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Job Summary:

The Maintenance Mechanic II is a highly skilled maintenance professional responsible for advanced troubleshooting, repair, and preventive maintenance of food manufacturing and high-speed packaging equipment. This role requires strong mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, and hydraulic expertise, along with a thorough understanding of food safety, GMP, and sanitation requirements. Maintenance Mechanic II works with limited supervision, supports production uptime, and mentors other mechanics while ensuring compliance with all food safety and regulatory standards.

Key Responsibilities:

Advanced Equipment Maintenance & Troubleshooting

• Diagnose and repair complex food processing and packaging equipment, including fillers, sealers, conveyors, cartoners, case packers, baggers, and palletizers.
• Troubleshoot electrical systems, including motors, VFDs, sensors, photo-eyes, load cells, relays, and control panels.
• Perform functional PLC troubleshooting (I/O identification, fault isolation, sensor verification; no programming unless authorized).
• Repair and maintain pneumatic and hydraulic systems used in food production and packaging lines.
• Perform precision alignment, bearing replacement, gearbox repair, and motor changeouts in high-speed environments.

Preventive & Predictive Maintenance

• Execute and improve PM and PDM programs focused on food-safe equipment reliability and sanitation compatibility.
• Identify repeat failures and contamination risks; recommend permanent corrective actions.
• Verify PM work meets OEM, GMP, and food safety standards.
• Accurately document work, parts usage, and root causes in the CMMS.

Sanitation, GMP & Food Safety Support

• Ensure all maintenance activities comply with GMP, HACCP, and food safety requirements.
• Coordinate maintenance activities with Sanitation and Quality teams before, during, and after clean downs.
• Properly reassemble equipment following sanitation, ensuring correct setup, guarding, and food-contact integrity.
• Use food-grade lubricants and materials in designated areas and verify proper labeling and storage.
• Identify and eliminate harborage points, contamination risks, and non-compliant repairs.

Production & Packaging Line Support

• Support high-speed packaging and processing lines to minimize downtime and scrap.
• Respond to unplanned breakdowns with urgency while maintaining safety and food quality.
• Assist with equipment changeovers, setups, and first-piece approvals as required.
• Collaborate with Production, Quality, and Sanitation to improve line efficiency and yield.

Leadership & Mentorship

• Provide technical guidance and hands-on training to Maintenance Mechanic I employees.
• Serve as a technical lead during assigned shifts, shutdowns, or line rebuilds.
• Support supervisors with troubleshooting strategies, job planning, and reliability improvements.

Safety & Regulatory Compliance

• Strictly follow all safety policies, including Lockout/Tagout (LOTO), confined space, and machine guarding requirements.
• Participate in food safety audits (GFSI, SQF, BRC, FDA, USDA, as applicable).
• Identify unsafe or non-compliant conditions and initiate corrective actions.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives related to safety, quality, and equipment reliability.

Required Qualifications

Experience

• 5+ years of industrial maintenance experience, preferably in food manufacturing or packaging.
• Proven experience in troubleshooting high-speed, automated food production equipment.
• Experience with Bagging machines, cooking kettles, and conveyance systems.
• General knowledge of HVAC, plumbing, and has expertise in all trades.

Technical Skills

• Strong mechanical skills: conveyors, pumps, drives, gearboxes, sealing systems, cutting systems.
• Electrical skills: motors, VFDs, sensors, photo-eyes, HMIs, and control panels.
• Pneumatic and hydraulic system expertise.
• Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics, P&IDs, and mechanical drawings.
• Proficiency with precision tools and diagnostic equipment.

Food Safety & GMP Knowledge

• Working knowledge of GMPs, HACCP principles, allergen controls, and sanitation practices.
• Experience performing maintenance in wet, washdown, or/FDA-regulated environments.
• Proper use of PPE

Preferred Qualifications

• Trade certification (Industrial Maintenance, Mechatronics, Electrical, or Mechanical).
• PLC troubleshooting experience (Allen-Bradley, Siemens, or equivalent).
• Welding and food-grade fabrication experience (stainless steel preferred).
• Experience with GFSI-certified facilities (SQF, BRC, FSSC 22000).
• CMMS experience in a regulated food environment.

Additional Requirements:

• Ability to work flexible hours, including weekends and holidays, when necessary.
• Willingness to participate in on-call duty and respond to emergency breakdowns outside regular working hours.
• Knowledge and ability to operate hand and power tools

At Garrett Popcorn Shops, we've maintained our dedication to fresh, delicious Popcorn since we first opened at 10 West Madison Street in Chicago. We continue to use only the highest quality ingredients from local producers as we handcraft our gourmet Popcorn in old-fashioned copper kettles. We strive to deliver the same Popcorn today that customers first talked about in 1949.