, electrical troubleshooting experience, effective planning, and a commitment to safety and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

Maintenance Leadership & Planning

• Lead, coordinate, and schedule daily maintenance activities.
• Prioritize maintenance work based on production and plant needs.
• Plan individual jobs and assign the appropriate employees, skills, tools, and resources.
• Manage staffing levels, shift coverage, and on-call coverage for planned and emergency maintenance.
• Supervise maintenance employees and group leaders.
• Coach employees, identify training needs, and support employee development.
• Evaluate employee performance and provide recognition, coaching, or corrective action as appropriate.
• Resolve conflicts within the maintenance team and between maintenance, production, and other departments.
• Assist with critical equipment repairs when needed.

Equipment Maintenance & Reliability

• Oversee maintenance and repair of rubber mixing, extrusion, and injection molding equipment.
• Lead electrical maintenance and troubleshooting involving motors, controls, PLCs, VFDs, and industrial electrical systems up to 480V.
• Ensure maintenance technicians are properly trained and equipped to safely troubleshoot and repair electrical and mechanical systems.
• Lead root cause analysis on major equipment breakdowns and repeat failures using methods such as 5-Why and Fishbone/Ishikawa analysis.
• Develop and implement corrective and preventive actions to eliminate recurring equipment failures.
• Identify opportunities to improve equipment reliability, maintainability, and uptime.

Preventive Maintenance

• Own and continuously improve the plant's Preventive Maintenance (PM) program.
• Establish PM schedules for production equipment, utilities, and facility systems.
• Track PM completion and compliance.
• Adjust PM frequency and activities based on equipment performance, failure history, and operating conditions.
• Balance preventive, planned, and emergency maintenance work to reduce unplanned downtime.

Troubleshooting & Technical Resources

• Promote effective troubleshooting practices throughout the maintenance department.
• Use and encourage technicians to use equipment manuals, OEM/manufacturer resources, technical forums, and other reliable technical references.
• Support appropriate use of AI-based diagnostic and research tools to assist with troubleshooting, parts research, error codes, repair procedures, planning, and reporting.
• Ensure troubleshooting practices are performed safely and follow applicable procedures and regulations.

Safety & Compliance

• Maintain a strong safety culture within the maintenance department.
• Manage and enforce Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) requirements.
• Ensure maintenance work complies with applicable safety requirements, laws, regulations, and plant procedures.
• Ensure employees use required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
• Immediately report safety hazards and correct hazards when it is safe and appropriate to do so.
• Participate in required safety training, meetings, inspections, and other safety activities.

Budget, Contractors & Facilities

• Monitor maintenance department spending and assist with annual expense budgeting.
• Identify equipment and facility capital needs.
• Assist with capital budget planning and implementation, including preparation of Capital Approval Requests (CARs).
• Coordinate outside maintenance suppliers and contractors working on plant projects and property.
• Oversee contractor work involving equipment, buildings, and facilities.
• Oversee contract janitorial services.
• Monitor and manage plant utilities as directed by the Plant Manager.

Education & Experience

Preferred qualifications include:

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• Three to five years of directly related maintenance leadership experience.
• Manufacturing maintenance experience, preferably involving rubber mixing, extrusion, injection molding, or similar industrial processes.
• Hands-on experience with industrial electrical systems, including motors, controls, PLCs, VFDs, and systems up to 480V.
• Experience developing or managing preventive maintenance programs.

An equivalent combination of education, technical training, and relevant experience may be considered.

Supervisory Responsibilities

The Maintenance Manager is responsible for the overall leadership, coordination, and performance of the maintenance department.

Responsibilities include:

• Interviewing, hiring, and training employees.
• Planning, assigning, and directing work.
• Coaching and developing supervisors and technicians.
• Evaluating employee performance.
• Recognizing strong performance and addressing performance concerns.
• Handling employee complaints and workplace issues.
• Resolving conflicts and supporting effective teamwork.
• Ensuring employees have the training and resources necessary to perform their jobs safely and effectively.

