Maintenance Manager at Tropicale Foods, LLC

Job Description

The Industrial Maintenance Manager is a hands-on leader responsible for ensuring daily equipment reliability and technical support to sustain and improve ice cream production operations. This role is foundational in bridging the urgent need of production support with long-term reliability strategy. The successful candidate will build and lead a high-performing maintenance team through a blend of servant and transactional leadership, with a focus on developing and standardizing work practices that align with ISO 55000 maintenance management principles.

The Position Prioritizes Three Critical Objectives

• Immediate support of daily production operations through responsive, skilled maintenance execution and great communication written and verbal.
• Development of a reliability-focused maintenance system using sound Root Cause Analysis (RCA), predictive/preventive practices, and standardized work instructions.
• Team growth and talent management through on-the-floor coaching, structured upskilling, and attrition-based workforce planning.
  
  

Ammonia refrigeration system experience and a strong working knowledge of Process Safety Management (PSM) protocols are required.

This is a transformative role requiring strong leadership presence on the floor and the vision to evolve the function into a reliability-centered organization.

Key Responsibilities

Daily Production Support & Execution

• Serve as the primary maintenance resource to ensure equipment uptime and quick response to production needs.
• Lead triage and resolution of mechanical, electrical, and refrigeration system issues affecting production flow.
• Ensure ammonia refrigeration systems are operated and maintained according to all safety, environmental, and compliance standards, including PSM.
• Implement a structured 24-hour service model for issue response and follow-up.
• Collaborate with production leadership to align maintenance priorities with plant output goals.
  
  

Reliability Strategy & System Development

• Build and champion a plant-wide RCA process to identify, document, and resolve recurring equipment failures.
• Standardize PM, PdM, and condition-based maintenance tasks using ISO 55000 best practices.
• Develop detailed, equipment-specific work instructions and procedures to ensure consistent maintenance execution.
• Drive continuous improvement projects that reduce downtime, improve asset utilization, and lower maintenance cost per unit.
• Establish key metrics such as PM compliance, schedule adherence, asset health indicators, and MTBF/MTTR to track performance and identify improvement areas.
• Prepare and maintain detailed layouts and asset documentation including BOMs, history, and risk assessments.
  
  

Servant & Transactional Leadership

• Lead by example with daily visibility on the production floor, engaging directly with technicians.
• Actively coach, develop, and mentor team members through both structured training and day-to-day feedback.
• Balance long-term reliability vision with short-cycle tactical execution needs.
• Reinforce safety, quality, and SOP compliance through leadership modeling and operational discipline.
  
  

Team Development & Talent Planning

• Implement structured on-the-job training plans for technicians based on skill gaps and plant needs.
• Develop a succession and attrition plan to ensure long-term continuity of technical capability.
• Evaluate team performance and take action on underperformance through coaching or strategic talent replacement.
• Recruit, train, and retain a team of high-talent, customer-focused maintenance professionals.
  
  

Compliance, Safety & Capital Planning

• Maintain full compliance with OSHA, PSM, EPA RMP, GMP, and food safety regulations applicable to frozen dairy manufacturing.
• Oversee contractor activities and ensure safe, code-compliant execution of work.
• Lead the site's PSM program in collaboration with EHS, ensuring proper documentation, training, audits, and mechanical integrity protocols.
• Participate in capital and maintenance budget development including long-term asset management planning.
• Champion a zero-incident culture and enforce accountability to plant safety programs.
  
  

Experience And Skills

• Required Qualifications
• Extensive hands-on experience with industrial ammonia refrigeration systems (IIAR-certified or equivalent preferred).
• Strong working knowledge of PSM (Process Safety Management) and EPA Risk Management Programs.
• Proven experience in industrial maintenance leadership, ideally in food manufacturing or cold-chain environments.
• Deep understanding of ISO 55000, CMMS utilization, and modern reliability strategies (RCA, PdM, FMEA).
• Track record of successfully developing and managing technical teams.
• Ability to work in fast-paced environments while building long-term systems and structur.e
• .Prior Experience in maintenance management is required.
• Must be able to manage multiple projects and large equipment installations involving maintenance technicians, and outside contractors
• Strong budgetary skills and strategic management skills are required.
  

Preferred Qualifications

• A sense of urgency, "can do attitude' in everything they do, from paperwork to people leadership.
• Possesses critical thinking and problem solving capability. Collaborates effectively with others to come up with creative solutions.
• High integrity, energetic, assertive and willingness to work closely with first line supervisors and hourly employees.
• Must be able to demonstrate that he/she has persevered through a demanding, high stress situation requiring demonstrated leadership skills to accomplish team and organizational results.
• Demonstrated willingness to learn, create, and improve work processes; prefer understanding of Lean methodology/Toyota Production System..
• Bilingual Spanish capability is preferred.
  
  

Education And/or Experience

Must have a four-year degree in Engineering, Operations or related field.and 5 or more years of successful experience in leading a work team in a demanding work environment and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Food Safety & Quality Requirements/Responsibilities

• Adheres to all Food Safety/Quality SOP’s
• Accurately completes required Food Safety & Quality Records
• Communicates any known or suspected Food Safety/ Quality issues to the Q.A. Manager and Department Manager
• Attends all Food Safety/Quality training sessions
• Responsible for reporting any food safety concerns or tampering with product
  
  

Physical Requirements

The physical demands and work environment described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential function of this job. Reasonable

accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential

functions.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs, balance; stoop, kneel or crouch; talk and hear. The employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Work Environment

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is exposed to a general office environment where the noise level is usually moderate. As part of the job requirements employee may be

exposed to work in cold temperature (-20 degrees) at times.

Disclaimer

This position description indicates the general nature and level of work expected. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required.

Employee may be asked to perform other duties as required.