Director of Maintenance
International Delights, LLC, Clifton, NJ, United States
Director of Maintenance – Bakery Manufacturing
Role Summary
The Director of Maintenance is responsible for providing strategic and hands-on leadership for all maintenance, reliability, and automation operations within the bakery facility. This role ensures the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of production equipment, utilities, and automated systems supporting 24/7 manufacturing.
Success is demonstrated through measurable improvements in equipment reliability, repair efficiency, cost control, and safety. This role also develops and implements structured training programs to strengthen technician skills in troubleshooting, automation, controls, and reliability best practices. The Director of Maintenance leads preventive and predictive maintenance programs, manages breakdown response, oversees maintenance systems and inventory, and supports capital projects, construction, and equipment installations. This position requires strong technical expertise, disciplined leadership, and a proactive reliability mindset.
Key Priorities ·
Drive
equipment reliability and up time
across all production and utility systems. ·
Establish a
world-class preventive and predictive maintenance culture. ·
Lead maintenance teams with a strong focus on
safety, accountability, and continuous improvement. ·
Support long-term
automation and plant growth strategies. ·
Ensure compliance with
food safety, electrical safety, and machine safety standards.
Primary Responsibilities Maintenance & Reliability Leadership ·
Plan, manage, and continuously improve the preventive maintenance program to maximize equipment reliability and minimize downtime. ·
Direct and coordinate all corrective maintenance activities across production and facility systems. ·
Establish and lead structured
root cause analysis (RCA)
processes to eliminate repeat failures. ·
Develop, track, and analyze maintenance KPIs related to downtime, MTTR, MTBF, and PM effectiveness. Technical & Equipment Oversight ·
Provide technical leadership for bakery production equipment. ·
Ensure proper operation, maintenance, and reliability of
compressed air, steam, water, and other critical utilities . ·
Oversee maintenance and performance of
robotic systems and automated production lines , including pick-and-place robots, automated packaging, and material handling systems. ·
Develop and coordinate preventive and predictive maintenance strategies for the entire facility, reducing unplanned downtime and extending equipment life. ·
Coordinate preventive and predictive maintenance programs for all equipment. Projects & Capital Execution ·
Plan and manage construction-related maintenance projects, facility upgrades, and equipment installations. ·
Coordinate with engineering, contractors, and vendors to ensure projects are completed
safely, on schedule, and within budget . ·
Support commissioning, start-up, and validation of new equipment and production lines. People Leadership & Development ·
Lead, mentor, and develop maintenance leadership and technician teams. ·
Lead training and skill development initiatives for maintenance technicians across all production and facility equipment systems. ·
Foster a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous learning within the maintenance organization. ·
Partner cross-functionally with Operations, Engineering and Quality Teams.
Qualifications Required ·
Bachelor’s degree in
Electrical Engineering
and/or
Mechanical Engineering. ·
Minimum
10–15 years of maintenance experience
in food manufacturing (preferred), pharmaceutical, or industrial manufacturing environments. ·
Minimum
5–7 years in a maintenance leadership or management role . ·
Strong technical knowledge of
bakery or food manufacturing equipment and utilities . ·
Proven track record of implementing and improving maintenance and reliability practices. ·
Demonstrated leadership skills with the ability to lead teams in fast-paced, 24/7 manufacturing environments. ·
Strong communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills. ·
High work ethic, flexibility, and ability to multitask effectively.
Success is demonstrated through measurable improvements in equipment reliability, repair efficiency, cost control, and safety. This role also develops and implements structured training programs to strengthen technician skills in troubleshooting, automation, controls, and reliability best practices. The Director of Maintenance leads preventive and predictive maintenance programs, manages breakdown response, oversees maintenance systems and inventory, and supports capital projects, construction, and equipment installations. This position requires strong technical expertise, disciplined leadership, and a proactive reliability mindset.
Key Priorities ·
Drive
equipment reliability and up time
across all production and utility systems. ·
Establish a
world-class preventive and predictive maintenance culture. ·
Lead maintenance teams with a strong focus on
safety, accountability, and continuous improvement. ·
Support long-term
automation and plant growth strategies. ·
Ensure compliance with
food safety, electrical safety, and machine safety standards.
Primary Responsibilities Maintenance & Reliability Leadership ·
Plan, manage, and continuously improve the preventive maintenance program to maximize equipment reliability and minimize downtime. ·
Direct and coordinate all corrective maintenance activities across production and facility systems. ·
Establish and lead structured
root cause analysis (RCA)
processes to eliminate repeat failures. ·
Develop, track, and analyze maintenance KPIs related to downtime, MTTR, MTBF, and PM effectiveness. Technical & Equipment Oversight ·
Provide technical leadership for bakery production equipment. ·
Ensure proper operation, maintenance, and reliability of
compressed air, steam, water, and other critical utilities . ·
Oversee maintenance and performance of
robotic systems and automated production lines , including pick-and-place robots, automated packaging, and material handling systems. ·
Develop and coordinate preventive and predictive maintenance strategies for the entire facility, reducing unplanned downtime and extending equipment life. ·
Coordinate preventive and predictive maintenance programs for all equipment. Projects & Capital Execution ·
Plan and manage construction-related maintenance projects, facility upgrades, and equipment installations. ·
Coordinate with engineering, contractors, and vendors to ensure projects are completed
safely, on schedule, and within budget . ·
Support commissioning, start-up, and validation of new equipment and production lines. People Leadership & Development ·
Lead, mentor, and develop maintenance leadership and technician teams. ·
Lead training and skill development initiatives for maintenance technicians across all production and facility equipment systems. ·
Foster a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous learning within the maintenance organization. ·
Partner cross-functionally with Operations, Engineering and Quality Teams.
Qualifications Required ·
Bachelor’s degree in
Electrical Engineering
and/or
Mechanical Engineering. ·
Minimum
10–15 years of maintenance experience
in food manufacturing (preferred), pharmaceutical, or industrial manufacturing environments. ·
Minimum
5–7 years in a maintenance leadership or management role . ·
Strong technical knowledge of
bakery or food manufacturing equipment and utilities . ·
Proven track record of implementing and improving maintenance and reliability practices. ·
Demonstrated leadership skills with the ability to lead teams in fast-paced, 24/7 manufacturing environments. ·
Strong communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills. ·
High work ethic, flexibility, and ability to multitask effectively.