Maintenance Manager
Grand Prairie, TX, USA
USD 60-60 / hour
Maintenance & Engineering Manager
Location: Grand Prairie, TX
Job Type: Contract-to-Hire
Shift: First Shift
Work Schedule: Fully Onsite
Max Pay Rate: $60/hr
Urgency: Immediate Need
Position Summary
The Maintenance & Engineering Manager is responsible for leading all maintenance, engineering, facilities, and capital improvement activities within an automotive seating manufacturing facility. This role ensures the reliability and performance of highly automated assembly equipment, trim cover installation processes, material handling systems, and plant infrastructure.
The successful candidate will drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, quality, delivery, cost, and Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), while supporting customer requirements and compliance with IATF 16949 standards. This position combines maintenance leadership, process engineering, facility management, automation, and capital project execution.
Key Responsibilities
Maintenance & Equipment Reliability
- Lead all maintenance activities for production equipment, utilities, and facility infrastructure.
- Develop and sustain preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance programs.
- Ensure maximum equipment uptime to support customer production schedules and JIT operations.
- Troubleshoot and repair:
- Robotics and automation systems
- PLC-controlled equipment
- Conveyors
- Welding systems
- Material handling systems
- Conduct root cause analysis and implement corrective actions for recurring failures.
- Manage maintenance staffing, training, and succession planning.
Manufacturing Engineering & Continuous Improvement
- Develop and implement process improvements to enhance:
- Safety
- Quality
- Productivity
- Cost efficiency
- Improve workstations, plant layouts, ergonomics, and material flow.
- Conduct time studies and establish labor and equipment standards.
- Lead Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, TPM, and Kaizen initiatives.
- Analyze manufacturing data to identify waste reduction and productivity opportunities.
- Support new product launches and engineering changes.
Capital Projects & Automation
- Manage capital expenditure projects from concept through production launch.
- Research, specify, procure, and implement:
- Manufacturing equipment
- Automation systems
- Tooling
- Fixtures
- Prepare cost justifications and capital authorization requests.
- Coordinate with suppliers, contractors, and corporate engineering teams.
- Oversee equipment installations, facility expansions, and modifications.
Facilities & Infrastructure Management
- Direct maintenance and improvements of:
- HVAC systems
- Compressed air systems
- Electrical distribution systems
- Environmental systems
- Building infrastructure
- Coordinate renovations, expansions, and utility upgrades.
- Improve facility layouts and production areas.
Quality, Safety & Compliance
- Ensure compliance with:
- IATF 16949
- ISO standards
- Customer-specific requirements
- OSHA regulations
- EPA regulations
- Corporate policies
- Lead error-proofing and quality improvement initiatives.
- Promote a strong safety culture through:
- Risk assessments
- Machine guarding improvements
- Maintenance safety programs
- Support customer, internal, and third-party audits.
Financial & Budget Management
- Develop and manage departmental operating and capital budgets.
- Monitor maintenance spending and identify cost-saving opportunities.
- Manage spare parts inventory and purchasing activities.
- Drive savings through automation, reliability improvements, and process optimization.
Leadership & Team Development
- Lead maintenance, engineering, and technical teams.
- Establish departmental goals aligned with plant objectives.
- Conduct performance evaluations and coaching sessions.
- Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
- Collaborate with Production, Quality, Supply Chain, HR, and Corporate Engineering teams.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's Degree in:
- Mechanical Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Manufacturing Engineering
- Industrial Engineering
- Related Technical Field
- Minimum 7 years of engineering and maintenance experience in a manufacturing environment.
- Minimum 5 years of leadership experience managing maintenance and engineering teams.
- Automotive manufacturing experience is required.
Preferred Qualifications
- Automotive seating manufacturing experience strongly preferred.
- Experience supporting OEM customers such as:
- GM
- Ford
- Stellantis
- Toyota
- Honda
- Nissan
- Hyundai/Kia
Technical Expertise
- Robotics & Automation Systems
- PLC Programming & Troubleshooting
- Welding Technologies
- Conveyor Systems
- Pneumatic & Hydraulic Systems
- Industrial Electrical Systems
- Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM)
- Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)
- Lean Manufacturing
- AutoCAD or similar engineering software
- CMMS Systems
- Ergonomic Design & Workplace Optimization
Soft Skills
- Strong leadership and team-building skills
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities
- Effective communication skills
- Strong organizational and project management capabilities
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
The Maintenance & Engineering Manager will be measured on:
- Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE)
- Equipment Uptime
- Preventive Maintenance Compliance
- Maintenance Cost per Unit
- Downtime Reduction
- Scrap & Rework Reduction
- MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures)
- MTTR (Mean Time to Repair)
- Capital Project Performance
- Safety Incident Rate
- Continuous Improvement Savings
- Employee Development Metrics
Highly Preferred Automotive Seating Experience
Candidates with experience in the following areas will be strongly preferred:
- Seat Frame Assembly
- Robotic Welding
- Foam Pad Manufacturing
- Trim Cover Cutting & Sewing
- Seat Assembly Operations
- Headrest Manufacturing
- Final Seat Testing & Validation
- Just-In-Time (JIT) Manufacturing
- Just-In-Sequence (JIS) Manufacturing
- Automated Material Handling Systems
- OEM Launches & Program Management
Medical, dental, and vision insurance are available to qualified candidates who meet eligibility requirements.