Head of Maintenance Area - MEC

Continental is a leading tire manufacturer and industry specialist. Founded in 1871, the company generated sales of €19.7 billion in 2025 and currently employs around 78,000 people in 54 countries and markets. Tire solutions from the Tires group sector make mobility safer, smarter, and more sustainable. Its premium portfolio encompasses car, truck, bus, two-wheel, and specialty tires as well as smart solutions and services for fleets and tire retailers. Continental has been delivering top performance for more than 150 years and is one of the world’s largest tire manufacturers. In fiscal 2025, the Tires group sector generated sales of 13.8 billion euros. Continental's tire division employs more than 56,000 people worldwide and has 19 production and 16 development sites.

About the role

The Maintenance Engineering Lead is responsible for ensuring the technical availability, reliability, and operational performance of production machinery while maintaining compliance with company standards and approved budget requirements. This role leads the execution of planned and unplanned maintenance programs to achieve annual reliability and maintenance objectives. Leveraging standard company systems and tools, the Maintenance Engineering Lead drives continuous improvement initiatives, minimizes equipment downtime, optimizes asset performance, and supports safe, efficient manufacturing operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee preventive, predictive, corrective, and planned maintenance activities to maximize equipment reliability, availability, and production performance.
• Manage inspections, lubrication programs, machine tolerance verification, major repairs, and maintenance documentation while driving continuous process improvements.
• Lead, coach, and develop maintenance engineers and technicians across all shifts, fostering a culture of safety, accountability, collaboration, and technical excellence.
• Coordinate maintenance response to equipment failures, ensuring timely diagnostics, repairs, and restoration of operations in alignment with production priorities.
• Conduct root cause analyses and implement corrective actions to minimize recurring failures, reduce downtime, and improve asset reliability.
• Execute the site's maintenance strategy, including TPM initiatives, SAP-PM optimization, and the implementation of condition-monitoring technologies.
• Partner with Production, Quality, Purchasing, and other cross-functional teams to improve equipment performance, maintenance effectiveness, and operational efficiency.
• Ensure compliance with all Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) requirements and promote a proactive safety culture throughout the maintenance organization.
• Develop, manage, and monitor maintenance budgets to ensure cost-effective resource utilization while achieving reliability and performance targets.
• Optimize spare parts inventory and oversee procurement activities to ensure critical maintenance materials and components are available when needed.
• Manage vendor relationships, service agreements, and outsourced maintenance contracts to ensure quality, cost, safety, and performance expectations are met.
• Identify and implement equipment, process, and reliability improvements that enhance productivity, asset performance, and overall manufacturing effectiveness.
• Utilize maintenance management systems, performance metrics, and standard company tools to improve maintenance execution and support data-driven decision-making.
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement through reliability best practices, process optimization, and cross-functional collaboration.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• At least 5 years of maintenance experience in the manufacturing industry.
• Demonstrated success leading equipment improvement, refurbishment, modernization, installation, and capital project initiatives.
• Experience collaborating with international teams, suppliers, and stakeholders across multiple locations.
• Strong ability to work effectively within a multicultural environment and matrix organization.
• Visa sponsorship for Continental employees only.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous leadership experience managing and developing maintenance technicians and engineers.

Benefits

• Immediate benefits including paid time off and volunteer time off.
• Tuition assistance.
• Employee discounts, including tire discounts.
• Competitive bonus programs.
• Employer 401k match.
• Diverse and inclusive work environment with employee resource groups.
• Employee assistance program.
• Future growth opportunities, including personal and professional development.

Work Environment

Safety is our highest priority, and safety procedures/guidelines must always be adhered to. This includes wearing safety gear such as company-issued/approved steel toe shoes, safety glasses, and hearing protection as needed in required areas. The job is within a non-climate-controlled environment where you will be exposed to temperature swings (hot/cold), forklift and pedestrian traffic, and noise. The role involves various physical tasks, including lifting and operating machinery, with comprehensive training provided.