Maintenance Manager

About Ostara

Ostara is passionate about changing the way the Ag and T&O industry thinks about phosphate management. Our continuing mission is, and will remain, "Feeding the World While Protecting It."

We believe that passionate people can make a real difference and we are building a culture around innovation, sustainability, efficiency, nimbleness, honesty, compliance, and a sense of urgency to make a positive difference and create real value. Ostara's CG P2X fertilizers are the first granular phosphate fertilizers to release nutrients in response to plant demand. Using Crop Driven Release™, CG P2X is proven to increase yields, enhance soil health and significantly reduce phosphate tie-up and runoff, thereby improving food security while protecting local waterways from nutrient pollution.

Position summary

The Maintenance Manager will lead the maintenance team for Ostara's heavy industrial fertilizer manufacturing facility. This position will manage the maintenance department, build, and maintain a PM Program, and develop and implement a CMMS (computerized maintenance management system). This Maintenance Manager will be a part of the site leadership team and play a role in the Site Operational Excellence and Continuous Improvement program.

Essential functions

• Collaborates with the Ostara capital projects team to deploy new equipment and processes
• Guides smaller capital projects from construction to commissioning, including supervision of contractors, writing work permits, creating written procedures, operator, and maintenance training, labeling and completion of contractor punch lists
• Provides day-to-day support for operations to enhance the reliability, performance, changeover, and maintenance of production equipment
• Optimizes maintenance strategies (preventative and corrective) for production equipment
• Works in conjunction with quality, manufacturing, and functional area managers/ supervisors to align support system such as computerized maintenance management system ("CMMS"), spare parts inventory, planning, and scheduling
• Acts as technical lead for the equipment and associated utilities to support projects and enhance operator and maintenance technician capabilities
• Works with the quality, operations, maintenance, and engineering teams to develop and support the site equipment reliability program.
• Leads technical troubleshooting efforts to determine the root cause of equipment failures and under performance. Implement timely, effective corrective actions
• Develops, implements, and utilizes a CMMS as the central reliability measurement resource by ensuring accurate data collection/analysis, and by establishing and monitoring reliable key performance indicators.
• Creates detailed maintenance procedures, PM tasks, and work instructions to ensure work is properly completed by maintenance technicians with minimal ambiguity

Supervisory responsibilities

• Hires and trains, coaches, and mentors Ostara's maintenance staff
• Schedules, organizes, and assigns projects to members of the maintenance teams
• Conducts performance evaluations that are timely and constructive
• Handles discipline and termination of employees as needed and in accordance with company policy

Required skills/abilities

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite or related software
• Ability to engage with stakeholders at all levels, within and outside the company
• Ability to safely move in and through work areas, including climbing stairs, maintaining good balance, being mentally alert, having good visual acuity and safety working at heights
• Ability to safety work in and around heavy industrial environment, including moving objects, concentrated chemicals, and transport vehicles

Education/experience

• Bachelor of Science degree in engineering, chemical or mechanical preferred
• At least 8 years of leading the maintenance department in a continuous chemical manufacturing environment, fertilizer manufacturing preferred

Physical requirements and work environment

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, sit, and use hands to finger, handle or feel. The employee is frequently required to reach with hands and arms, climb or balance, and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. The employee must regularly lift and/or move 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, moving mechanical parts, high places, airborne particles, chemicals, and temperature ranges. The noise environment in the work environment is usually loud.

Employees are required to wear PPE which may include hard hat, safety toe shoes/boots, gloves, safety glasses/goggles, hearing protection and respiratory protection. The employee needs the ability to work in a constant state of alertness and in a safe manner.

Location and travel

This position is based in St. Louis, Missouri. Travel of up to 15% may be required.

EEO statement

Ostara is an equal opportunity employer. Ostara does not discriminate based upon race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, honorably discharged veteran or military status, citizenship or immigration status, age, national origin, the presence of any physical, mental, or sensory disability, gender identity, genetic information, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, political ideology, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law.

Comments

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Ostara reserves the right to change duties, responsibilities, and activities at any time with or without notice.

Federal law requires Ostara to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States. Ostara will provide the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with information from each new employee's Form I-9 to confirm work authorization.