Lead Maintenance Mechanic - Early Morning Weekend Shift - Offering $3,000 Sign on Bonus!

About the role

Located just outside of Chicago, our Melrose Park location is part of our Meat division and creates batter blends, pastry blends, and breadcrumbs. We are a fast-paced manufacturing facility where teamwork is key to getting the job done. With a growing portfolio, we are seeking a Maintenance Lead to join our team.

Responsibilities

• Work with the Maintenance team to complete building repairs, equipment installation, troubleshooting, and installation in a timely manner.
• Maintain inventory, perform preventative maintenance, keep good housekeeping, and ensure compliance with safety and environmental laws and regulations.
• Troubleshoot and repair machinery such as extruders, mixers, conveyors, and metal detectors.
• Assess and repair electrical issues as they arise.

Requirements

• 5-10 years of maintenance mechanic experience in the food industrial and/or bakery work environment, preferred.
• A high school diploma or GED, with apprenticeship or applicable certifications preferred.
• Basic technical knowledge of stainless steel welding/fabrication, high-speed packaging, welding, refrigeration (ammonia), and mechanical power transmission.
• Experience with PLCs (Programmable logic controllers).
• Knowledge of process control instrumentation and process equipment.
• Ability to use personal computing.

Qualifications

• Passionate about "Safety First, Quality Always" for employees, products, and customers.
• Experience working in important areas of operations such as cleaning and lubricating machinery, installing and maintaining pipe systems, repairing gauges, valves, pressure regulators, and other equipment.
• Experience with welding, cutting, machine, and hand tools.

Skills

• Welding/Fabrication
• High-Speed Packaging
• Welding
• Refrigeration (Ammonia)
• Mechanical Power Transmission
• PLC’s (Programmable Logic Controllers)
• Process Control Instrumentation
• Process Equipment
• Personal Computing

Benefits

• Union wage guaranteed pay increases at 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months of employment.
• Career advancement and growth opportunities.
• A friendly, close-knit team and supervisors invested in your success.
• Full benefits, including mental health, employee assistance program, and more!

Pay

The pay rate for this position is $38.18 per hour. Kerry offers a competitive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, paid time off, a 401(k) plan with employee and company contribution opportunities, Employee Share Plan, Life, disability, and accident insurance.

Schedule

Shift Information: Early Morning, Weekend Shift. The days and hours are Friday - Monday, 200AM – 1200PM.

Pay Rate

$38.18 per hour

Benefits

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Paid Time Off
• 401(k) Plan with Employee and Company Contribution Opportunities
• Employee Share Plan
• Life Insurance
• Disability Insurance
• Accident Insurance

Company

Kerry offers a competitive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, paid time off, a 401(k) plan with employee and company contribution opportunities, Employee Share Plan, Life, disability, and accident insurance.

Application Instructions

This job posting is anticipated to expire on 8/3/2026. We may use artificial intelligence tools to support the review and assessment of applications and assist with scheduling interviews. We do not use AI to make decisions during the interview process. All candidate assessments and hiring decisions are made by our recruitment and leadership teams. Kerry is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law. Kerry will only employ those who are legally authorized to work in the United States for this opening. Any offer of employment is conditional upon the successful completion of a background investigation and drug screen. Additional information can be found at Know Your Rights Workplace Discrimination is Illegal (dol.gov). Beware of scams online or from individuals claiming to represent us. A Kerry employee will not solicit candidates through a non-Kerry email address or phone number. In addition, Kerry does not currently utilise video chat rooms (e.g., Google Hangouts) to conduct interviews. Refuse any request that asks you to provide payment to participate in the hiring process (e.g., purchasing a “starter kit,” investing in training, or something similar). Kerry will not ask you to pay any money at any point in the hiring process with the exception of reimbursable travel expenses. In addition, any payments made by Kerry will be from official firm accounts bearing the Kerry name.