Food Production Assistant Jobs in Rochester, MN (NOW HIRING)

Job Title: Maintenance Technician

Job Description

The Maintenance Technician performs preventative maintenance, troubleshooting, and repair on a wide range of production equipment, including packaging, labeling, and filling machinery. This role diagnoses mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, and hydraulic issues, supports critical utilities such as boilers, chillers, air compressors, and ammonia refrigeration systems, and assists with installation and calibration of new equipment. The technician also completes fabrication work, including welding and manual machining, while strictly following all safety, GMP, and food‑safety procedures.

Responsibilities

• Perform preventative maintenance and repair on packaging, labeling, filling, conveyors, and other production equipment to minimize downtime and ensure reliable operation.
• Diagnose mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, and hydraulic issues using troubleshooting techniques and schematics, and complete necessary repair work in a timely manner.
• Support maintenance and operation of plant utilities, including boilers, chillers, air compressors, pumps, HVAC systems, and ammonia refrigeration systems.
• Assist with installation, calibration, and startup of new equipment, including motors, PLC-controlled systems, and associated control panels.
• Perform fabrication duties as needed, including welding, manual machining, and general metal fabrication to modify or repair equipment components.
• Read and interpret mechanical drawings, blueprints, electrical schematics, and equipment manuals to plan and execute maintenance and repair activities.
• Conduct electrical troubleshooting on single-phase and 3-phase systems, PLC controls, and control circuits to identify faults and implement corrective actions.
• Follow all safety procedures, including lockout/tagout requirements, and comply with plant policies and regulatory standards.
• Adhere to GMPs and all food‑safety and sanitation standards appropriate for a milk and dairy processing environment.
• Maintain accurate documentation of maintenance activities, including work orders, repairs performed, parts used, and preventive maintenance records.
• Work safely in cold, wet, and fast‑paced production areas, including refrigerated spaces and high‑humidity environments.
• Lift up to 50 lbs and safely work at heights or in confined spaces as required by maintenance tasks.
• Collaborate with production and operations teams to prioritize work, respond to equipment breakdowns, and support continuous improvement of plant reliability.
• Be available to work overtime, rotating shifts, or on‑call assignments as needed to support 24/7 plant operations.

Essential Skills

• Previous experience as a maintenance technician in manufacturing, food processing, or industrial environments.
• Strong mechanical aptitude with hands-on experience maintaining and repairing industrial production equipment.
• Working knowledge of electrical systems, including single-phase and 3-phase power, electrical troubleshooting, and PLC control systems.
• Proficiency in troubleshooting mechanical, pneumatic, and hydraulic systems and components.
• Experience performing preventative maintenance and corrective maintenance on packaging, labeling, filling, conveyor, and related equipment.
• Ability to read and interpret mechanical drawings, blueprints, electrical schematics, and equipment manuals.
• Minimum 2B boilers license.
• Ability to perform welding and basic fabrication tasks, including manual machining, for equipment repair and modification.
• Capability to work safely in cold, wet, and fast‑paced production areas, including refrigerated and high‑humidity environments.
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs and work at heights or in confined spaces when required.
• Willingness to work overtime, rotating shifts, or on‑call as operational needs require.
• Strong commitment to following safety procedures, lockout/tagout requirements, GMPs, and food‑safety and sanitation standards.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience with maintenance and repair of boilers, chillers, air compressors, pumps, and HVAC systems.
• Exposure to ammonia refrigeration systems and related safety practices.
• Experience in milk or dairy processing, or similar food production environments, is beneficial.
• Knowledge of PLC troubleshooting and basic PLC controls for automated equipment.
• Ability to interpret and work from equipment schematics and detailed technical documentation.
• General fabrication skills, including welding and machining, to support custom repairs and equipment modifications.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to diagnose complex equipment issues under time constraints.
• Effective communication skills to coordinate work with production, quality, and other maintenance team members.
• Attention to detail in documenting maintenance activities, parts usage, and preventive maintenance schedules.

Why Work Here?

You join a production environment where reliability, safety, and quality are highly valued, and your technical skills directly support the delivery of safe food products. The organization promotes adherence to strong safety and GMP standards, creating a structured and professional setting for skilled tradespeople. You can expect exposure to a variety of equipment and technologies, offering continuous learning and opportunities to broaden your expertise in mechanical, electrical, and refrigeration systems. Flexible scheduling with overtime and rotating shifts provides opportunities for additional hours, while a collaborative culture encourages teamwork between maintenance and production to keep operations running smoothly.

Work Environment

The role is based in a food/beverage processing plant with exposure to refrigerated areas, high humidity, and loud machinery. Work takes place in cold, wet, and fast‑paced production spaces where adherence to GMPs, food‑safety, and sanitation standards is essential. You will regularly work around packaging, labeling, filling lines, conveyors, boilers, chillers, air compressors, pumps, HVAC equipment, and ammonia refrigeration systems. The environment may require working at heights or in confined spaces, lifting up to 50 lbs, and wearing appropriate personal protective equipment and plant-appropriate attire to ensure safety and compliance.

Job Type & Location

This is a Permanent position based out of Zumbrota, MN.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $58240.00 - $79040.00/yr.

401k with company match PTO Paid holidays Insurance - Medical - Dental - Vision Opportunity for career growth

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Zumbrota,MN.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Jul 20, 2026.

About Aerotek

Aerotek® Inc. provides staffing and services solutions in manufacturing, logistics, construction, aviation, facilities and maintenance. We provide the expertise, solutions and people required to rise to the challenges of North American industry. Headquartered in Hanover, Md., Aerotek operates a unified network of over 200 offices across North America, supporting more than 18,000 clients each year. Aerotek is an Allegis Group company, the global leader in workforce and business solutions. To learn more, visit: Aerotek.com | 1-888-AEROTEK.

Aerotek offers weekly pay, employee benefits including medical, dental & vision, life insurance, health advocacy and employee assistance programs, a 401(k) plan, and employee discounts.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regards to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance:
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector:
It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI):
We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.

We know that finding work is hard, and finding meaningful work is harder. Aerotek connects 180,000+ light industrial and skilled trades workers with 14,000+ employers each year, helping our workers navigate an evolving labor market and find jobs that meet their goals, skills, and interests. Since 1983, we have provided a variety of career opportunities across North American industry – from short-term assignments at Fortune 500 companies where you can build your skills, to long-term opportunities where you can play a vital role in solving companies’ construction, manufacturing, and maintenance challenges. Our 1,500+ experienced recruiters across 250+ offices work relentlessly to put our workforce in a position to thrive. Let us rise to meet your challenges and put our people-are-everything spirit to the test as your career continues to grow.