Production Maintenance Manager

Job Summary

The Production Maintenance Manager is responsible for leading and executing all aspects of production equipment maintenance to ensure maximum uptime, safety, and efficiency in a high-volume metal fabrication environment. This role oversees preventive and reactive maintenance for CNC machines, welders, press brakes, lasers, material handling systems, and other production equipment, while driving continuous improvement, reliability, and safety culture initiatives.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

1. Preventive & Reactive Maintenance

- Develop, implement, and oversee a preventive maintenance (PM) program for all manufacturing equipment, including CNC machines, welders, press brakes, lasers, and material handling systems.

- Manage and respond to equipment breakdowns in a timely, cost-effective, and safe manner to minimize production downtime.

- Maintain accurate maintenance records, logs, and documentation within the CMMS system.

- Ensure all maintenance procedures are performed in compliance with OSHA standards and company safety protocols.

- Perform and document Job Safety Analyses (JSAs) before initiating high-risk maintenance tasks.

2. Team Leadership

- Supervise, schedule, and train a team of production maintenance technicians.

- Foster a safety-first culture and ensure adherence to OSHA, lockout/tagout, and other applicable safety regulations.

- Conduct performance evaluations, set goals, and promote the continuous technical development of the team.

- Lead daily safety huddles and regularly conduct toolbox talks focused on maintenance-related risks.

- Champion the reporting and follow-up of near-miss incidents to drive proactive safety improvements.

3. Equipment Reliability & Support

- Monitor spare parts inventory for production equipment and ensure availability of critical components.

- Collaborate with Production, Quality, and Engineering teams to troubleshoot issues and drive root cause analysis (RCA) with effective corrective actions.

- Lead projects for equipment upgrades, retrofits, and new machinery installations.

- Respond promptly to production calls to minimize disruption in the manufacturing process.

- Review all new equipment installations for compliance with safety design standards.

- Recommend safety enhancements during machine retrofits or rebuilds (e.g., guarding, interlocks, e-stops).

4. Continuous Improvement & Compliance

- Analyze downtime data to identify trends and opportunities for improved reliability.

- Implement continuous improvement initiatives to extend equipment life cycles and reduce maintenance costs.

- Ensure maintenance practices align with ISO and other relevant quality certifications.

- Enforce all OSHA regulations, plant safety protocols, and company maintenance standards.

- Lead or participate in safety audits, hazard assessments, and ergonomic evaluations specific to maintenance tasks.

- Develop and maintain Lockout/Tagout procedures for all equipment under maintenance oversight.

5. Safety Champion

- Actively promotes and embeds safety-first thinking into all maintenance activities and decision-making processes.

- Collaborates closely with the Safety Manager to identify hazards and mitigate risks within the maintenance and production environment.

- Serves as a key voice on the Safety Committee, representing maintenance operations and ensuring alignment with safety goals.

Supervisory Responsibilities

- Lead, coach, and motivate the maintenance team while ensuring accountability and high performance.

- Review time and attendance records for adherence to company policies.

- Manage external contractors for specialized production equipment repair and service.

- Ensure contractors follow all site-specific safety policies and procedures during service work.

- Verify that contractor safety plans and insurance are compliant before job initiation.

Minimum Qualifications

Education & Experience

- Associate or Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical/Electrical Engineering, Industrial Maintenance, or related field preferred.

- 5+ years of maintenance experience in a

manufacturing environment with strong attention to safety

, experience in a

metal fabrication environment highly preferred.

- 2+ years of supervisory or management experience.

Technical Skills

- Strong knowledge of mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, and pneumatic systems.

- Hands-on experience with CNC and PLC-controlled production machinery.

- Proficiency with CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management Systems).

Soft Skills

- Strong leadership and communication skills.

- Ability to work under pressure and manage multiple priorities.

- Analytical mindset with a proactive, problem-solving approach.

- High commitment to personal and team safety; leads by example and reinforces safe behaviors.