Lead Maintenance Technician

JOB SUMMARY:

The Lead Maintenance Technician at Half Acre Beer Co. is a hands-on technical role responsible for maintaining, troubleshooting, repairing, and improving brewery production and facility equipment, with a strong emphasis on maintenance system continuity, responsive service to internal customers, and accurate CMMS data.

DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

Safety & Standards

·     Lead by example in adherence to Half Acre safety policies, OSHA requirements, and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs).

·     Actively participate in continuous improvement initiatives.

Hands-On Maintenance & Troubleshooting

·     Maintain, troubleshoot, and repair brewery production equipment, including high-speed beverage packaging systems such as can fillers, double seamer, keg-wash/fill line, and brewhouse systems.

·     Support utilities and facilities systems including glycol chillers, boilers, HVAC equipment, compressors, pumps, gearboxes, and kitchen equipment.

·     Perform mechanical work including alignment, lubrication, disassembly/reassembly, pump rebuilding, and seal replacement.

·     Troubleshoot and maintain mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, and hydraulic systems.

·     Serve as an on-floor subject matter expert for production equipment and complex repairs.

CMMS Data Integrity & Maintenance System Development

·     Act as the primary day-to-day steward of CMMS data quality and usability, in coordination with the Facilities Manager.

·     Develop, maintain, and continuously improve preventive maintenance tasks and schedules.

·     Create clear, step-by-step PM and job plans for routine, complex, and infrequent repairs.

·     Maintain accurate asset records, equipment histories, and asset relationships.

·     Maintain parts lists and spare components associated with specific assets.

·     Ensure maintenance documentation reflects actual work practices and supports repeatability.

·     Identify gaps, redundancies, or unclear procedures and collaborate with management to address them.

·     Support broader documentation efforts using CMMS, SharePoint, and Microsoft Teams.

Training & Technical Leadership

·     Assist in training and onboarding maintenance technicians on equipment, procedures, and CMMS standards.

·     Review PM execution quality and provide coaching on troubleshooting approaches and repair best practices.

·     Act as the technical decision-maker during maintenance activities when the Facilities Manager is not present.

·     Support autonomous maintenance initiatives and collaboration with production teams.

Vendor, Contractor & OEM Coordination

·     Serve as the primary technical point of contact for external vendors, contractors, and equipment manufacturers.

·     Coordinate service visits, troubleshooting calls, and equipment repairs.

·     Maintain service documentation, OEM manuals, and repair history.

·     Assist with parts sourcing and recommendations for critical spares.

Continuous Improvement & Accountability

·     Identify root causes of equipment failures and support implementation of long-term corrective actions.

·     Contribute to maintenance KPIs, reliability goals, and production uptime.

·     Maintain a clean, organized, and professional work environment.

·     Document work clearly and communicate effectively with production and leadership teams.

·     Other Duties as assigned.

REQUIRED SKILLS/ABILITIES:

·     Must be 21+ years old.

·     Strong mechanical and electrical troubleshooting skills.

·     Ability to read and interpret blueprints, schematics, and equipment manuals.

·     Experience working within a CMMS and contributing to accurate documentation and PM development.

·     Ability to balance hands-on maintenance work with documentation and system improvement.

·     Strong communication skills and ability to train and guide other technicians.

·     PLC familiarity (Siemens or Allen-Bradley) preferred.

BENEFICIAL EXPERIENCE:

·     High school diploma or equivalent.

·     3+ years of maintenance experience in a beverage production or manufacturing environment.

·     Prior experience maintaining high-speed beverage packaging equipment or similar food/manufacturing systems.

·     Experience with automated fillers, seamers, keg lines, and brewhouse systems (or equivalent equipment).

·     Technical certifications.

·     Ability to weld.

·     PLC Troubleshooting.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

·     Ability to ascend/descend stairs and ladders and work at varying heights and angles

·     Ability to lift and transport loads up to 65 lbs and maneuver heavy equipment with assistance

·     Ability to perform desk work for documentation and CMMS updates

·     Comfortable working in hot, cold, wet, noisy indoor and outdoor environments

·     Ability to stoop, kneel, crouch, and work under/around conveyors and equipment

·     Close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, the ability to adjust focus and the ability to see color; either with or without accommodation.