Maintenance Controller Jobs in Appleton, WI (NOW HIRING)

Hours & Shift

Day Shift, 12-hour 2-2-3 shifts, 5:00AM - 5:00PM. 

Pay Range & Growth Opportunity

• Starting hourly rate: $37.05 – $42.90, based on your experience, skills, and interview evaluation.
• $1,500 sign-on bonus 

Grande operates under a High-Performance Work Team (HPWT) model; an Associate (employee)-led approach focused on continuous growth, collaboration, and operational excellence. Through our Skill Block system, Associates are placed and progress based on their demonstrated knowledge and abilities, with clear pathways for advancement offering opportunity to grow your skills and responsibilities as you develop within the team. 

Job Summary

Grande is hiring a Maintenance Technician for our brand new, state of the art food manufacturing facility in Chilton. This is a unique opportunity to help launch and support a facility built from the ground up.

In this hands-on role, you’ll maintain, troubleshoot, and support automated manufacturing, utility, and facility systems while serving as a go-to technical resource and informal mentor for Operations and Maintenance Associates. The position focuses on PLC controlled equipment, drives, instrumentation, and utilities, along with mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, and pneumatic systems.

Beyond daily maintenance, this role plays a key part in developing technical capability across the team through coaching, knowledge sharing, and on the job support. You’ll work closely with Operations, Engineering, Quality, and vendors to support daily production, reliability improvements, and capital projects, while supporting a strong safety culture and compliance with GMP, food safety, and regulatory standards (OSHA, FDA, USDA).

Whether you are a seasoned technician with deep automation expertise or a motivated maintenance professional looking to grow your skills, this role offers the chance to make a direct impact on production, reliability, and team capability. 

What You’ll Do

In this hands-on role, you will support the safe and reliable operation of highly automated manufacturing systems by:

• Maintaining and troubleshooting automated production, utility, and facility systems
• Diagnosing and repairing PLC-controlled equipment, VFDs, motors, instrumentation, and control systems
• Supporting utility operations including boilers, ammonia refrigeration, chilled water, glycol, and wastewater systems
• Performing preventive maintenance and responding to equipment breakdowns using CMMS to track work and parts
• Executing maintenance safely, including LOTO, contractor oversight, and permit compliance
• Verifying equipment restoration, testing, and operational readiness after maintenance
• Conducting routine inspections to identify early failure indicators and abnormal conditions
• Developing and maintaining documentation, work instructions, and job plans
• Supporting continuous improvement, reliability initiatives, and capital projects
• Coordinating work across Operations, Engineering, Quality, and external partners

This role also provides the opportunity to expand beyond day-to-day maintenance:

• Serve as a technical resource and informal mentor to operators and fellow technicians
• Provide hands-on coaching and troubleshooting support to build team capability
• Take ownership of small projects, shutdown work, or improvement initiatives
• Partner with corporate Engineering Associates on control, information, and electrical projects, helping translate design intent into reliable operation.
• Contribute to a culture of continuous improvement, knowledge sharing, and problem-solving

What you need to be considered for the role:

• Associate degree (or equivalent experience)
• 5–10+ years of industrial maintenance experience (level will align to experience)
• Experience with PLCs, VFDs, and industrial automation
• Experience in food manufacturing or other regulated environments
• Strong troubleshooting, communication, and documentation skills
• A proactive mindset and willingness to learn, collaborate, and share knowledge

Preferred:

• Experience supporting utilities (boilers, refrigeration, chilled water, ammonia)
• Familiarity with GMPs, food safety, and regulatory standards
• Experience with startups, expansions, or new equipment installations
• Previous mentoring, training, or project leadership experience

Why Grande?

With more than 80 years of crafting “The Finest Italian Cheeses Money Can Buy”, Grande is a leader in the industry! Whether partnering with independent pizzerias from coast-to-coast to ensure they’re delivering the very best pizza to their customers or assisting our food manufacturing partners in delivering specialty whey ingredient solutions, our commitment to quality can’t be matched. While Grande’s reputation of excellence in the market is important, we believe our commitment to our workplace and community culture is of equal merit – our Associates come first at Grande. To complement our industry-leading benefits, Grande puts an emphasis on your career growth opportunities, while always promoting a positive work/life balance and supporting the communities in which we live and work. If you want to learn more about our company – what we do and how we go about it – or learn more about our beautiful, state-of-the-art corporate headquarters, visit www.grande.com.  

Did we convince you yet? If not check out our unique benefits

• Low-cost onsite clinics.
• Free onsite fitness center.
• Free healthy snacks throughout the facility.
• Health and wellness reimbursement program.
• Associate cheese purchasing program.
• Two-year mentorship program.
• Paid Parental Leave
• Brand new, state-of-the-art facility

Why Chilton?

Located in the heart of Calumet County, Chilton blends small-town charm with big opportunity. With a cost of living 5% below the Wisconsin average and housing prices well under national levels, it’s an affordable and attractive place to live, work, and grow your career. Known for its safety, welcoming community, and strong local values, Chilton offers an ideal environment for those seeking to unwind, recharge, and embrace a relaxed and balanced lifestyle.

Chilton also features easy access to parks and outdoor recreation, a walkable downtown with local dining and entertainment, and annual festivals that celebrate the area’s local culture and community spirit. As the proud home of Grande’s newest start-up location, Chilton presents a unique opportunity to be part of something new and impactful, joining an organization dedicated to professional excellence, enriching the lives of our Associates (employees), and fulfilling “a purpose greater than ourselves”. 

Physical Demands and Work Conditions: 

This role requires the ability to regularly lift and move objects weighing between 20–50 lbs, as well as frequent walking, standing, bending, climbing, and exposure to vibration. The work environment may involve exposure to extreme temperatures (both hot and cold), high humidity, and loud machinery.