Maintenance Operations Leader

Maintenance Operations Leader

Location: McElhattan, PA
Client: First Quality Products
Website: First Quality
Salary: $85,000–$110,000 + 10% performance bonus + 5% quarterly incentive
Schedule: Monday–Friday, daylight hours; must be available to support a 24/7/365 manufacturing facility after hours as needed

About the Client

First Quality is a family-owned company with more than 35 years of experience and over 5,000 employees across the U.S. and Canada. The company operates multiple manufacturing campuses and produces personal care and household products, including adult incontinence products, baby care products, wipes, feminine care products, and other consumer products.

First Quality is committed to safety, quality, innovation, continuous improvement, and employee development. The company’s culture is built around humility, unity, and integrity, with a focus on continuously working to Make Things Better®.

Job Summary

First Quality Products is seeking a Maintenance Operations Leader to lead maintenance operations for a high-speed manufacturing facility in McElhattan, PA.

This position will supervise approximately 30–35 maintenance team members, coordinate daily maintenance activities, support preventative maintenance and asset management programs, and ensure equipment operates safely and efficiently.

The ideal candidate will have strong industrial maintenance experience in a high-speed manufacturing environment, along with previous supervisory or leadership experience. This person should be technically strong, hands-on, team-oriented, and comfortable supporting a 24/7/365 operation when needed.

Responsibilities

Lead, coach, and mentor approximately 30–35 maintenance team members.

Coordinate daily maintenance activities and establish crew/shift goals.

Monitor maintenance work orders and ensure timely completion of maintenance tasks.

Support a 24/7/365 manufacturing operation and provide direction for after-hours or off-shift maintenance needs.

Ensure compliance with safety requirements and applicable GMP, FDA, and ISO standards.

Promote a strong safety culture and maintain compliance with safety audits, observations, training, and safety programs.

Develop and maintain preventative maintenance schedules and continuously improve PM programs.

Support asset management, equipment reliability, and maintenance housekeeping programs.

Troubleshoot machinery, equipment, and components as needed.

Provide technical direction and resources to maintenance teams.

Evaluate team members’ technical skills and identify training and development needs.

Partner with the Maintenance Manager and Training Department on employee development and skills training.

Support equipment line changeovers and continuous improvement initiatives.

Drive rapid continuous improvement projects focused on safety, reliability, productivity, and equipment performance.

Manage maintenance-related events and incidents according to established protocols.

Track maintenance metrics, reports, work orders, and other performance data.

Assist with time and attendance tracking and employee performance reviews.

Communicate process, quality, and specification changes effectively across shifts and teams.

Build strong working relationships across departments and promote teamwork and accountability.

Support special projects and other business improvement initiatives as needed.

Qualifications

Minimum 2 years of supervisory or leadership experience — required.

Minimum 5 years of industrial maintenance experience — preferred.

High-speed manufacturing experience — strongly preferred.

Previous experience leading maintenance teams in a manufacturing environment.

Experience with preventative maintenance and asset management.

Strong technical knowledge of industrial machinery and maintenance practices.

Experience with a CMMS such as SAP, MP2, EAM, or a similar system.

Experience with SAP preferred.

Associate degree or at least two years of college coursework preferred.

Experience leading continuous improvement initiatives in a manufacturing environment.

Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving abilities.

Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Proficiency with Microsoft Office, particularly Outlook and Excel.

Strong organizational and mathematical skills.

Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Must be willing to provide after-hours support for a 24/7/365 operation.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is an experienced Maintenance Supervisor, Maintenance Manager, Maintenance Operations Leader, or similar maintenance leader who has worked in a high-speed manufacturing environment.

They should have:

5+ years of industrial maintenance experience.

3+ years of supervisory/leadership experience preferred.

Experience managing a large maintenance team.

Strong preventative maintenance and asset management experience.

Hands-on technical troubleshooting skills.

CMMS/SAP experience.

Experience driving continuous improvement and equipment reliability.

A stable employment history with consistent progression and no unexplained employment gaps.

Experience in a high-speed, production-focused industry.

A team-oriented leadership style and willingness to step in and help when needed.

Strong target industries include: high-speed manufacturing, personal care products, consumer products, packaging, plastics, food production, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and other automated 24/7 manufacturing environments.

Simple Explanation of the Job

This person will run the maintenance team for a large, fast-paced manufacturing facility.

They will manage around 30–35 maintenance employees, make sure machines are properly maintained and repaired, oversee preventative maintenance, track work orders, improve equipment reliability, and keep the team focused on safety.

The facility operates 24/7/365, so although this is a Monday–Friday daylight position, the person needs to be comfortable taking calls and providing support outside normal working hours when maintenance issues arise.

This is best suited for someone who has already supervised a sizeable industrial maintenance team in a high-speed manufacturing environment and is strong both technically and as a people leader.

Key Screening Questions

How many years of industrial maintenance experience do you have, and how much of that experience was in a high-speed manufacturing environment?

How many years of direct supervisory/leadership experience do you have, and how many maintenance employees have you directly managed?

What type of manufacturing equipment and machinery have you been responsible for maintaining or troubleshooting?

What experience do you have with preventative maintenance, asset management, and CMMS systems such as SAP, MP2, or EAM?

Have you led continuous improvement or equipment-reliability projects in a manufacturing environment? Please provide an example.

Are you comfortable working Monday–Friday daylight hours while providing after-hours support for a 24/7/365 facility when needed?

Do you have an Associate Degree or at least two years of college coursework?

Please walk me through your recent employment history. Are there any significant employment gaps, consulting-only periods, or frequent moves between positions?

Are you currently located within a reasonable commuting distance of McElhattan, PA, or would you require relocation?

What are your current/expected compensation requirements?

Key Deal-Breakers to Confirm Early

Less than 2 years of leadership/supervisory experience

No meaningful industrial maintenance background

No experience in a manufacturing environment

No exposure to high-speed manufacturing preferred

Not comfortable supporting a 24/7/365 operation after hours

Unstable employment history, significant unexplained gaps, or frequent job changes

Primarily consulting-only background