Maintenance Manager

At Link Snacks, we show up hungry, roll up our sleeves, plaid or otherwise, and dive straight into the hard work. We don’t hide from challenges; we hunt them down. We push harder, move faster, and take the kinds of big swings that built this business in the North Woods of Wisconsin four decades ago.

We’re everyday people who deliver extraordinary results. Innovation, creativity, and urgency aren’t buzzwords, they’re expectations. And just like the real protein snacks we make across our global house of brands—Jack Link’s®, Lorissa’s Kitchen®, Golden Island®, BiFi®, and Peperami® and KOOEE!® to name a few—there’s nothing artificial about us. What you see is exactly what you get: humble, gritty, passionate people who show up every day ready to not just be a participate in the meat snack industry that the Link Family created, but to move faster, innovate harder and keep raising the bar so high, the rest of the world needs a ladder just to see it.

Dominating this space across the world takes a team. A team that runs together, succeeds together, and celebrates together. A team that’s full of relentless energy and spirit that can only be fueled by one thing: a fist full of our delicious meat snacks.

Real Meat Protein. Real People. Real Results. THAT is Link Snacks.

The Maintenance Manager plans, coordinates, and executes the daily activities of maintenance, electrical, and outside janitorial services to ensure safe, reliable, and compliant operations in a USDA‑regulated food manufacturing facility. This role leads a multi‑shift maintenance operation supporting packaging, processing, and smokehouse areas; ensures standards and SOPs are followed; and drives plant performance against KPI targets. A key focus is transitioning the maintenance function from a preventive/demand model to a mature Reliability‑Centered Maintenance (RCM) program. The Maintenance Manager will build the reliability strategy, improve asset care practices, optimize CMMS utilization (Somax), and develop team capabilities to increase uptime, reduce total cost of ownership, and strengthen food safety and regulatory compliance.

Annual Salary Range: $100k - $120k

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Culture

• Lead, coach, and develop a high‑performing team of maintenance technicians, specialists, planners, and the Preventive Maintenance Coordinator; maintain high team member morale.
• Set clear priorities for safety, food safety, reliability, and service to operations; model accountability and proactive problem solving.
• Assist with hiring decisions; coach, discipline, and appraise team member performance; provide input on termination decisions.
• Build multi‑skill capabilities (mechanical, electrical/controls, pneumatics, hydraulics, refrigeration, PLC fundamentals) aligned with critical assets and coverage needs.
• Maintain effective internal controls over maintenance workflows and documentation.

Reliability & Program Development

• Oversee, implement, and maintain a Reliability‑Centered Maintenance program, including equipment criticality, failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA), root cause analysis (RCA), and corrective action sustainability.
• Lead the transition from time‑based PMs to condition‑based and predictive maintenance (e.g., vibration analysis, thermography, ultrasound, oil analysis) where applicable.
• Oversee the Jack Link’s Performance System (JLPS) Preventative Maintenance Pillar progress and integrate pillar standards into daily routines and governance.

CMMS & Data‑Driven Execution

• Own the execution of the CMMS (Somax) program to ensure timely completion and quality of Preventive Maintenance (PM) and Demand Maintenance (DM) work orders, accurate asset histories, and reliable data.
• Drive plan/schedule/execute/close processes, backlog management, and schedule compliance; generate and use reports to improve MTBF, reduce MTTR, and eliminate repeat failures.
• Define and report maintenance KPIs (e.g., uptime, schedule compliance, PM completion %, backlog health, MTBF/MTTR, repeat failure rate, maintenance cost per asset).

Operations & Asset Care

• Ensure the building and all machinery are fully functional and safe for use; own facilities maintenance projects.
• Provide responsive troubleshooting and sustainable long‑term fixes in partnership with Production, Quality, and Engineering.
• Manage multiple site projects and overall site maintenance to meet or exceed standard efficiencies across packaging, processing, and smokehouses.
• Support and manage plant Utilities; Electrical, Gas, Water, Ammonia system onsite.  Administration and support of ARMS program for Ammonia system.

Regulatory, Food Safety & EHS

• Ensure all maintenance activities comply with USDA, HACCP, GMP, and internal food safety standards; maintain sanitary maintenance practices (tools, lubricants, parts).
• Maintain compliance with OSHA and applicable environmental regulations; enforce LOTO, hazard identification, permits, and safe work practices.
• Support audits, inspections, and corrective actions with Quality and EHS; maintain documentation and readiness.

Capital Projects & Engineering

• Plan and coordinate support of major capital investment projects (e.g., plant refrigeration, infrastructure changes/additions, new equipment installs).
• Partner with corporate engineering on capital projects, automation, and process flow improvements for cost, throughput, and reliability gains.
• Oversee installation, commissioning, and center lining of new systems with defined acceptance criteria.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.

• Preferred Bachelor/Associate Degree in Engineering or Technical discipline with emphasis on equipment automation.

Experience

• 5–7+ years of maintenance leadership experience in food manufacturing or other USDA/USDA-FSIS regulated environments strongly preferred.

• Preferred Certifications• CMRP (Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional)
• CRL (Certified Reliability Leader)
• Industrial Refrigeration certification (RETA)
• OSHA 30‑hour or similar safety training credential

Technical Skills

• Strong understanding of:• Mechanical systems
• Electrical systems (480V, controls, MCCs)
• Pneumatics and hydraulics
• PLC troubleshooting fundamentals
• Industrial refrigeration (if applicable)
• Boilers, compressed air, wastewater, and utility systems

• Ability to interpret:• Electrical schematics
• Mechanical drawings
• P&IDs
• OEM manuals

 

Physical Demands:

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

While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, use hands to finger, handle, or feel, talk and hear. The employee is occasionally required to sit, stoop, kneel, bend, and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities are required by this job include close vision and ability to distinguish colors.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The work environment is a plant/office setting with varying degree of temperatures and noise levels. Exposure to manufacturing equipment movement and wet/slippery floors. Most of the time will be spent in a production environment. Travel may be required.

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation and gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.