We are seeking an experienced, hands-on
Maintenance Manager to lead the maintenance function within a manufacturing facility.
The ideal candidate is a practical, resourceful leader who thrives in a mature manufacturing environment and understands how to maintain, improve, and extend the life of aging equipment. This individual will take a hands-on approach to troubleshooting, equipment reliability, and team leadership while identifying innovative, cost-effective solutions that keep operations running safely and efficiently.
The successful candidate will be a strong mechanical troubleshooter with solid electrical knowledge, capable of coaching and mentoring a small, unionized maintenance team. They understand that the best solution is often the simplest, most practical, and most cost-effective one.
Reporting directly to the Plant Manager, this position is responsible for equipment reliability, maintenance planning, facility upkeep, preventive maintenance, and fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
- Lead, coach, and develop a unionized maintenance team in a respectful, collaborative, and accountable environment.
- Promote a safe workplace and ensure compliance with all applicable safety standards and regulations.
- Establish maintenance priorities based on production requirements, equipment reliability, and customer needs.
- Develop and improve preventive and predictive maintenance programs to maximize equipment uptime.
- Coordinate daily maintenance activities and prioritize emergency breakdown response.
- Monitor recurring equipment failures and implement sustainable corrective actions.
- Develop and maintain maintenance procedures, standards, and work instructions.
- Track maintenance performance and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
- Serve as a key technical resource for troubleshooting complex mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical, and industrial equipment issues.
- Work directly with maintenance and production teams to diagnose and resolve equipment problems.
- Apply practical engineering principles and creative problem-solving to improve equipment reliability and extend equipment life.
- Identify and implement cost-effective improvements that provide measurable operational benefits.
- Participate in root cause analysis and ensure corrective actions are effectively implemented.
- Provide technical guidance and support during critical equipment breakdowns.
- Manage maintenance budgets and ensure expenditures are aligned with operational priorities.
- Oversee spare parts inventory and ensure critical components are readily available.
- Coordinate external contractors, vendors, and service providers as required.
- Ensure plant infrastructure, utilities, and facilities are maintained in a safe and functional condition.
- Support equipment upgrades, modifications, and capital projects when justified by operational requirements and business value.
- Evaluate repair-versus-replace decisions with a focus on reliability, cost, and long-term return on investment.
- Build positive and productive relationships with union representatives and hourly employees.
- Establish clear expectations around accountability, teamwork, performance, and safety.
- Support employee training, mentoring, and cross-functional skill development.
- Address performance and workplace issues fairly and consistently in accordance with the collective agreement and company policies.
- Foster a culture where maintenance and production work collaboratively to achieve operational goals.
The successful candidate will be someone who:
- Can confidently walk into a breakdown situation and methodically work through the problem.
- Understands how to keep older and legacy equipment productive, safe, and reliable.
- Can distinguish between necessary investments and unnecessary expenses.
- Is comfortable working on the plant floor and getting hands-on when required.
- Earns the respect of employees through technical knowledge, consistency, fairness, and leadership.
- Challenges conventional thinking while remaining practical and fiscally responsible.
- Builds strong relationships with both production and maintenance teams.
- Takes ownership of problems and follows through to sustainable solutions.
- Can balance immediate production needs with long-term equipment reliability.
- Engineering Degree, Engineering Technologist Diploma, or an equivalent combination of education and maintenance leadership experience.
- Minimum 7 years of manufacturing maintenance experience.
- Previous leadership experience within a unionized manufacturing environment is preferred.
- Strong mechanical troubleshooting background with working knowledge of electrical systems.
- Experience with industrial hydraulics, pneumatics, PLCs, controls, and production equipment.
- Experience developing and managing preventive and predictive maintenance programs.
- Experience managing maintenance budgets, contractors, vendors, and spare parts.
- Strong communication, leadership, and conflict-resolution skills.
- Ability to prioritize effectively in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
- Ability to balance immediate operational requirements with long-term reliability objectives.
- Automotive or related manufacturing experience.
- Experience working with aging, legacy, or heavily utilized manufacturing equipment.
- CMMS experience.
- Lean maintenance and reliability practices.
- Experience supporting capital equipment projects and equipment upgrades.
- Experience working within a unionized manufacturing environment.
This position is focused on
maximizing and improving what we already have, rather than simply pursuing new equipment or expensive solutions.
We are looking for a leader who values
reliability over flash, practical solutions over unnecessary spending, and teamwork over titles. The right candidate will enjoy the challenge of maintaining and improving a mature manufacturing operation while leading a small team that benefits from strong leadership, technical expertise, and common-sense decision-making.
This is an opportunity for a hands-on Maintenance Manager to make a direct impact on
equipment reliability, production performance, team development, and the overall success of the facility.
Please send your resume to
[email protected]
CESGUE
