Traveling Bakery Maintenance Manager - GA or IL

Traveling Bakery Maintenance Manager - GA or IL Travel to Multiple Bakery Locations | 100% Travel | Hands-On Leadership Turano Baking Company is a family-owned bakery with over 60 years of experience producing high-quality breads and rolls for foodservice, retail, and national customers across the United States. We are seeking a HANDS-ON, solutions-driven Traveling Bakery Maintenance Manager to lead engineering, capital projects, maintenance strategy, and facility improvements across multiple manufacturing operations. This is a high-impact leadership role responsible for driving operational reliability, supporting plant performance, and managing major engineering and construction initiatives throughout the organization. The ideal candidate MUST HAVE bakery engineering experience, practical project leadership skills, and the ability to work effectively across operations, maintenance, sanitation, quality, and executive leadership teams. Position Overview This role oversees major engineering and facility projects across the organization, including line installations, equipment upgrades, plant improvements, and infrastructure initiatives. This role works closely with Production, Maintenance, Quality, Safety, and Executive Leadership to improve operational efficiency, equipment reliability, food safety compliance, and long-term manufacturing capability. This is a hands-on manufacturing leadership position - not a desk-only engineering role. Candidates must have strong mechanical, electrical and PLC experience. Key Responsibilities Lead multi-site engineering and capital improvement projects from planning through implementation Manage construction, facility upgrades, equipment installations, and production line expansions Develop project scopes, budgets, timelines, and vendor requirements Coordinate contractors, suppliers, and internal teams to ensure successful project execution Evaluate manufacturing processes and recommend operational improvements Manufacturing & Operational Support Partner with Plant Engineers and Maintenance teams to improve equipment reliability and operational performance Assist facilities in developing and strengthening preventive maintenance (PM) programs, maintenance procedures, and equipment lifecycle planning Support the development of breakdown analysis and root cause corrective action programs to reduce downtime and improve operational efficiency Assist plants in improving maintenance inventory control and critical spare parts management Support troubleshooting and resolution of major mechanical, electrical, and PLC-related equipment issues Recommend and implement equipment upgrades and modernization initiatives to improve reliability, safety, efficiency, and production capability Work with plant leadership to evaluate aging equipment and support both mechanical and electrical improvement projects across facilities Analyze equipment failures and implement long-term corrective actions and continuous improvement initiatives Food Safety & Compliance Ensure engineering and maintenance activities comply with GMPs, food safety standards, and company sanitation requirements Coordinate maintenance activities in food handling areas to minimize operational and product safety risk Ensure proper communication and cleanup procedures following maintenance or repair work Support compliance with applicable OSHA, environmental, and regulatory requirements Leadership & Communication Present project updates, budgets, and recommendations to Leadership Work cross-functionally with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, Sanitation, and Purchasing teams Support long-term facility planning and operational growth initiatives Assist in developing engineering standards and best practices across facilities Qualifications 5+ years of engineering leadership experience in bakery Prior experience managing capital projects, plant construction, or equipment installations Strong mechanical, electrical and PLC skills Experience working in GMP and food-safe manufacturing environments Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously Strong vendor management, budgeting, and project planning skills Excellent communication and leadership abilities Multi-site manufacturing support role Frequent plant-floor presence in active production environments Occasional off-hours support may be required during major projects or operational emergencies Travel between facilities required as business needs dictate Why Join Turano? Established 60+ year family-owned company National manufacturing footprint with continued growth High-visibility leadership role with direct operational impact Opportunity to lead major projects and modernization initiatives Competitive compensation and benefits package including: 401(k) with company match Paid time off Life insurance Compensation commensurate with experience Important This role requires strong manufacturing leadership, project execution skills, and the ability to operate effectively in fast-paced production environments. Candidates without relevant experience may not be considered. #J-18808-Ljbffr Bread Bakers Guild of America