Lead Packaging Maintenance Technician

Join Reily Foods Company, a food and beverage manufacturer, based in New Orleans. We're family owned since 1902 and have been creating meaningful moments for our consumers with your favorite brands such as Luzianne iced tea, Blue Plate mayo, and French Market coffee.

Job Summary: The Lead Maintenance Technician is responsible for overseeing and coordinating the daily maintenance activities for the coffee and tea packaging equipment team. This role ensures equipment reliability, minimizes downtime, and drives continuous improvement initiatives to support production goals. The Lead Maintenance Technician will assign resources, lead troubleshooting efforts, perform and oversee repairs, train team members, and maintain accurate records of parts, repairs, and preventive maintenance. The role requires a hands-on leader with strong technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and a proactive approach to equipment reliability and efficiency.

Responsibilities include:

Leadership & Team Coordination

• Actively participates in Daily Direction Setting (DDS) meeting to provide status updates of equipment
• Leads team huddles and collaborates with team during daily production meeting
• Assigns daily priorities, assignments, and responsibilities to maintenance team members
• Serves as a technical lead and mentor for maintenance staff, providing training on equipment and procedures, and coaching as needed
• Monitors performance, provides constructive feedback, and elevates concerns and performance issues to supervisor

Equipment Maintenance & Reliability

• Oversees and performs preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance on coffee and tea packaging equipment
• Responds promptly to equipment breakdowns, ensuring timely and effective repairs
• Researches root causes of downtime and implements long-term corrective actions to reduce recurring issues
• Supports equipment changeovers and adjustments to meet production schedules
• Maintains subject matter expertise for multiple areas and equipment

Continuous Improvement & Problem Solving

• Proactively identifies opportunities to improve equipment performance, reliability, and efficiency
• Leads and participates in root cause analysis, problem-solving initiatives, and process improvement projects
• Collaborates with production, quality, and leadership teams to develop and implement innovative maintenance solutions

Resource & Inventory Management

• Maintains appropriate inventory of spare parts, tools, and supplies needed for packaging equipment
• Ensures accurate documentation of parts usage, work performed, and maintenance records in the system
• Research and recommends parts and equipment upgrades, and obtains quotes to reduce downtime and extend equipment life
• Coordinates the purchasing of new and replacement parts with Maintenance Planning Specialist

Compliance & Safety

• Ensures maintenance activities comply with company policies, safety regulations, and food manufacturing standards (GMP, SQF, HACCP, etc.).
• Promotes and enforces a culture of safety within the maintenance team
• Actively participates in safety training and safety system ownership initiatives
• Ensures that Maintenance Shops and spare parts area remain clean and organized daily
• Other duties as assigned

• High school diploma or equivalent required; technical degree or certification in industrial maintenance, mechanical/electrical technology, or related field preferred
• 5+ years of maintenance and electrical experience, preferably in a manufacturing environment
• Experience in food and beverage manufacturing highly desirable
• Strong technical knowledge of packaging equipment, electrical, mechanical, pneumatic, and hydraulic systems
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot and repair complex machinery in a fast-paced manufacturing environment
• Leadership skills with the ability to direct, train, and motivate a maintenance team
• Knowledge of preventive and predictive maintenance practices
• Familiarity with computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS) and ability to maintain accurate records
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize multiple tasks
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to collaborate with production, quality, and leadership teams
• Proactive mindset with strong problem-solving and continuous improvement focus
• Ability to interpret technical manuals, schematics, and equipment drawings
• Working knowledge of food and beverage manufacturing standards and regulatory requirements
• Willingness to work flexible hours, including weekends and overtime as needed