Plant Reliability & Maintenance Leader

Title: Plant Reliability & Maintenance Leader
Location: Greater Champaign, IL Area
Industry: Food & Agriculture Manufacturing

A global leader in ingredient manufacturing is looking for a forward-thinking Plant Reliability & Maintenance Leader to drive transformation at one of their high-output processing facilities. This location plays a pivotal role in converting raw agricultural products into essential components used across food, beverage, and nutrition industries.

This leadership position is responsible for building and executing a world-class maintenance program, with a focus on safety, operational continuity, and predictive maintenance strategies. With a team of 250+ spanning technicians and support staff, the Plant Reliability & Maintenance Leader will play a crucial role in shaping the future of the plant’s operational performance.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and lead comprehensive maintenance strategies that improve asset reliability and optimize performance.
• Champion safety-first culture, ensuring compliance with OSHA, EPA, and food safety regulatory standards.
• Oversee and manage a multi-million dollar maintenance budget with rigorous cost control and reporting mechanisms.
• Implement and refine predictive and preventative maintenance programs using modern RCM tools and practices.
• Mentor, develop, and coach a large maintenance team; instill a high-performance, accountable culture.
• Maintain 24/7 operational availability and support, working closely with plant operations and compliance teams.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with engineering, compliance, and continuous improvement teams to align on operational priorities.
• Guide succession planning, technical training, and development initiatives for maintenance staff.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on uptime, cost efficiency, and safety metrics.
• Provide direction for identifying and executing plant maintenance projects and capital improvements.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Chemical, Agricultural Engineering, or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years in maintenance or reliability leadership within a high-volume manufacturing or industrial environment.
• Proven experience managing large teams and complex maintenance operations.
• Strong background in food safety, PSM, and other regulatory compliance frameworks.
• Skilled in asset lifecycle management, reliability engineering, and predictive technologies.
• Familiarity with unionized environments is a plus.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and leadership skills.
• Demonstrated ability to build high-performing teams and manage change initiatives.

Compensation & Benefits:

• Annual performance bonus + long-term incentive eligibility
• Comprehensive benefits including:

• Medical, dental, vision, life insurance
• 401(k) with company match and retirement plans
• Generous PTO and paid holidays
• Paid parental leave and adoption assistance
• Tuition assistance and ongoing development resources

Why Apply?

• Be part of a mission-driven organization committed to sustainability and global food supply.
• High visibility role with access to senior leadership and a direct impact on plant strategy.
• Tremendous opportunity for long-term career growth in a global enterprise.

About Blue Signal:

Blue Signal is an award-winning, executive search firm specializing in various specialties. Our recruiters have a proven track record of placing top-tier talent across industry verticals, with deep expertise in numerous professional services. Learn more at bit.ly/46Gs4yS