Job Description

Job Description

Position Overview:

We are seeking an experienced Plant Maintenance Manager to lead maintenance and reliability operations at a high-volume food manufacturing/distribution facility in the New Orleans area. This role owns all aspects of plant maintenance, with a strong emphasis on ammonia refrigeration systems , equipment reliability, safety, and continuous improvement.

This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who has managed maintenance teams in food or beverage environments and has direct experience with anhydrous ammonia refrigeration .

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage the plant maintenance team (mechanics, technicians, contractors)
• Own maintenance strategy, execution, and reliability performance for all plant assets
• Oversee ammonia refrigeration systems , including safety, compliance, and system uptime
• Ensure compliance with OSHA, PSM, EPA, and food safety regulations
• Develop and execute preventive and predictive maintenance programs
• Manage maintenance budgets, parts inventory, and vendor relationships
• Partner with Operations to improve equipment uptime and throughput
• Drive root cause analysis (RCA) and corrective action for equipment failures
• Support capital projects, equipment installs, and plant improvements
• Foster a strong safety culture across the maintenance organization

Required Qualifications

• 7+ years of maintenance experience in food or beverage manufacturing
• 3+ years in a maintenance leadership or management role
• Hands-on experience with ammonia refrigeration systems (required)
• Strong knowledge of PSM, OSHA safety standards, and mechanical integrity
• Experience leading maintenance teams in a 24/7 production environment
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced plant setting

Preferred Qualifications

• Technical degree or engineering background
• Experience in refrigerated or cold-storage food operations
• CMMS experience (PMs, work orders, KPIs)
• RETA or IIAR training/certification
• Lean, TPM, or continuous improvement exposure

Why This Role

• Critical leadership role with high visibility
• Stable operation with long-term growth
• Competitive compensation and bonus opportunity
• Opportunity to make a measurable impact on plant performance and reliability

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