Maintenance Manager

At Link Snacks , we show up hungry, roll up our sleeves, plaid or otherwise, and dive straight into the hard work. We don’t hide from challenges; we hunt them down. We push harder, move faster, and take the kinds of big swings that built this business in the North Woods of Wisconsin four decades ago. We’re everyday people who deliver extraordinary results. Innovation, creativity, and urgency aren’t buzzwords, they’re expectations. And just like the real protein snacks we make across our global house of brands: Jack Link’s® , Lorissa’s™ Organic  Snacks , Golden Island® , BiFi® , Peperami®  and KOOEE!®  to name a few, there’s nothing artificial about us. What you see is exactly what you get: humble, gritty, passionate people who show up every day ready to not just be a participate in the meat snack industry that the Link Family created, but to move faster, innovate harder and keep raising the bar so high, the rest of the world needs a ladder just to see it. Dominating this space across the world takes a team. A team that runs together, succeeds together, and celebrates together. A team that’s full of relentless energy and spirit that can only be fueled by one thing: a fist full of our delicious meat snacks. The Maintenance Manager plans, coordinates, and executes the daily activities of maintenance, electrical, and outside janitorial services to ensure safe, reliable, and compliant operations in a USDA‑regulated food manufacturing facility. This role leads a multi‑shift maintenance operation supporting packaging, processing, and smokehouse areas; ensures standards and SOPs are followed; and drives plant performance against KPI targets. A key focus is transitioning the maintenance function from a preventive/demand model to a mature Reliability‑Centered Maintenance (RCM) program. The Maintenance Manager will build the reliability strategy, improve asset care practices, optimize CMMS utilization ( Somax ), and develop team capabilities to increase uptime, reduce total cost of ownership, and strengthen food safety and regulatory compliance. Annual Salary Range: $100k - $120k, Relocation package is available to qualified candidates Key Responsibilities Leadership & Culture Lead, coach, and develop a high‑performing team of maintenance technicians, specialists, planners, and the Preventive Maintenance Coordinator; maintain high team member morale. Set clear priorities for safety, food safety, reliability, and service to operations; model accountability and proactive problem solving. Assist with hiring decisions; coach, discipline, and appraise team member performance; provide input on termination decisions. Build multi‑skill capabilities (mechanical, electrical/controls, pneumatics, hydraulics, refrigeration, PLC fundamentals) aligned with critical assets and coverage needs. Maintain effective internal controls over maintenance workflows and documentation. Reliability & Program Development Oversee, implement, and maintain a Reliability‑Centered Maintenance program, including equipment criticality, failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA), root cause analysis (RCA), and corrective action sustainability. Lead the transition from time‑based PMs to condition‑based and predictive maintenance (e.g., vibration analysis, thermography, ultrasound, oil analysis) where applicable. Oversee the Jack Link’s Performance System (JLPS) Preventative Maintenance Pillar progress and integrate pillar standards into daily routines and governance. CMMS & Data‑Driven Execution Own the execution of the CMMS (Somax) program to ensure timely completion and quality of Preventive Maintenance (PM) and Demand Maintenance (DM) work orders, accurate asset histories, and reliable data. Drive plan/schedule/execute/close processes, backlog management, and schedule compliance; generate and use reports to improve MTBF, reduce MTTR, and eliminate repeat failures. Define and report maintenance KPIs (e.g., uptime, schedule compliance, PM completion %, backlog health, MTBF/MTTR, repeat failure rate, maintenance cost per asset). Operations & Asset Care Ensure the building and all machinery are fully functional and safe for use; own facilities maintenance projects. Provide responsive troubleshooting and sustainable long‑term fixes in partnership with Production, Quality, and Engineering. Manage multiple site projects and overall site maintenance to meet or exceed standard efficiencies across packaging, processing, and smokehouses. Support and manage plant Utilities; Electrical, Gas, Water, Ammonia system onsite.  Administration and support of ARMS program for Ammonia system. Regulatory, Food Safety & EHS Ensure all maintenance activities comply with USDA , HACCP , GMP , and internal food safety standards; maintain sanitary maintenance practices (tools, lubricants, parts). Maintain compliance with OSHA and applicable environmental regulations ; enforce LOTO, hazard identification, permits, and safe work practices. Support audits, inspections, and corrective actions with Quality and EHS; maintain documentation and readiness. Capital Projects & Engineering Plan and coordinate support of major capital investment projects (e.g., plant refrigeration, infrastructure changes/additions, new equipment installs). Partner with corporate engineering on capital projects, automation, and process flow improvements for cost, throughput, and reliability gains. Oversee installation, commissioning, and center lining of new systems with defined acceptance criteria. Qualifications High school diploma or GED required. Preferred Bachelor/Associate Degree in Engineering or Technical discipline with emphasis on equipment automation. Experience 5–7+ years of maintenance leadership experience in food manufacturing or other USDA/USDA-FSIS regulated environments strongly preferred. Preferred Certifications CMRP (Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional) CRL (Certified Reliability Leader) Industrial Refrigerati