Leadership & Team Skills

The successful candidate should demonstrate:

• Strong leadership and team-building skills.
• Ability to coach, motivate, and develop maintenance employees.
• Effective conflict-resolution and problem-solving skills.
• Strong communication and listening skills.
• Ability to work effectively with production, engineering, management, and other departments.
• Strong planning, prioritization, and time-management skills.
• Willingness to share information and promote teamwork.
• Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Technical & Problem-Solving Skills

• Strong understanding of industrial mechanical and electrical maintenance.
• Ability to troubleshoot equipment problems systematically.
• Ability to define problems, collect and analyze information, identify root causes, and implement effective solutions.
• Experience with formal root cause analysis methods.
• Ability to read and interpret electrical drawings, technical diagrams, equipment manuals, procedures, and technical instructions.
• Ability to use mathematical and engineering concepts to solve maintenance-related problems.
• Strong resource-management skills with the ability to balance planned maintenance and emergency repairs.

Computer Skills

Working knowledge of:

• Email and Microsoft Teams or similar communication tools.
• Spreadsheets and basic data entry.
• CMMS or other maintenance management software.
• Electronic work orders and maintenance records.
• Internet and OEM/manufacturer technical resources.
• AI-based research and troubleshooting tools.

The Maintenance Manager must be able to accurately document equipment downtime, work performed, parts used, and completion notes in the plant's maintenance system.

Communication Skills

Must be able to:

• Read and interpret technical manuals, procedures, regulations, and professional or technical publications.
• Write reports, procedures, maintenance documentation, and business correspondence.
• Clearly communicate technical information to maintenance employees, production employees, management, contractors, and other stakeholders.
• Present information and respond effectively to questions.

Certificates & Licenses

• No specific license or certification is required.
• An electrical license or related industrial electrical certification is preferred.
• Candidates should have demonstrated maintenance knowledge and experience and be willing to complete additional training or continuing education that improves their ability to perform the position safely and effectively.

Work Environment

This position works primarily in an industrial manufacturing environment.

Employees may regularly be exposed to:

• Moving mechanical equipment.
• Electrical hazards.
• Elevated work areas.
• Extreme heat.
• Outdoor weather conditions.
• Vibration.
• Loud noise.

Employees may occasionally be exposed to wet or humid conditions, fumes, or airborne particles.

Required PPE and established safety procedures must be followed.

The employee must be able to frequently lift or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift or move up to 50 pounds .

Health, Safety & Environmental Expectations

The Maintenance Manager is expected to actively support the plant's Health, Safety, and Environmental policies by:

• Promoting safe work practices throughout the maintenance department.
• Reporting hazards promptly.
• Correcting hazards when trained, authorized, and safely able to do so.
• Participating in required safety training, meetings, and inspections.
• Following LOTO and other established safety procedures.
• Wearing and enforcing the use of required PPE.
• Holding employees and contractors accountable for safe work practices.

Overall Qualifications

To successfully perform this position, an individual must be able to carry out the essential responsibilities of the role with a strong focus on  safety, equipment reliability, leadership, preventive maintenance, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement .

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Management may consider equivalent education, training, and experience when evaluating qualifications.

One connection with Express Employment Professionals gives you access to multiple job opportunities. Our local team of hiring experts has relationships with employers in a variety of industries that are looking for top talent like you. The job search doesn’t need to be lonely. Work with Express, and we’ll help you find the right job for your skills and situation, and you’ll never pay a fee for our services.

Company Description

One connection with Express Employment Professionals gives you access to multiple job opportunities. Our local team of hiring experts has relationships with employers in a variety of industries that are looking for top talent like you. The job search doesn’t need to be lonely. Work with Express, and we’ll help you find the right job for your skills and situation, and you’ll never pay a fee for our services.