Technical Specialist Maintenance Leader
Position Overview
This position serves as the people leader and technical authority for Ascend’s Technical Specialist Maintenance Department. This role is accountable for leading a diverse team of high voltage, process analyzer, and distributed control system (DCS) technicians in the safe and effective execution of daily maintenance, troubleshooting, reliability improvement, and turnaround activities for specialized plant systems. The position plays a critical role in improving equipment reliability, driving maintenance excellence, supporting operational performance, and developing technical talent across the organization.
Targeted Outcomes
- Achieve world-class safety performance through strict compliance with electrical, process safety, and environmental standards while eliminating serious incidents and reducing exposure risks.
- Improve reliability and availability of critical electrical, analyzer, and control systems through proactive maintenance, predictive technologies, and strong reliability practices.
- Develop a high-performing technical specialist organization with strong accountability, technical capability, workforce engagement, and succession planning.
- Reduce unplanned downtime and maintenance costs by optimizing preventive and predictive maintenance strategies and improving work execution discipline.
- Deliver turnaround and capital project support safely, on schedule, and within budget while maintaining high quality standards.
- Strengthen partnerships with Operations, Engineering, and Reliability teams to improve asset effectiveness and operational performance.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives that support site productivity, quality, environmental, and cost performance objectives.
Key Responsibilities
- Ensures safety and environmental performance of technical specialists and contractors in all aspects of work processes including implementation of safety programs that comply with regulatory requirements including NFPA 70E, NEC, PSM/ISA84, EPA, ADEM, and OSHA.
- Leads people, sets and communicates expectations clearly, develops skills, and ensures accountability for implementation of action items from KMS, safety reviews, audits, housekeeping inspections, and other identified improvement opportunities.
- Owns and drives reliability-centered maintenance work practices within the group including the use of RCA/5-Why analysis, precision maintenance, predictive maintenance technologies, and defect elimination methodologies.
- Leads and advances the technical specialist organization toward a proactive maintenance culture focused on predictive, preventive, and corrective maintenance practices to improve asset reliability and optimize lifecycle cost.
- Supervises the installation, maintenance, troubleshooting, repair, calibration, and testing of a wide range of electrical and instrumentation systems including MCCs, control panels, switchgear, transformers, analyzers (GC, spectroscopy, emissions), analytical sample systems, PLCs, UPSs, DCS cabinets, and associated hardware.
- Coordinates and manages technical specialist business plans, annual budgets, maintenance spend, contractor utilization, and resource allocation in alignment with site goals.
- Conducts regular reviews of performance metrics with the team including safety, reliability, maintenance execution, backlog management, cost control, and continuous improvement opportunities.
- Partners with Operations, Engineering, Reliability, and Maintenance Planning organizations to provide appropriate technical resources and support process and equipment optimization.
- Performs technical resource functions by following field work activities, conducting job observations, supporting troubleshooting efforts, and auditing permit and maintenance execution quality.
- Reviews and ensures accuracy of department procedures, PM strategies, calibration procedures, technical standards, and equipment documentation while ensuring alignment with plant procedures and policies.
- Ensures that appropriate staffing, training, tools, test equipment, spare parts, and resources are available for employees to perform their functions safely and effectively.
- Establishes, maintains, and administers processes that ensure equitable technician resource leveling, overtime allocation, vacation scheduling, contractor management, and labor cost control.
- Manages non-exempt payroll approval processes and ensures compliance with company policies and labor practices.
- Develops and communicates clearly defined roles, responsibilities, standards, and expectations for direct reports and ensures performance through leadership, coaching, employee development, and effective use of performance feedback processes.
- Leads development and execution of A2E and continuous improvement initiatives that support safety, quality, reliability, environmental, and productivity objectives.
- Supports plant turnaround planning and execution activities including scope development, manpower planning, scheduling, cost tracking, and post-turnaround reviews.
