Maintenance Manager-Located in Saskatoon Saskatchewan

SJ Fine Foods Ltd. was founded in 2007 with the goal of producing superior quality Canadian meat snacks. Our success is driven by a hard-working team and a happy, healthy work environment where people can thrive. We’re proud of our culture and our commitment to delivering a consistent, high-quality product to Canadians.

Job Summary

The Maintenance Manager leads plant maintenance and reliability to ensure safe, efficient, and compliant operations in a food manufacturing environment. You will own preventive maintenance planning and execution, breakdown response, contractor management, and continuous improvement to reduce downtime and extend asset life. This role partners closely with Production, QA/HACCP, and Sanitation to support food safety programs, audit readiness, and consistent product quality across key equipment (including smokehouses and packaging lines). You will also lead and deliver maintenance-related capital and process-improvement projects from scope to commissioning.

Key responsibilities

• Leadership & team management: Lead and develop the maintenance team (hiring, training, scheduling, coaching, and performance management) and build a strong safety culture through visible leadership and safe work practices.
• Maintenance planning, PM & reliability: Own the preventive maintenance program (PM schedules, shutdown planning, PM compliance, and ongoing PM optimization); reduce unplanned downtime through structured troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and reliability improvements; maintain accurate equipment history and work order documentation (CMMS preferred).
• Raw processing machinery: Provide maintenance leadership for raw meat processing machinery, ensuring safe operation, rapid troubleshooting, and consistent output; ensure sanitary/hygienic repairs and PM tasks are completed to support food safety, reduce foreign material risk, and minimize downtime.
• Smokehouses & thermal processing: Lead maintenance support for smokehouse/cooking operations, including preventive maintenance, troubleshooting controls/instrumentation, and verification of critical parameters (time/temperature, probes/sensors, airflow).
• Packaging lines & end-of-line: Lead maintenance support for packaging equipment and end-of-line systems, focusing on rapid troubleshooting, changeover readiness, and downtime reduction.
• Plant utilities: Coordinate maintenance of critical utilities (compressed air, refrigeration/HVAC where applicable, water systems, boilers) and ensure required servicing is completed.
• Safety, compliance & food safety: Ensure maintenance activities comply with health & safety requirements (e.g., lockout/tagout, hot work, confined space as applicable) and support HACCP/GMP through sanitary maintenance practices, documentation, and foreign material controls.
• Budget, parts, inventory & contractors: Manage maintenance spend within budget; proactively plan and maintain parts inventory to align with preventive maintenance, scheduled shutdowns, and planned work; ensure critical spares availability; manage vendors/contractors to ensure quality work, safe execution, and timely service.
• Projects & continuous improvement: Lead equipment upgrades, installations, and commissioning; coordinate shutdown work and validate safe start-up; develop scopes, timelines, and resources for maintenance projects and drive projects to completion with minimal production disruption.

Key performance indicators (KPIs)

• PM compliance and on-time completion of scheduled maintenance.
• Unplanned downtime reduction and equipment uptime targets (by line/asset).
• Work order completion rate and response time for critical breakdowns.
• Maintenance cost vs budget and critical spare parts availability.
• Audit readiness for maintenance-related food safety and safety requirements (documentation and corrective action closure).

Qualifications

• 5+ years of maintenance leadership experience in a manufacturing environment (food processing preferred)
• Strong working knowledge of food processing equipment, including raw processing machinery and packaging equipment, with hygienic maintenance practices.
• Experience supporting smokehouses/thermal processing equipment and packaging lines.
• Mechanical aptitude required; electrical, pneumatics, and hydraulics troubleshooting experience is a strong asset.
• Experience with preventive maintenance systems and work order management (CMMS experience preferred).
• Demonstrated safety leadership (lockout/tagout); knowledge of HACCP/GMP expectations for maintenance is an asset.
• Strong planning, organization, communication, and project management skills; able to prioritize work in a fast-paced environment.

Education/Certifications (Preferred)

• Journeyperson ticket (Millwright/Industrial Mechanic) or equivalent experience.
• Additional training/certification in electrical, refrigeration, or PLC troubleshooting is an asset.
• Training in LOTO, WHMIS, and food safety fundamentals (HACCP/GMP) preferred.

Work environment

• Fast-paced food manufacturing environment with scheduled production and time-sensitive repairs.
• May require flexible hours, including occasional off-shift support during breakdowns or shutdowns.

What we offer

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience.
• Discretionary annual bonus: Up to 10% of base salary, based on individual and company performance.
• Company‑paid extended health benefits (medical, dental, vision) for employees and eligible dependents starting on the first day
• 3% RRSP matching program (subject to eligibility)
• 25% ESOP matching program (subject to eligibility)
• 2 paid sick days per year after successful completion of probation
• 5 paid personal days after successful completion of probation
• Opportunities for professional development, training, and advancement
• Supportive and collaborative work environment

SJ Fine Foods Ltd. is an equal-opportunity employer and is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status.