Job Description

TITLE: Maintenance Manager

REPORTS TO: Maintenance & Engineering Manager

LOCATION: Tulare, CA

Ready for more than just a job? Build a career with purpose.

At Lactalis in the USA, we’re committed to providing meaningful opportunities for our people to learn, grow, and thrive—whether you’re just starting your journey with us or looking to take the next step in your career. From day one, we offer the tools and support to help you succeed.

As the world leader in dairy, Lactalis is a family-owned company with over 85,000 pragmatic and ambitious professionals across the globe. Each day, we’re proud to produce award-winning dairy products that bring people together.

In the US, we proudly offer an unrivaled house of beloved brands, including Galbani ® Italian cheeses and ricotta, Président ® specialty cheeses and butters, Kraft ® natural and grated cheeses, Breakstone’s ® cottage cheese, Cracker Barrel ®, Black Diamond ® cheddar, and Parmalat ® milk. Our yogurt portfolio includes siggi’s ®, Stonyfield Organic ®, Brown Cow ™, Oui ®, Yoplait ®, Go-Gurt ®, :ratio ®, Green Mountain Creamery ®, and Mountain High ®, along with a growing family of ethnic favorites like Karoun ®, Gopi ®, and Arz ®.

At Lactalis, we live by our core values— Ambition , Engagement , and Simplicity . We foster a workplace where innovation thrives, diverse perspectives are celebrated, and everyone’s unique background and ideas are valued.

Even if you don’t meet every qualification, we encourage you to apply. We want to hear about your PASSION, your STORY , and how your EXPERTISE can help us shape the future of dairy.

From your PASSION to ours

The Maintenance Manager is responsible for overseeing day-to-day maintenance operations within the dairy plant to ensure equipment reliability, minimize downtime, and support safe, efficient production. This role works closely with production, quality, and engineering teams to coordinate preventive maintenance, troubleshoot equipment issues, and lead a team of skilled maintenance technicians. The Maintenance Manager will also play a key role in implementing process improvements, supporting capital projects, and ensuring compliance with regulatory and safety standards.

From your EXPERTISE to ours

Key responsibilities for this position include:

• Lead, train, and develop the maintenance team to ensure optimal performance and technical capability.
• Oversee daily maintenance activities, ensuring equipment and facility issues are addressed promptly to minimize production disruptions.
• Schedule and execute preventive maintenance programs for plant equipment, including pasteurizers, separators, filling lines, refrigeration systems, CIP systems, and utilities.
• Partner with the Maintenance & Engineering Manager on long-term maintenance strategies, capital improvement plans, and equipment upgrades.
• Maintain accurate maintenance records, work orders, and equipment history in the CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System).
• Ensure all maintenance work is performed in compliance with OSHA, FDA, USDA, and other applicable regulations.
• Manage spare parts inventory, work with suppliers, and optimize cost-effective purchasing.
• Support troubleshooting and root cause analysis to identify recurring equipment issues and implement corrective actions.
• Collaborate with production and quality teams to ensure sanitation, product safety, and operational efficiency.
• Assist in coordinating and supporting plant shutdowns, installations, and project work.
• Promote a strong safety culture, ensuring team adherence to all plant safety procedures and policies.

From your STORY to ours

Qualified applicants will contribute the following:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or Industrial Engineering preferred; equivalent experience considered.
• 7+ years of maintenance leadership experience in a food or dairy manufacturing environment.
• Strong knowledge of dairy processing equipment, utilities (boilers, refrigeration, compressed air), and automation systems.
• Experience with CMMS systems and preventive maintenance programs.
• Proven ability to lead teams, manage multiple priorities, and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
• Working knowledge of regulatory requirements in dairy/food manufacturing (FDA, USDA, OSHA).
• Excellent troubleshooting, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong communication, organization, and project management abilities.

At Lactalis, we offer a comprehensive Total Rewards Program with a variety of affordable benefits and coverage options. We support insurance costs significantly, contribute generously to retirement plans, and offer Paid Time Off from day one. We are committed to your professional growth, providing training and development opportunities, including Education Reimbursement. Join us and grow your career.

Lactalis is an equal employment opportunity employer. We will not discriminate against applicants with regard to any legally-recognized basis including, but not limited to: veteran status, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, and physical or mental disabilities.

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