Maintenance Lead

OXEA Corporation is a world leader in Oxo chemicals, producing over 70 oxo intermediates and derivatives for global industries. Our chemicals are essential ingredients in everyday products, supported by a team of more than 1,200 employees across plants in Germany, the USA, and China.

About the role

The Maintenance Lead is responsible for leading plant maintenance operations to ensure equipment and assets are maintained safely, reliably, efficiently, and cost-effectively. This role provides leadership to a multi-craft workforce, overseeing planned, scheduled, preventive, and emergency maintenance activities while collaborating with cross-functional teams to support equipment reliability, regulatory compliance, and safe plant operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead and direct site maintenance functions, including electrical, instrumentation, rotating, and analyzer teams, ensuring safe, reliable, and cost-effective execution of maintenance work.
• Develop and sustain a highly trained maintenance workforce through leadership, coaching, cross-training, and adherence to maintenance policies and procedures.
• Collaborate with plant leaders to establish priorities and optimize maintenance resource allocation and utilization.
• Oversee planned, scheduled, preventive, and emergency maintenance activities to ensure timely and effective execution.
• Hold craft supervisors accountable for safe, efficient, and high-quality maintenance work.
• Monitor work completion, backlog, schedule compliance, and resource utilization using maintenance performance metrics.
• Support maintenance objectives aligned with company requirements, regulatory standards, and industry best practices.
• Maintain a proactive safety culture through visible leadership, employee engagement, and adherence to site safety processes.
• Partner with HSE and site leadership to integrate environmental, health, and safety compliance into maintenance and manufacturing activities.
• Lead maintenance initiatives supporting quality system processes and equipment reliability improvements.
• Support operational leadership in budget development and responsible resource utilization.
• Provide performance feedback, coaching, and development to craft supervisors and maintenance personnel.
• Build cross-functional relationships with Production, Technical Services, Engineering, Reliability, and other site functions to enhance plant performance.

Key Interactions

• Internal: Maintenance and Turnaround Manager, Maintenance Supervisors, Maintenance Personnel, Production Leadership, Technical Services, Engineering, Reliability, HSE, Quality, Procurement, Finance, and Human Resources.
• External: Contract maintenance organizations, equipment vendors, service providers, and other contractors.

Working Conditions

• Primarily office-based with routine presence in an operating chemical manufacturing facility.
• Regular field engagement for maintenance execution, equipment reliability, employee development, and safety initiatives.
• Frequent exposure to industrial equipment, elevated work areas, confined spaces, noise, heat, and varying weather conditions.
• Requires climbing stairs and ladders, working in manufacturing environments, and wearing required PPE.
• May require response to plant emergencies or maintenance issues outside normal business hours.
• Occasional travel for training, vendor meetings, or other business activities.

Requirements

• Associate degree in a technical or related field with five (5) years of relevant experience, or ten (10) years of experience in the chemical, manufacturing, or related industry in lieu of a degree.
• Five (5) years of leadership experience in the chemical, manufacturing, or related industry.
• Current, valid Texas driver’s license.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel).
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and build collaborative working relationships.
• Knowledge of maintenance and reliability practices in an industrial manufacturing environment.
• Familiarity with environmental, health, safety, and regulatory compliance requirements for industrial maintenance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering or a related field.
• Experience with process control and cost management.
• Ten (10) years of leadership or supervisory experience in a chemical, manufacturing, or related industrial environment.
• Experience using SAP or other computerized maintenance management systems.
• Experience supporting turnarounds, shutdowns, startups, or capital projects.

Skills

• Knowledge of maintenance and reliability practices and their impact on safe, reliable plant operations.
• Understanding of industrial mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, analyzer, and associated maintenance systems.
• Strong leadership, coaching, team-building, and employee development capabilities.
• Ability to balance safety, reliability, operational requirements, and cost performance in maintenance decisions.
• Strong problem-solving skills with a focus on continuous improvement.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to establish priorities and coordinate resources.
• Ability to develop productive cross-functional relationships across Maintenance, Production, Technical Services, Engineering, Reliability, and EHS.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, continuous chemical manufacturing environment.

Benefits

• Excellent medical, dental, and vision insurance plans.
• Health Equity Health Fund for health and dependent care.
• Disability benefits.
• Basic Group Term Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Paid Time Off for work/life balance.
• Competitive salary, bonus, 401(k) plan with match, and profit-sharing match.