Team
- Reports to: E&I Maintenance and Reliability Manager
- Direct Reports: High Voltage Technicians, Analyzer Technicians, DCS/Control System Technicians, Technical Specialists, and Contract Technical Resources as assigned
- Key Interfaces: Operations, Reliability Engineering, Maintenance Planning, Process Engineering, Turnaround Teams, Corporate Engineering, and Contractors
Required Experience
- Bachelor or Associate of Science in Electrical Engineering, Electrical Engineering Technology, Instrumentation, or related technical discipline preferred
- Minimum of 7–10 years of experience in chemical, petrochemical, refining, pulp and paper, power generation, or heavy industrial manufacturing environments
- Minimum of 2 years of supervisory or leadership experience preferred
- Demonstrated experience supporting electrical distribution systems, analyzers, instrumentation, PLCs, and DCS systems in an industrial manufacturing environment
- Experience with reliability-centered maintenance, turnaround execution, and maintenance work processes preferred
- Six Sigma and/or Lean Manufacturing experience desired
- Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional (CMRP) certification preferred
Required Skills
- Demonstrated knowledge of maintenance work processes, reliability principles, and maintenance best practices
- Strong understanding of electrical safety, instrumentation systems, process controls, and industrial maintenance standards
- Demonstrated experience with Six Sigma and/or Lean Manufacturing fundamentals
- Proven leadership and team-building capabilities with the ability to work effectively across all organizational levels in a fast-paced manufacturing environment
- Demonstrated ownership mindset and strong drive to improve systems, processes, and organizational effectiveness
- Strong troubleshooting, root cause analysis, decision-making, conflict resolution, facilitation, and prioritization skills
- Strong interpersonal, organizational, and communication skills
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Proficient computer skills including Microsoft Office Suite, SAP, CMMS systems, and LIMS
- Strong analytical skills with demonstrated ability to identify, implement, and sustain corrective actions
- Working knowledge of NFPA 70E, NEC, OSHA regulations, ISA standards, and industrial electrical maintenance practices
Physical Requirements & Working Environment
- Ability to meet the physical requirements of an industrial manufacturing environment including working in extreme temperatures, climbing stairs and ladders, walking, sitting, standing, bending, kneeling, and working in confined or elevated areas as required
- Ability to use hands and fingers to handle tools, equipment, and computer systems
- Good hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity
- Ability to lift up to 50 pounds periodically
- Ability to wear required PPE including arc flash clothing, respirators, and fall protection equipment as required
- Ability to work in operating plant environments including exposure to noise, vibration, chemicals, and outdoor weather conditions
- Ability to support off-hours callouts, turnaround activities, and emergency response situations as needed
Preferred Leadership Attributes
- Safety-first leadership mindset with strong visible field presence
- High accountability and ownership of results
- Collaborative leadership style that develops trust and engagement
- Strong coaching and employee development capabilities
- Data-driven decision-making approach focused on reliability and continuous improvement
- Ability to lead organizational change and drive cultural improvement initiatives
- Strong customer-service orientation toward operations and plant stakeholders
At Ascend Performance Materials, we value transparency and fairness in our hiring process. We do not accept unsolicited resumes from third-party recruiters, search firms, or staffing agencies. Any resumes received from such entities will be considered the property of Ascend Performance Materials, and we will not be obligated to pay any fees for such submissions. Our Talent Acquisition Team actively engages with preferred recruitment partners who have established agreements with us. We encourage all interested candidates to apply directly through our official channels to be considered for any open positions.
About Us:
Ascend Performance Materials is the premium provider of high quality chemicals, fibers and plastics. With world scale integrated manufacturing facilities we are able to develop new products from our core technologies, and provide flexibility to respond to the expanding needs of customers. Ascend has global sales and distribution facilities across the globe and six manufacturing facilities globally. As a privately-held company, our people do big things and make big decisions, often much earlier in their careers than at larger companies. Ascend Performance Materials offers team members the opportunity to contribute in big, meaningful ways—all within a stable and growing business.
Why work at Ascend?
Our vision is to be the recognized leader in the nylon 6,6 value chain, creating new possibilities with PA66 for everyone, everywhere, every day. We achieve that through living our Ascend values.
We care. We operate safely with high integrity for our employees, our customers and our communities. Our people are our greatest assets, and our Total Rewards Program extends beyond traditional benefits to include access to on-site medical clinics at our U.S. facilities, a global wellness rewards program and Performance Matters, an employee-driven recognition plan. Our Commitment to Zero demonstrates our belief that is it possible to operate with zero personal injuries, zero process safety incidents and zero environmental releases. And the Ascend Cares Foundation, led by Ascend employees, supports Ascend families in times of need, provides inspiring opportunities for community engagement and facilitates community leadership.
Customer-focused. We exist for our customers; they drive our actions. Their success is our success. Our plastics and chemicals are building blocks that help make everyday essentials safer and more sustainable, and we constantly strive to develop new and innovative products to meet the future needs of our customers. And that customer focus doesn’t only apply to the marketplace – it also applies to how we treat our colleagues and our fellow community members.
Better every day. We invest in our people and our processes to improve every day. A2E, our continuous improvement program, guides the way we do business. And this way of problem solving applies not only to our manufacturing practices but also to our commitment to developing our people. You’ll see it during your career at Ascend in our leadership development, skills training and mentoring programs
Agile. We think broadly and lead proactively in a constantly evolving organization and industry. Agility doesn’t mean simply working quickly – it means critical thinking, creative problem solving and novel approaches to everyday challenges.
One Ascend. All together, with a common set of goals and an eye toward the future. We don’t accept silos. We look for ways to share across departments, sites and geography. This means you won’t be boxed into a single role at Ascend – you could get the chance to work with teams across the globe to improve the way we serve our people, our customers and our communities.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, citizenship, genetic information or other protected status under federal, state or local laws.
