Job Description Summary:
This position will primarily responsible for managing all aspects of the maintenance function to ensure safe working conditions and to meet or exceed regulatory compliance. Partners with management team to create and maintain a safe work environment.
The Maintenance and Reliability Manager leads maintenance and equipment reliability at our Watertown hatchery. This role is responsible for developing a capable maintenance team and a planned maintenance program that keeps incubation, hatching, chick processing, refrigeration, HVAC, utilities, and supporting systems operating safely and consistently. Reliable equipment directly supports chick welfare, product quality, on-time deliveries, and the safety of our employees.
This manager works closely with Hatchery Operations, Quality, Engineering, vendors, and regional support teams to address recurring failures, plan work around the hatch schedule, and deliver equipment and facility improvements. The role combines day-to-day leadership with longer-term work to improve asset condition and reduce unplanned downtime.
Key Responsibilities
Maintenance and reliability
- Lead preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance for hatchery equipment, building systems, and utilities.
- Establish equipment priorities, maintenance schedules, inspection routines, and critical spare parts based on operational risk.
- Review breakdowns and recurring issues, lead root cause analysis, and ensure corrective actions are completed and sustained.
- Use maintenance records and performance measures to identify trends, plan work, and reduce repeat failures and emergency repairs.
- Coordinate maintenance around egg setting, transfer, hatch, chick processing, cleaning, and delivery requirements to minimize disruption.
- Support long-term asset planning, equipment replacement decisions, and reliability improvements.
Team leadership and execution
- Lead, coach, schedule, and develop the maintenance team; set clear expectations for safe troubleshooting, work quality, documentation, and follow-through.
- Build technical capability in mechanical, electrical, controls, HVAC, refrigeration, and other systems relevant to the hatchery.
- Prioritize work orders and balance urgent production needs with planned maintenance.
- Coordinate shift coverage, outside support, and response to critical equipment issues.
- Partner with operations leaders to communicate equipment status, repair plans, and risks in time to support production decisions.
Projects, contractors, and asset management
- Help scope, budget, and execute capital projects, equipment installations, facility upgrades, and major repairs from planning through startup and handover.
- Manage contractors and equipment suppliers, including quotes, schedules, site access, safety expectations, work quality, and closeout documentation.
- Maintain equipment records, manuals, service histories, parts information, and an accurate asset list in the maintenance system.
- Identify critical spare parts and improve inventory controls to avoid preventable outages and unnecessary emergency purchases.
- Support commissioning and training so employees can operate and maintain new equipment effectively.
Safety, quality, and performance
- Enforce safe work practices, including lockout/tagout, contractor safety, and applicable electrical and mechanical safety procedures.
- Ensure maintenance activities support biosecurity, sanitation, chick welfare, quality standards, and applicable regulatory requirements.
- Maintain organized, audit-ready records for inspections, preventive maintenance, repairs, contractors, and required compliance activities.
- Develop and manage the maintenance budget, evaluate repair-versus-replacement decisions, and support capital requests with clear operational and financial justification.
- Track practical measures such as equipment availability, repeat failures, preventive maintenance completion, emergency work, response time, and maintenance spending.
Qualifications
Required
- Experience leading maintenance work and people in a 24/7 production, agricultural, food manufacturing, or similarly equipment-intensive environment.
- Working knowledge of mechanical, electrical, controls, HVAC, refrigeration, and utility systems, with the judgment to bring in specialized support when needed.
- Experience planning preventive maintenance, troubleshooting recurring failures, managing contractors, and coordinating repairs around production needs.
- Ability to use a computerized maintenance management system or comparable work order and asset tracking tools.
- Strong communication, organization, follow-through, and commitment to employee safety.
Preferred
- Experience in a hatchery, poultry operation, food manufacturing facility, or other production environment.
- Experience with environmental controls, building pressure and airflow, chillers, or industrial refrigeration.
- Experience with capital projects, equipment commissioning, root cause analysis, and critical spare parts management.
- Technical degree, trade certification, engineering degree, or equivalent hands-on experience.
Working Conditions
Work takes place in an operating hatchery and includes time on the production floor, in mechanical areas, and with outside contractors. The manager must be able to respond to critical equipment issues that affect operations outside normal business hours as needed. Physical requirements.
