Maintenance Director

Opportunity Profile

Location: Preferred base location in New Jersey

Position Title: Maintenance Director

The Opportunity:

This is a rare opportunity to build and lead the maintenance function for a well-established manufacturing organization that is making a strategic investment in operational excellence.

The Maintenance Director will serve as the organization’s first true maintenance leader with responsibility for establishing strategy across multiple facilities. This individual will not be stepping into a turnaround situation or responding to a crisis. Instead, they will have the opportunity to proactively define best practices, implement preventive maintenance programs, strengthen maintenance planning and execution, improve ticketing and work order processes, and create a sustainable framework for long-term success.

This role offers a unique combination of strategic leadership and hands-on technical influence. The ideal candidate will be equally comfortable developing maintenance systems and standards while also being capable of troubleshooting equipment and supporting technicians when needed. Leadership is specifically seeking someone who can balance people management, operational strategy, and technical credibility.

As a member of the executive team, the Maintenance Director will have a voice in key business decisions and the ability to directly influence productivity, equipment performance, and operational efficiency across the company’s manufacturing network.

The Company:

Our client is an established manufacturing company with a history spanning more than 60 years. The organization operates multiple manufacturing facilities serving customers through printing, laminating, slitting, and converting operations. The facilities produce flexible packaging products and support a diverse manufacturing environment requiring strong operational coordination and equipment reliability.

The company has built a reputation for stability and long-term success while continuing to invest in talent, infrastructure, and operational improvements. Leadership is focused on driving greater efficiency and building stronger systems that will support future growth and performance.

The Boss:

The Maintenance Director will report directly to senior leadership and serve as part of the executive team. Leadership recognizes the importance of establishing a stronger maintenance presence throughout the organization and is committed to investing in the right individual to accomplish that objective.

The hiring leader is looking for someone who can bring both strategic leadership and hands-on manufacturing experience to the role. The expectation is for this individual to become a trusted operational partner who can influence the business while building strong relationships with maintenance personnel across multiple locations.

The Position:

The Maintenance Director will provide leadership for maintenance operations across the company’s primary manufacturing facilities. This position will be responsible for developing maintenance strategy, standardizing processes, improving machine uptime, implementing preventive maintenance programs, and building a stronger maintenance culture across the organization.

The role will oversee maintenance personnel at both facilities and ensure consistency in maintenance execution, planning, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement efforts. The successful candidate will work closely with operations leadership to maximize equipment performance and support production objectives.

Essential Functions (Other duties may be assigned):

• Lead the maintenance function across multiple manufacturing facilities.
• Develop and implement preventive maintenance programs and standards.
• Create and improve maintenance planning, scheduling, and tracking systems.
• Establish consistent maintenance processes and best practices.
• Drive initiatives focused on equipment reliability and machine efficiency.
• Provide leadership and development for maintenance technicians and senior maintenance personnel.
• Support troubleshooting of manufacturing equipment when necessary.
• Improve maintenance workflows, ticketing systems, and department organization.
• Partner with operations leadership to reduce downtime and improve productivity.
• Participate in executive-level discussions and contribute to strategic operational decisions.
• Support facility-wide continuous improvement efforts.

Qualifications:

• Demonstrated maintenance leadership experience within a manufacturing environment.
• Strong combination of technical troubleshooting ability and people leadership skills.
• Experience creating or improving preventive maintenance programs.
• Ability to develop maintenance systems, standards, and processes.
• Experience leading teams across multiple locations is preferred.
• Strong operational mindset focused on efficiency, reliability, and continuous improvement.
• Ability to influence and collaborate with executive and plant leadership teams.

Education and Experience:

• Manufacturing maintenance leadership experience required.
• Maintenance management or director-level experience preferred.
• Flexible packaging experience is beneficial but not required.
• Experience with printing equipment and complex manufacturing machinery is advantageous.
• Proven success implementing maintenance programs and process improvements within manufacturing operations.

Competencies:

• Strategic thinking
• Technical problem solving
• Leadership and team development
• Change management
• Communication and collaboration
• Process improvement
• Organizational effectiveness
• Decision making
• Accountability
• Continuous improvement mindset

Work Environment:

This role operates within a multi-site manufacturing environment and requires engagement with both production and maintenance teams. The position will maintain a primary home base in either New Jersey or Ohio while supporting both facilities. Regular interaction with manufacturing operations, maintenance personnel, and executive leadership is expected.

Compensation:

Our client offers a highly competitive compensation package designed to attract an exceptional maintenance leader. Compensation will be commensurate with experience, qualifications, leadership capability, and the overall value the individual brings to the organization. In addition to base compensation, the company provides the opportunity to join a stable, growing manufacturing organization where this role will have significant visibility and impact at the executive level.