Assistant Manager, Maintenance

About the role

Lactalis US Yogurt, part of the Lactalis family of companies, is currently hiring a Maintenance Assistant Manager based in Casa Grande, AZ.

Responsibilities

• Ensure all aspects of plant safety and quality are upheld in accordance with plant and departmental procedures.
• Lead and manage skilled maintenance technicians, schedules, and services to build a proactive, high-performing maintenance team that supports production equipment and plant operations.
• Establish and manage departmental priorities and work allocation to strengthen overall plant performance, improve mechanical reliability, and reduce downtime.
• Develop, coach, and train team members to support employee growth, skills development, and career progression.
• Support in-house training programs that build core competencies within the maintenance department, ensuring accurate and timely evaluation and repair of mechanical, electrical, programming, and process-related issues.
• Maintain accountability for maintenance department performance, including technical downtime and other key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Assist in developing and maintaining the department’s vision and master plan in alignment with production needs, while fostering strong preventive maintenance (PM) programs and encouraging operator ownership.
• Drive the development and implementation of Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) in collaboration with operations teams.
• Ensure all equipment, systems, and processes across the facility are maintained and operated in compliance with applicable regulatory standards, including PMO, OSHA, EPA, FDA, and other governing agencies.
• Champion environmental, safety, and quality initiatives that reinforce the company’s core values through technical implementation and process improvements at the plant level.
• Assist in managing the maintenance department budget and ensure adherence to established financial parameters.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required; major in industrial or mechanical engineering preferred.
• Minimum of 6 years of progressive experience within a maintenance function, including at least 3 years in a leadership role overseeing core maintenance services in a food manufacturing environment.
• Experience utilizing a Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) approach preferred.
• Exposure to reducing technical downtime (TD), overtime (OT), mean time between failures (MTBF), and work order (WO) completion times.
• Experience managing actual maintenance costs versus budgeted maintenance costs.
• Experience developing preventive maintenance (PM) programs and validating effectiveness against technical downtime performance.
• Proven ability to prioritize maintenance and business needs on a monthly basis to flex spending and achieve operational goals.
• Experience working with a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS); Infor experience preferred.
• Strong leadership skills with experience managing both hourly and salaried employees to build a proactive, skilled, and adaptable maintenance team.
• Ability and willingness to support plant operations during off-hours, weekends, and holidays as needed.
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to prioritize and execute inventory management and preventive maintenance plans on a daily basis.
• Demonstrated initiative with the ability to establish processes and programs while working independently.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines within specified time constraints.
• Ability to work effectively in a team-oriented environment.
• Ability to safely lift 50 lbs.