Associate Maintenance and Reliability Manager

Description

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

Lactalis Midwest Yogurt, part of the Lactalis family of companies, is currently hiring a Associate Maintenance and Reliability Manager based in Murfreesboro, TN. The Assistant Maintenance & Reliability Manager supports the Maintenance Manager in leading all maintenance functions within the manufacturing facility. This role is responsible for ensuring equipment reliability, minimizing production downtime, and supporting safe, efficient plant operations. The position plays a key role in supervising maintenance personnel, executing preventive and predictive maintenance programs, and driving continuous improvement initiatives aligned with production goals.

From your EXPERTISE to ours

Key responsibilities for this position include:

• Assist in managing daily maintenance operations for all production equipment 
• Plan, schedule, and oversee preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance activities
• Support rapid troubleshooting and resolution of equipment failures to minimize production downtime 
• Partner with production teams to prioritize maintenance work and meet output targets 
• Supervise, coach, and develop maintenance technicians and leads 
• Ensure accurate and timely use of CMMS for work orders, asset tracking, and maintenance history 
• Lead or support root cause analysis (RCA, Breakdown Elimination) and implement corrective and preventive actions 
• Assist in managing maintenance budgets, labor, and spare parts inventory 
• Ensure compliance with all safety regulations, lockout/tagout (LOTO), and environmental standards 
• Support capital projects, equipment installations, and process improvements 
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives using Lean Manufacturing, TPM, or Six Sigma principles 

Requirements

From your STORY to ours

Qualified applicants will contribute the following:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Industrial Maintenance, or related field (or equivalent experience) 
• 3+ years of maintenance experience in a manufacturing  environment 
• 1–3 years of supervisory or leadership experience preferred 
• Strong knowledge of mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, and PLC systems preferred
• Experience with automated and high-speed production equipment preferred 
• Proficiency with CMMS systems and maintenance planning 

Skills & Competencies:

• Strong leadership and team development skills 
• Advanced troubleshooting and problem-solving abilities 
• Ability to perform under pressure in a fast-paced  production environment 
• Effective communication and cross-functional collaboration
• Strong organizational and planning skills 
• Data-driven mindset with focus on reliability and performance metrics 
• Knowledge of Lean Manufacturing, TPM, and continuous improvement tools 
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook) 

Working Conditions:

• Manufacturing plant environment (may include noise, heat, machinery, an