Packaging Area Maintenance Lead- Royal Canin- Guelph, ON

Job Description:

The Packaging Area Maintenance Leader is responsible for the overall reliability, maintenance strategy, and technical performance of the packaging department. This role provides leadership and technical direction to maintenance personnel while driving equipment reliability, reducing downtime, improving asset performance, and supporting departmental growth through continuous improvement and modernization initiatives.

The successful candidate will leverage strong mechanical expertise, automation experience, root-cause troubleshooting skills, and reliability-focused leadership to ensure packaging systems consistently meet safety, quality, and production objectives. This role serves as the primary mechanical owner for packaging assets and works closely with Operations, Engineering, Reliability, and Project teams to deliver sustainable business results.

What are we looking for?

Education and Certifications

• Trade Licensed, Tool and Die Maker, or equivalent industrial trades qualification preferred.
• Additional reliability, maintenance, or continuous improvement training considered an asset.

Experience

• Extensive experience maintaining and improving high-speed packaging and automated manufacturing equipment.
• Proven experience troubleshooting mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, and automation systems.
• Experience leading projects involving custom machinery, robotics, automated systems, and production equipment integration.
• Demonstrated success driving equipment reliability improvements and reducing unplanned downtime.
• Experience supporting machine installations, commissioning activities, and capital project execution.

Technical Competencies

• Strong mechanical aptitude and advanced troubleshooting skills.
• Experience with automated equipment, custom machinery, and packaging systems.
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings, GD&T specifications, technical documentation, and equipment manuals.
• Strong understanding of root-cause analysis and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Ability to lead teams while collaborating effectively with engineering, controls, operations, and project management groups.

What will be your key responsibilities?

Reliability and Asset Performance

• Serve as the mechanical owner for all packaging equipment, automated systems, conveyors, robotic cells, and supporting utility systems.
• Develop and execute reliability improvement strategies that increase equipment uptime and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
• Lead root cause failure analysis investigations and implement corrective actions to eliminate recurring equipment issues.
• Establish and continuously improve preventive, predictive, and condition-based maintenance programs.
• Monitor reliability metrics including MTBF, MTTR, downtime losses, and maintenance compliance.
• Support equipment lifecycle management, obsolescence planning, and reliability-centered maintenance initiatives.

Maintenance Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop maintenance technicians supporting the packaging operation.
• Coordinate maintenance priorities to maximize equipment availability while ensuring safe work execution.
• Plan and manage shutdown activities, equipment rebuilds, major repairs, and installation projects.
• Drive effective work order management through the CMMS and ensure maintenance documentation is accurate and complete.
• Develop spare parts strategies and critical equipment inventories to minimize production risk.

Technical Expertise and Continuous Improvement

• Provide advanced mechanical troubleshooting support for high-speed packaging and automated equipment.
• Utilize expertise in hydraulic, pneumatic, mechanical, and automated systems to improve equipment performance and reliability.
• Partner with Engineering on equipment upgrades, automation projects, and capital improvements.
• Lead continuous improvement projects focused on reducing downtime, increasing throughput, and improving maintainability.
• Participate in equipment design reviews, installation planning, commissioning activities, and validation of new equipment.
• Support implementation of reliability best practices, 5S initiatives, and maintenance excellence programs.

Safety, Quality, and Compliance

• Promote a strong safety culture through compliance with all company safety standards and procedures.
• Ensure maintenance activities support GMP, quality, food safety, and regulatory requirements.
• Conduct risk assessments, incident investigations, and corrective action implementation.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and efficient work environment that supports operational excellence.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Operations, Engineering, Controls, Reliability, and Project teams to improve equipment performance.
• Support capital projects from concept development through commissioning and startup.
• Participate in troubleshooting events, operational reviews, and reliability improvement workshops.
• Serve as the primary mechanical resource for packaging equipment and reliability initiatives.

What can you expect from Mars?

• Work with diverse and talented Associates, all guided by the Five Principles.
• Join a purpose driven company, where we’re striving to build the world we want tomorrow, today.
• A strong focus on learning and development support from day one, including access to our in-house Mars University.
• An industry competitive salary and benefits package, including company bonus.

Success in the Role

A successful Packaging Area Maintenance Leader will create a proactive reliability culture that improves asset performance, develops maintenance team capabilities, reduces maintenance costs, and drives continuous improvement initiatives. Through strong technical leadership, mechanical expertise, and operational collaboration, this individual will ensure the packaging department achieves world-class reliability, safety, and productivity standards.