Job Summary:
The Head of Maintenance is responsible for overseeing the maintenance operations across all North American facilities, ensuring the reliability, safety, and efficiency of equipment and infrastructure. The role focuses on continuous improvement strategies, equipment reliability, and maintaining operational efficiency through preventive and predictive maintenance. The Head of Maintenance will lead a team of maintenance professionals, foster a culture of operational excellence, and support broader business goals including safety, cost-saving initiatives, environmental compliance, and customer satisfaction.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Lead, coach, and develop the maintenance team across all sites in North America.
- Implement and manage continuous improvement initiatives (including TPM, 5S) to improve equipment reliability, reduce waste, and minimize downtime.
- Plan, schedule, and oversee all preventive and predictive maintenance activities, ensuring minimal disruption to production.
- Standardize equipment, processes, and maintenance protocols across all facilities to improve efficiency and consistency.
- Work closely with the operations and engineering teams to align maintenance activities with business goals, including safety, delivery, and quality objectives.
- Manage the maintenance budget, including spare parts and inventory control, ensuring cost-effective operations.
- Support safety initiatives by ensuring all maintenance activities comply with safety regulations and internal standards, including LOTO (Lock-Out/Tag-Out) procedures.
- Lead maintenance audits to assess the effectiveness of the preventive maintenance program and ensure continuous improvement.
- Act as the primary emergency contact for all facility maintenance-related issues.
- Participate in daily operations and strategic meetings, ensuring maintenance priorities align with operational goals.
- Lead equipment upgrades, tooling changeovers, and process improvements projects.
- Build personal development plans for maintenance staff, focusing on skill development and succession planning.
Qualifications/Skills/Experience Required:
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field.
- Minimum of 8+ years in maintenance management with experience in a manufacturing environment.
- Demonstrated experience with continuous improvement tools and processes such as TPM, Lean, or Six Sigma.
- Strong leadership and team development skills, with the ability to coach, mentor, and lead teams.
- Proficiency in mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, and pneumatic systems; experience with PLCs is a plus.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, capable of working across multiple departments and teams.
- Experience with Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) and other maintenance planning tools.
- Knowledge of OSHA regulations and safety practices, with a focus on maintaining a safe work environment.
- Ability to manage budgets, work under pressure, and meet tight deadlines.
- Willingness to travel between facilities (up to 25%) and be available for off-hours emergency support when necessary.
- Spanish language skills are a plus but not required.
