NK Utilities Maintenance Operator SME

About the Role

Michael Foods, Inc. is a leader in the food processing and distribution industry with business in egg products, refrigerated grocery, and potato products. Our Norwalk, Iowa location produces high-quality precooked egg patties and various French Toast products. This role provides both maintenance and reliability services within the plant, championing executional excellence and critical water/gas/air systems asset health improvement efforts.

Responsibilities

• Lead water/gas/air systems maintenance/operations team members and tasks to ensure personal safety, quality, delivery, and cost are continuously improved to achieve company objectives.
• Engage and develop the water/gas/air systems asset care team members to deliver expected levels of reliability.
• Be an active member contributing to the advancement of the MFI & ARM culture.
• Develop, implement, and champion Precision Maintenance® techniques ensuring procedural compliance and that job tolerances are met.
• Identify, develop, justify, and implement critical water/gas/air systems maintenance and performance improvement projects.
• Work with the Corporate Reliability Team to develop, implement, and review real-time condition assessment data for all critical water/gas/air systems equipment.
• Responsible for identifying, coordinating, and facilitating critical water/gas/air systems equipment maintenance training for maintenance/operations personnel.
• Develop and implement quality assurance and reliability procedures for critical water/gas/air systems spares and parts.
• Develop and implement quality commissioning procedures for critical rebuilt or new water/gas/air systems equipment.
• Work with vendors in addressing critical water/gas/air systems issues identified through root cause and condition-based maintenance programs.
• Lead/assist craftsmen during critical water/gas/air systems maintenance assignments.
• Lead technical water/gas/air systems troubleshooting tasks while assisting other plant personnel in a teaching environment.
• Utilize MFI-approved CMMS to manage, document, and support water/gas/air systems reliability reporting and decision-making.
• Keep accurate and up-to-date records (e.g., SAP data, critical equipment, regulatory documentation).
• Provide input for root cause analysis (RCA) and Reliability Centered Maintenance to create an environment of continuous asset reliability improvement.
• Actively hold and sustain regulatory-required licensure related to water/gas/air systems (Chief Level) and perform required duties to statute expectations.
• Understand regional code to a master’s level and demonstrate accordingly.
• Manage and lead the plant PSM program, ensuring regulatory compliance.
• Promote and foster Michael Foods culture, values, and principles.
• Lead the plant emergency response team.
• Act as a role model by demonstrating safe work behaviors.
• Accountable for a safe and healthy workplace for everyone.
• Adhere to all safety policies and procedures and incorporate safety and health in all jobs and tasks.
• Adhere to Quality work practices, follow GMPs, maintain sanitary conditions, and ensure product quality is maintained.
• Report any conditions or practices that may adversely affect food safety and quality.
• Ensure required regulatory compliance.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or a technical field is preferred. Alternatively, an associate's degree, two-year technical certificate, and/or relevant experience demonstrating utilities maintenance operations technical and leadership aptitude.
• Demonstrated leadership experience preferred.
• 5 years of experience as a utilities maintenance operator with an emphasis on steam or refrigeration preferred.
• Trained and competent in the equivalent of MFI UMOL1, UMOL2 & UMOL3 skills preferred.
• Chief Boiler Operator license or boiler/ammonia equivalent certification required.
• Trained in regional utilities regulatory code to a master’s level preferred.
• Understanding of PLC and equipment automation preferred.
• E&I troubleshooting experience required.
• Master’s understanding of mechanical, piping, and/or electrical schematics and blueprints, including equipment-specific diagrams.
• Ability to maintain an accurate library of pertinent drawings, schematics, etc.
• PSM certification required.
• Available to travel 10% of annual work hours.
• Prior experience in SAP preferred.
• Ability to interact with all levels of the organization.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills along with superb time management and project scheduling skills.
• Excellent administrative and follow-up skills to achieve success with condition-based maintenance, preventive maintenance, and precision corrective repair programs.

Physical Requirements

• Regularly required to talk and listen.
• Frequently required to stand and walk.
• Occasionally required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, and feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; taste and smell.
• Must occasionally lift and/or move up to 60 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
• Exposure to a noisy environment that varies from hot to cold in temperature.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.