Facilities Manager

Position Summary

The Facilities Manager is responsible for ensuring the reliability, safety, and operational readiness of all production equipment, utilities, and facility infrastructure at Cirona Labs' approximately 45,000-square-foot manufacturing facility. This hands-on leadership role is critical to maximizing equipment uptime, minimizing production interruptions, and maintaining a safe, compliant, and efficient manufacturing environment. The Facilities Manager leads all preventative and corrective maintenance activities, oversees facility operations, develops equipment maintenance programs, manages vendor relationships, and partners closely with Production, Quality Assurance, Compliance, and Safety teams to support business objectives. This position champions continuous improvement through Lean Manufacturing principles, SQDC performance management, root-cause analysis, and preventative maintenance best practices.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

Equipment Reliability & Production Support

• Ensure maximum equipment availability and operational readiness across all manufacturing departments, including Edibles, Packaging, Beverage, Extraction/Processing, and supporting utilities.
• Lead equipment troubleshooting, diagnostics, and repairs to minimize downtime and restore production efficiently.
• Collaborate daily with Production leadership to prioritize maintenance activities based on production schedules and operational needs.
• Monitor equipment performance, analyze downtime trends, and implement corrective actions to reduce recurring failures.
• Develop effective escalation procedures for emergency repairs, vendor support, and replacement planning.
• Verify equipment readiness before production runs, startups, changeovers, and critical manufacturing campaigns.

Preventative Maintenance Program

• Develop, implement, and continuously improve a comprehensive preventative maintenance (PM) program for all manufacturing equipment, utilities, and facility systems.
• Schedule maintenance activities based on equipment criticality, manufacturer recommendations, usage patterns, and operational demands.
• Maintain detailed maintenance records, repair histories, service documentation, and PM schedules.
• Coordinate planned maintenance with Production to minimize operational disruptions.
• Manage critical spare parts inventory and establish reorder points for essential components.
• Utilize maintenance data to recommend equipment upgrades, replacements, and long-term reliability improvements.

Standard Operating Procedures & Training

• Develop and maintain equipment Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), maintenance instructions, startup/shutdown procedures, and troubleshooting guides.
• Train production employees and supervisors on equipment operation, preventative care, inspection requirements, and basic troubleshooting techniques.
• Promote operator ownership by implementing daily equipment inspection standards and preventative care practices.
• Support onboarding and cross-training initiatives related to equipment operation and maintenance.

Facilities Management

• Oversee maintenance and operation of HVAC systems, electrical systems, plumbing, compressed air, lighting, mechanical rooms, utility systems, and general facility infrastructure.
• Coordinate facility repairs, renovations, and improvement projects.
• Maintain organized maintenance work areas, tool storage, and mechanical spaces.
• Ensure facility conditions meet GMP, sanitation, safety, and regulatory compliance standards.
• Partner with Quality Assurance and Compliance teams to maintain inspection and audit readiness.

Continuous Improvement

• Lead maintenance initiatives utilizing Lean Manufacturing principles including 5S/6S, visual management, standard work, and waste reduction.
• Utilize root-cause analysis tools such as 5 Whys and corrective action methodologies to eliminate recurring equipment failures.
• Maintain Facilities SQDC boards to monitor maintenance performance, downtime, safety initiatives, and continuous improvement projects.
• Identify opportunities to improve equipment efficiency, production flow, changeovers, and facility performance.

Safety & Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure compliance with OSHA regulations, GMP standards, food safety requirements, machine guarding, lockout/tagout procedures, PPE requirements, and company safety policies.
• Lead investigations involving equipment failures, safety incidents, and near misses.
• Ensure contractors and vendors comply with company safety and operational standards.
• Support regulatory inspections, audits, and corrective action initiatives.

Vendor & Budget Management

• Manage relationships with maintenance vendors, contractors, and service providers.
• Obtain competitive quotes and oversee outsourced maintenance and facility projects.
• Monitor maintenance budgets, repair costs, and capital improvement expenditures.
• Maintain maintenance inventory, tools, supplies, and spare parts.

Leadership Responsibilities

• Provide visible, hands-on leadership within the manufacturing environment.
• Establish high standards for maintenance quality, urgency, accountability, and equipment care.
• Build collaborative relationships across Production, Quality, Compliance, and Operations.
• Effectively communicate maintenance priorities, repair status, and operational risks to leadership.
• Foster a culture of safety, ownership, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Performance will be measured by, but is not limited to:

• Equipment uptime and operational availability
• Preventative maintenance completion rate
• Downtime reduction and root-cause elimination
• Emergency repair response times
• Maintenance cost management
• Operator training completion
• SOP completion and documentation accuracy
• Safety performance and corrective action completion
• Continuous improvement initiative implementation

Minimum Qualifications

• Minimum of five (5) years of facilities, maintenance, or manufacturing maintenance experience.
• Experience in food manufacturing, consumer packaged goods (CPG), pharmaceutical, cannabis, or similarly regulated manufacturing environments strongly preferred.
• Strong knowledge of mechanical systems, electrical systems, HVAC, plumbing, compressed air systems, and industrial production equipment.
• Demonstrated experience developing and managing preventative maintenance programs.
• Experience troubleshooting complex production equipment in fast-paced manufacturing environments.
• Strong understanding of OSHA regulations, lockout/tagout procedures, and workplace safety standards.
• Experience writing SOPs, maintenance procedures, and training documentation.
• Familiarity with Lean Manufacturing principles, SQDC management, 5S, root-cause analysis, and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Ability to read equipment manuals, schematics, blueprints, and technical drawings.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and maintenance management software (CMMS experience preferred).
• Excellent organizational, communication, and leadership skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Facilities Management, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Maintenance, Engineering Technology, or a related field.
• Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional (CMRP) or similar maintenance certification.
• Experience implementing computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS).

Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to stand, walk, bend, kneel, climb ladders, and work in mechanical spaces for extended periods.
• Ability to work in varying environmental conditions within a manufacturing facility.
• Ability to respond to emergency maintenance needs during critical production periods.

Work Environment

This position is primarily based within a manufacturing facility and requires regular exposure to production equipment, machinery, varying temperatures, and moderate noise levels. Appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) is required while working in production areas.

Compliance Expectations

The Facilities Manager is expected to comply with all federal, state, and local regulations, including New York Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) requirements, while adhering to all company policies, GMP standards, SOPs, safety procedures, and employee conduct expectations. Professionalism, integrity, and respect are expected in all interactions with employees, contractors, vendors, and visitors.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Company Paid Holidays
• Professional Development Opportunities
• Career Growth within a rapidly expanding organization