Maintenance Manager
Position Overview
This role is responsible for all aspects of maintenance, mechanical reliability, and capacity assurance within a beet sugar processing facility. Key duties include budget development and control, personnel selection and development, and leading maintenance strategies to optimize workforce capability and plant performance. The ideal candidate brings strong technical expertise, proven leadership, and the ability to challenge legacy practices, enforce standards, and uphold reliability discipline.
Essential Functions
- Provide strong leadership that reflects core values: Safety, Integrity, Openness & Trust, Teamwork, Entrepreneurship, and Social Responsibility.
- Champion safety practices and support the site safety plan, striving for a zero‑injury workplace.
- Lead all Maintenance Department personnel including supervisors, engineers, planners, and technicians.
- Partner with plant and corporate leadership to ensure safe, reliable operations.
- Manage and enforce CMMS (SAP‑HANA) as the authoritative system for all maintenance activities, including asset management, BOMs, PMs, job plans, failure codes, planning, scheduling, backlog, and history.
- Direct root-cause failure analysis for critical or repetitive failures and ensure corrective actions are implemented through CMMS updates.
- Develop and execute preventive, predictive, and condition‑based maintenance programs to maximize plant uptime and reliability.
- Oversee departmental budgeting and ensure on-time, on-budget performance.
- Identify and implement cost‑reduction opportunities across the facility.
- Serve as the facility liaison with property risk consultants and ensure required fire system maintenance, inspections, and regulatory compliance.
- Maintain health, safety, regulatory, and housekeeping standards within the department.
- Actively support plant safety and quality programs.
- Stay current with maintenance and reliability best practices through training and industry resources.
Skills & Experience Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Maintenance Engineering preferred; equivalent experience in maintenance management, scheduling, planning, and predictive technologies considered.
- Professional Maintenance Manager certification (AFM) preferred.
- 5-7+ years of maintenance management experience with established best‑practice maintenance programs.
- Experience in sugar beet/cane processing or sugar refining preferred.
- Knowledge of gas‑fired boilers, turbine‑driven power generation, and power distribution systems, including regulatory requirements.
- Experience with large industrial equipment such as motors, pumps, gearboxes, agitators, rotating equipment, drums, kilns, heaters, evaporators, centrifugals, conveyors, and elevators.
- Background as a Plant Engineer, Maintenance Manager, or Maintenance Engineer in a complex, integrated, 24/7 process operation.
- Proficiency with maintenance optimization tools and systems: TQM, CMMS, TLC, MI, PM, PdM, and complex scheduling.
- Experience with predictive technologies (vibration analysis, IR, oil analysis, etc.).
- Strong skills in failure analysis, materials selection, and continuous improvement of maintenance systems.
- Proven ability to coach and develop personnel for succession planning.
- Familiarity with OSHA, GMP, BRC, and/or SQF standards.
- Strong computer skills (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, SAP or similar).
- Excellent verbal, written, and visual communication skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.
- Strong customer‑focused mindset and collaborative, results‑oriented leadership.
FAQs
Congratulations, we understand that taking the time to apply is a big step. When you apply, your details go directly to the consultant who is sourcing talent. Due to demand, we may not get back to all applicants that have applied. However, we always keep your resume and details on file so when we see similar roles or see skillsets that drive growth in organizations, we will always reach out to discuss opportunities.
Yes. Even if this role isn’t a perfect match, applying allows us to understand your expertise and ambitions, ensuring you're on our radar for the right opportunity when it arises.
We also work in several ways, firstly we advertise our roles available on our site, however, often due to confidentiality we may not post all. We also work with clients who are more focused on skills and understanding what is required to future-proof their business.
That's why we recommend registering your CV so you can be considered for roles that have yet to be created.
Yes, we help with CV and interview preparation. From customised support on how to optimise your resume to interview preparation and compensation negotiations, we advocate for you throughout your next career move.