About the role

In this role, you will be responsible for leading maintenance planning and scheduling activities, driving equipment reliability improvements, supporting breakdown elimination initiatives, and coaching production teams on maintenance best practices. You will play a vital role in ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient operations while contributing to our continuous improvement culture.

What You'll Do

As the Maintenance Lead, you will act as a key link between operations, maintenance, engineering, and reliability teams to optimize equipment performance and maximize production efficiency.  

Maintenance Planning & Scheduling

Review, prioritize, and manage maintenance work orders and notifications within SAP. Develop and coordinate daily, weekly, monthly, and annual maintenance schedules. Ensure maintenance activities are effectively planned using safety, materials, labor, tools, and scheduling considerations. Manage maintenance backlogs and prioritize work based on business needs. Maintain job plans and technical maintenance documentation. Coordinate planned maintenance activities with production teams to minimize downtime. Support major shutdowns, start-ups, and maintenance interventions.  

Reliability & Breakdown Elimination

Lead investigations into equipment breakdowns and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrence. Monitor equipment reliability and identify opportunities to improve performance. Track maintenance KPIs and in-process measures to drive continuous improvement. Develop action plans to eliminate recurring equipment losses and maintenance issues. Support root cause analysis and structured problem-solving activities.  

Continuous Improvement Leadership

Champion Progressive Maintenance (PM), Autonomous Maintenance (AM), TPM, and Lean Manufacturing initiatives. Coach and train line teams on maintenance practices and reliability improvements. Develop One-Point Lessons (OPLs) and deliver maintenance-related training. Ensure maintenance systems and standards remain current and effective. Participate in equipment upgrades, engineering projects, and vendor acceptance testing. Support site-wide continuous improvement projects and maintenance excellence programs.  

Documentation & Asset Management

Maintain and update equipment drawings, schematics, standards, and maintenance documentation. Support change management processes related to equipment and maintenance activities. Collaborate with storeroom personnel to optimize spare parts inventory, availability, and usage. Monitor maintenance costs, parts consumption, and equipment lifecycle performance.

What We're Looking For

Required Qualifications

Maintenance, Mechanical, Electrical, or Industrial Maintenance training. Strong maintenance planning and scheduling experience within a manufacturing environment. Experience using computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS), preferably SAP. Strong technical troubleshooting and problem-solving abilities. Excellent organizational and prioritization skills. Strong leadership, coaching, and communication skills. Proficiency with Microsoft Office and general computer applications.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in food manufacturing, consumer packaged goods, or a continuous-process manufacturing environment. Knowledge of TPM, Lean Manufacturing, Autonomous Maintenance (AM), and Progressive Maintenance (PM) systems. Experience with Breakdown Elimination (BDE) methodologies. Understanding of reliability-centered maintenance principles. Experience leading maintenance improvement projects and cross-functional teams. Knowledge of maintenance planning and scheduling (MPS) systems and practices.

Key Competencies

Leadership and team development

Continuous improvement mindset Equipment reliability and asset care Maintenance planning and scheduling Data-driven decision making Root cause problem solving Collaboration and stakeholder management Change management Technical coaching and training

Working Conditions

Manufacturing environment with exposure to heat, noise, moving machinery, and production operations. Ability to move freely throughout the facility, including production, warehouse, and maintenance areas. Occasional lifting, climbing, and extended periods of walking or standing. Ability to work flexible hours as required to support operational needs.

Why Join Barry Callebaut? At Barry Callebaut, you'll be part of a global organization that values innovation, safety, sustainability, and employee development. We offer opportunities to lead meaningful improvements, grow your career, and make a direct impact on world-class manufacturing operations.   Barry Callebaut can offer you a challenging and dynamic international environment that includes a broad range of opportunities for personal growth and development. Apply for one of our interesting positions and start a great career in the wonderful world of CHOCOLATE. Barry Callebaut is an equal opportunity employer, committed to fair and accessible employment practices that attract and retain talented employees. Should you require accommodation during the recruitment process, please contact Human Resources at the Brantford site.