Sr. Maintenance Reliability Engineer

Summary

Plans, budgets, and implements projects from beginning to end for the expansion of facilities and improvement of production lines.  Serves as a technical resource in support of the maintenance department and plant infrastructure to include: refrigeration, boiler, electrical, structural, roofs, fire suppression and fire alarms. 

Principal and Essential Duties & Responsibilities

 Manages project sites and contractors by OSHA guidelines.  All work performed must comply with local and federal codes such as: Process Safety Management, NFPA 70e and National Electrical Code, Hot Work Permits, and Indoor Air Quality standards.  Ensures that all contractors are a “B” rating or higher in ISN and have a current signed, site specific, safety-package on file for the job site.

Risk Management: Ensures successful startup of plant after all weekend projects.  Includes staying onsite until plant is “Operation Ready”.  Properly test all equipment for functionality and safe operation to include machine guarding, LOTO and accessibility.  Tests refrigeration systems as necessary to ensure proper functionality and safety controls.

Project Coordination:  Plans all project work and coordinate downtime needs with operations.  Communicates and displays drawings for all operation changes to maintenance and operations and gets support prior to installation.  Maintains projects budgets and schedules under changing circumstances.  Documents, justifies, and approves all change orders.

Project Implementation:  Must be able to manage multiple projects.  Yearly project spend can range from $2mm to $20mm per year.  Projects must be coordinated as to have minimal or no impact on operation schedules; therefore, a large portion of the work will have to be completed when facility is not operating which includes weekends and holidays.  Process improvements must optimize efficiencies while being ergonomically designed.

Capital Planning:  Manages facility Capacity Maintenance Capital spending.  Advises Director of Operations in prioritization of Capacity Maintenance needs.  Serves as a member of the facility leadership team in the development of Strategic & Enhancement Capital for both short term and long-term capital plans.  Delivers capital estimates in support of strategic planning.

Equipment:  Participates as a member of the facility leadership team in the evaluation and selection of equipment for its application and ability to be maintained efficiently and effectively.  Develops performance specifications so the equipment results can be properly measured.  Manages supplier and invoicing to ensure equipment meets performance specifications. 

Management:  An integral member of the plant’s leadership team that seeks to continuously improve the operation.  Effectively manage multiple contractors with crews of up to 200 workers during a large shutdown.  Provides coordination among trades to maximize the amount of work that can occur in the minimal amount of time.  Inspects contractor work for quality, safety, food safety, cleanability, and functionality.  Makes time sensitive decisions to keep on schedule. 

Communication:  Develops presentations to effectively communicate project details at all levels.  Communication and presentations range from including hourly operation associates to understand their needs to delivering the final presentation to the CEO to request funding.

Technical Resource:  Using engineering expertise and available reso urces provide technical support for the maintenance and operation teams to troubleshoot and determine root cause for issues to improve efficiency and costs.  Identifies, documents and implements cost savings/profit-enhancing improvements that can be implemented on the local level with or (preferably) without the need for capital investment.

Minimum Education

Bachelors degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Agricultural, Civil or Structural Engineering is preferred.  In the absence of a degree, 10 plus years related work experience will be considered.

Experience Requirements

If degreed, 5 years experience.  Technical expertise in construction, refrigeraton, poultry processing equipment, project management, AutoCAD and equipment layout.  Microsoft Office and CAD skills are required.  Must be able to travel to remote facilities, plants and/or other offices.

Experience Preferred

Environmental Factors and Physical Requirements

 Position is active.  On the floor activities such as troubleshooting and re-design of existing systems are routine.  May need to move equipment occasionally.  May need to access files, supplies and equipment.  Work activity is where the processing equipment is located.  Work environment includes, but is not limited to, a normal office environment and construction site as well as climate extremes found in a poultry processing operation, feed mill, hatchery and a waste water treatment facility. Position requires an associate to have the ability to move throughout the complex and all facilities. When in a plant environment:   Exposure primarily consists of wet and moist floors which include metal and plastic grating surfaces.  May be exposed to temperatures of 28 degrees to 100 degrees Fahrenheit with both ambient and 100% humidity. May handle product 25 degrees to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. May be exposed to noise ranges of 50 db to 110 db.  May be exposed to all chemicals used in poultry, food, processing facility. Must wear and use protective and safety equipment required for the job as directed by the Company. Must be able to work in confined and or permit required confined spaces and heights. Must be able to work on and or around operating equipment. Must be trained and use Lockout/Tagout