Head of Maintenance

Reference: PR/ _ Head of MaintenanceLocation: CaliforniaIndustry: Food ManufacturingAbout the OpportunityA leading food manufacturing organization is seeking a seasoned maintenance and reliability executive to oversee maintenance operations across a multi-site manufacturing network. This is a high-impact leadership role responsible for driving equipment reliability, operational performance, asset optimization, and continuous improvement initiatives across several production facilities.The successful candidate will serve as a key partner to Operations, Engineering, Safety, Quality, and Supply Chain leadership, ensuring manufacturing assets operate safely, efficiently, and reliably while supporting long-term business growth.Key ResponsibilitiesDevelop and lead enterprise-wide maintenance and reliability strategies across multiple manufacturing facilities.Drive improvements in equipment uptime, asset utilization, operational efficiency, and overall plant performance.Establish best-in-class maintenance practices, leveraging preventive, predictive, and condition-based maintenance methodologies.Lead reliability initiatives focused on reducing downtime, increasing throughput, and extending asset life.Oversee maintenance planning, scheduling, workforce development, and execution across a geographically dispersed operation.Manage annual operating and capital budgets while identifying opportunities to improve cost efficiency and return on investment.Partner closely with plant leadership teams to prioritize maintenance resources and support production goals.Sponsor major capital improvement and modernization projects designed to improve reliability and operational capability.Utilize data, analytics, and maintenance technologies to improve decision-making and drive measurable business results.Promote a culture centered on safety, accountability, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.What We're Looking ForProven maintenance and reliability leadership experience within food, beverage, protein, or other complex manufacturing environments.Multi-site leadership experience supporting large-scale production operations.Strong understanding of maintenance planning, asset management, reliability engineering, and continuous improvement principles.Demonstrated success improving uptime, reducing downtime, and optimizing maintenance performance.Experience leading large teams through change, growth, and operational transformation.Strong financial acumen with experience managing maintenance budgets, capital projects, and cost-reduction initiatives.Ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders and build strong partnerships across operations and corporate functions.Hands-on leader who can balance strategic planning with operational execution.