Job Description

Maintenance and Facilities Technician

Essenhaus Foods

Position Summary

Essenhaus Foods is looking for a hands-on Maintenance and Facilities Technician to oversee and perform maintenance throughout our food manufacturing facility. This position is responsible for keeping our production equipment, packaging equipment, facility systems, tools, and critical spare parts organized, maintained, and ready to support daily operations.

This role is responsible for both performing hands-on repairs and managing the day-to-day maintenance needs of the facility. The Maintenance and Facilities Technician will troubleshoot equipment issues, perform preventive maintenance, maintain parts inventory, order supplies and replacement parts, coordinate with outside service providers when needed, and help improve equipment reliability across the plant.

The ideal candidate is mechanically inclined, organized, dependable, safety-minded, and comfortable taking ownership of maintenance in a hands-on manufacturing environment.

Pay: $30/hr and up, scaling with experience and qualifications

Why Essenhaus Foods

1. Hands-on learning across mechanical, electrical, and facility systems
2. Exposure to complex manufacturing equipment in a stable food production environment
3. Supportive team culture that values integrity, teamwork, and craftsmanship
4. Competitive compensation based on experience, with growth tied to skill development
5. Long-term stability with a family-owned company
6. Access to a full slate of benefits, including medical, dental, and vision. 401k with employer matching

Roles and Responsibilities

Maintenance Ownership

· Take ownership of the day-to-day maintenance needs of the facility.

· Prioritize maintenance tasks based on safety, production needs, equipment reliability, and urgency.

· Maintain a clean, organized, and functional maintenance area.

· Help develop, improve, and follow preventive maintenance schedules.

· Keep management informed of equipment concerns, repair needs, upcoming maintenance, and potential downtime risks.

· Coordinate with production leadership to schedule maintenance work with minimal disruption to operations.

· Work independently while communicating clearly with management and production team members.

Equipment Maintenance and Repair

· Troubleshoot and repair production and packaging equipment.

· Respond to equipment issues during production to help reduce downtime.

· Maintain and repair conveyors, motors, bearings, belts, chains, rollers, gearboxes, sensors, switches, and other mechanical components.

· Assist with troubleshooting electrical, pneumatic, and control-related issues.

· Work on packaging equipment such as weighers, baggers, conveyors, case sealers, tapers, and related systems.

· Support noodle production equipment, drying equipment, material handling equipment, and warehouse equipment.

· Make equipment adjustments to improve performance, reliability, and product flow.

· Assist with equipment setup, changeovers, and startup as needed.

· Coordinate with outside service technicians when specialized repairs or support are required.

Electrical Troubleshooting and Controls

· Work safely around industrial electrical systems and high-voltage equipment.

· Troubleshoot electrical issues on production, packaging, and facility equipment.

· Read and interpret electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, control drawings, and equipment manuals.

· Diagnose issues with motors, sensors, switches, relays, contactors, VFDs, control panels, and related electrical components.

· Use electrical testing equipment, including multimeters, to help identify faults and verify repairs.

· Assist with troubleshooting equipment controls, interlocks, safety circuits, and machine communication issues.

· Identify electrical components that need repaired, replaced, or ordered.

· Work with outside electricians, OEM technicians, or service providers when specialized electrical support is required.

· Follow lockout/tagout procedures and safe electrical work practices at all times.

· Communicate electrical concerns, safety risks, and recommended repairs to management.

Preventive Maintenance

· Perform scheduled preventive maintenance on production, packaging, and facility equipment.

· Inspect equipment for worn parts, loose components, leaks, damage, or unsafe conditions.

· Lubricate equipment according to maintenance schedules.

· Replace worn or damaged parts before they lead to breakdowns.

· Identify recurring issues and recommend long-term fixes.

· Document completed maintenance tasks, repairs, inspections, parts used, and equipment concerns.

· Help build a stronger preventive maintenance system over time.

Parts, Tools, and Inventory Management

· Maintain an organized inventory of critical spare parts, tools, and maintenance supplies.

· Identify and track commonly used parts for key production and packaging equipment.

· Order replacement parts, tools, supplies, and maintenance materials as needed.

· Keep appropriate stock levels of critical parts to reduce downtime.

· Work with vendors and suppliers to source parts, compare options, and support timely repairs.

· Maintain organization of manuals, part numbers, equipment information, and maintenance records.

· Communicate with management before major purchases or higher-cost repairs.

· Help identify which parts should be kept on hand based on equipment needs and failure history.

Facility Maintenance

· Perform general building maintenance throughout the facility.

· Maintain and repair doors, lights, plumbing, air lines, fixtures, drains, and other facility systems.

· Support basic HVAC, compressed air, and utility-related needs.

· Assist with warehouse racking, dock equipment, pallet areas, storage areas, and general facility organization.

· Identify facility concerns that could affect safety, food safety, production, or building condition.

· Assist with facility projects, upgrades, repairs, and improvements.

Production Support

· Work closely with production employees and supervisors to keep equipment running properly.

· Help diagnose issues that affect product flow, equipment performance, or packaging efficiency.

· Support line startups, shutdowns, and equipment checks.

· Assist with adjustments that improve consistency, safety, and efficiency.

· Help train operators on basic equipment care, proper use, and issue identification when needed.

· Look for practical ways to reduce downtime and improve daily operations.

Safety and Food Safety

· Follow all company safety policies and procedures.

· Follow food safety, GMP, sanitation, and SQF-related requirements.

· Use lockout/tagout procedures when required.

· Maintain tools, parts, and work areas in a clean and food-safe manner.

· Report unsafe conditions, equipment concerns, or food safety risks.

· Complete repairs in a way that protects product quality and employee safety.

· Ensure maintenance work does not create contamination risks in production areas.

Qualifications

• Required
• Proven industrial maintenance experience troubleshooting automated production and packaging equipment.
• Ability to independently diagnose three-phase motors, VFDs, electrical control circuits, sensors, and pneumatic systems.
• Ability to read electrical schematics, mechanical drawings, and equipment manuals.
• Experience repairing conveyors, bearings, belts, chains, gearboxes, and drive assemblies.
• Ability to troubleshoot machine sequencing, safety interlocks, and equipment communication faults using HMI alarms and PLC input/output status.
• Proficiency with electrical meters, precision measuring tools, and shop equipment.
• Comfortable working around 600V.
• Ability to manage preventive maintenance, repair records, spare parts, and vendor coordination.
• Independent ownership, dependable attendance, and clear communication with production and management.
• Knowledge of lockout/tagout and commitment to food safety, GMP, and company procedures.
• Preferred
• Experience with food processing equipment, sheeters, cutters, and drying systems.
• Experience with combination weighers, vertical form-fill-seal machines, palletizers, and automated packaging lines.
• Experience configuring VFDs, calibrating industrial sensors, and troubleshooting encoder feedback.
• PLC programming or online diagnostic experience.
• Experience maintaining boilers, chillers, compressed-air systems, and industrial HVAC.
• Welding, fabrication, and machining experience.
• Maintenance experience in an SQF-certified food manufacturing facility.
• Candidates may be required to demonstrate technical proficiency through a practical troubleshooting assessment.

Physical Requirements

· Ability to stand, walk, bend, kneel, climb, reach, and work around manufacturing equipment.

· Ability to lift and carry parts, tools, and materials as needed.

· Ability to work on scissor lifts, ladders, platforms, and around moving equipment.

· Ability to work in production, warehouse, mechanical, and facility areas.

· Ability to work safely in areas with flour, food ingredients, packaging materials, and manufacturing equipment.

· Ability to respond to maintenance needs throughout the facility.

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