Maintenance Planner

Position Summary

The Maintenance Planner is responsible for organizing, scheduling, and coordinating all maintenance activities to ensure equipment reliability, operational efficiency, and food safety compliance. A key function of this role is managing the procurement of parts and maintenance materials, maintaining accurate inventory control, and ensuring that all required components are available to support preventive and corrective maintenance within a fast-paced food manufacturing environment.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance schedules to minimize equipment downtime and support production goals.
• Create detailed job plans that define required parts, labor hours, safety requirements, and tools for each maintenance task.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for parts procurement, including sourcing, ordering, and tracking materials through approved vendors.
• Maintain an accurate and organized inventory of spare parts, consumables, and critical components to prevent production delays.
• Monitor stock levels, reorder points, and lead times; coordinate with Purchasing and Accounting to ensure timely and cost-effective ordering.
• Maintain the Computerized Maintenance Management System (Upkeep) with accurate records of parts usage, work orders, and asset history.
• Identify and remove obsolete or excess inventory to maintain efficient stock levels and reduce waste.
• Coordinate with production, sanitation, and maintenance supervisors to schedule work orders around operational needs and sanitation windows.
• Track and report on maintenance costs, parts expenditures, and downtime trends, assisting in annual budget development.
• Assist in developing and updating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) procedures, and Job Hazard Analyses (JHAs).
• Support capital projects, equipment installations, and continuous improvement initiatives to improve uptime and reduce maintenance costs.
• Ensure compliance with GMPs, HACCP, USDA, FDA, CCOF, and all applicable safety regulations.

Qualifications

Education & Experience:

• High school diploma or GED required, technical certificate or associate degree in industrial maintenance, supply chain, or related field preferred.
• Minimum 2–3 years of experience in maintenance planning, inventory control, or parts coordination in a food manufacturing or industrial setting.
• Proficiency in CMMS software and Microsoft Excel required.
• Experience working with vendors, generating purchase orders, and maintaining parts databases strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with food safety, GMP, and regulatory standards applicable to food manufacturing.

Skills & Abilities:

• Strong organizational and analytical skills with attention to detail.
• Knowledge of mechanical, electrical, and pneumatic systems common in food processing (e.g., baggers, conveyors, sealers, ink jets, pumps, motors, sorters, water knives).
• Excellent communication and coordination skills across departments.
• Ability to prioritize work, manage deadline, and maintain accurate documentation.
• Demonstrated understanding of inventory management principles, including cycle counts, reorder levels, and vendor sourcing.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand, walk, and move throughout production and maintenance areas for extended periods.
• May require lifting up to 50 lbs. and working in cold, wet, or noisy environments.