Position Summary: The Bakery Maintenance Mechanic is responsible for maintaining, troubleshooting, repairing, and improving bakery production and packaging equipment to ensure safe, reliable, and efficient operation.
The ideal candidate will have hands-on industrial maintenance experience with strong mechanical troubleshooting skills and a working knowledge of electrical, pneumatic, and automated equipment. Experience within a bakery, food-manufacturing, or high-speed packaging environment is strongly preferred.
This position requires an individual who can respond effectively to production breakdowns, perform preventive maintenance, identify root causes of equipment failures, and work closely with Production, Sanitation, and Quality teams while maintaining all safety, GMP, and food-safety requirements.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities
- Troubleshoot and repair bakery production and packaging equipment.
- Perform scheduled preventive and corrective maintenance.
- Diagnose equipment failures and identify root causes rather than relying on unnecessary parts replacement.
- Repair and replace motors, gearboxes, bearings, chains, belts, sprockets, rollers, shafts, pumps, and other mechanical components.
- Inspect equipment for wear, abnormal vibration, noise, overheating, misalignment, and other potential failures.
- Troubleshoot pneumatic systems including cylinders, valves, regulators, solenoids, and air lines.
- Perform equipment adjustments, alignment, lubrication, and component replacement.
- Assist with equipment installations, upgrades, changeovers, and continuous-improvement projects.
- Respond to production breakdowns with urgency while maintaining proper safety procedures.
- Verify equipment operation following repairs before returning equipment to Production.
- Communicate equipment conditions, repairs, and outstanding concerns to Maintenance and Production leadership.
- Complete work orders, PMs, downtime records, and maintenance documentation accurately.
- Use company systems such as Redzone and Plex as required.
- Maintain organized tools, spare parts, and maintenance work areas.
- Willing and able to travel and work at any bakery location as needed to support business and operational needs.
- Must have the ability to frequently lift or carry up to 50 lbs. and occasionally lift or carry 51-100+ lbs.
- Must have the ability to frequently push or pull up to 50 lbs. and occasionally push or pull 51-100 lbs.
- Must be able to frequently use the computer for data entry and use of mouse.
- Must be able to constantly walk and stand for the duration of the work shift.
- Must be able to frequently use fine motor manipulations, grip, squat, kneel, bend, twist, turn, reach outward, and reach above chest.
- Must be able to occasionally crawl and climb as needed.
Bakery & Production Equipment Knowledge
The ideal candidate should have experience with, or the ability to learn and support, equipment such as:
- Industrial mixers and dough-processing equipment
- Depositors, extruders, formers, sheeters, and cutters
- Ovens and cooling systems
- Conveyors and transfer systems
- Pumps and product-transfer systems
- Enrobers and coating systems
- Flow wrappers and baggers
- Carton formers and case sealers
- Checkweighers and metal detectors
- Coding and printing equipment
- Robotic pick-and-place or packaging equipment
- Pneumatic systems
- Motors, gearboxes, bearings, chains, belts, and sprockets
Electrical & Controls Knowledge
The Bakery Maintenance Mechanic should have a working knowledge of:
- Industrial electrical safety and Lockout/Tagout (LOTO)
- AC/DC electrical systems
- Three-phase motors
- Electrical schematics
- Multimeter use and electrical troubleshooting
- Sensors, photo eyes, proximity switches, and limit switches
- Relays, contactors, overloads, and solenoids
- Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs)
- Basic PLC input/output troubleshooting
- HMI alarms and equipment fault diagnostics
Preventive Maintenance
The Bakery Maintenance Mechanic is expected to:
- Complete assigned PMs accurately and on schedule.
- Inspect equipment thoroughly rather than treating PMs as checklist-only activities.
- Identify developing equipment problems before they cause production downtime.
- Properly lubricate and adjust equipment.
- Document abnormalities and create follow-up corrective actions when necessary.
- Recommend replacement of worn components before failure.
- Maintain accurate maintenance records and equipment history.
Safety, GMP & Food Safety
All maintenance activities must be performed in accordance with company safety and food-safety requirements.
The mechanic must:
- Follow all Lockout/Tagout procedures.
- Follow electrical and machine-safety requirements.
- Never bypass safety devices or established safety procedures without proper authorization.
- Wear required PPE.
- Properly reinstall machine guards following repairs.
- Follow all Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs).
- Prevent foreign-material contamination during maintenance activities.
- Maintain control of tools, hardware, lubricants, chemicals, and replacement parts.
- Use approved food-grade lubricants where required.
- Protect exposed product and food-contact surfaces during maintenance.
- Clean and inspect the work area after repairs.
- Communicate with Production, Sanitation, and QA when equipment requires cleaning or inspection before being released back into production.
Minimum Qualifications
- High school diploma or GED preferred.
- 2+ years of industrial maintenance experience preferred.
- Bakery or food-manufacturing maintenance experience strongly preferred.
- Strong mechanical troubleshooting ability.
- Experience with motors, gearboxes, bearings, chains, belts, conveyors, and pneumatic systems.
- Basic-to-intermediate industrial electrical troubleshooting skills.
- Ability to safely use hand tools, power tools, meters, and maintenance equipment.
- Ability to read mechanical drawings and basic electrical schematics.
- Basic computer and tablet skills.
- Ability to document maintenance activities accurately.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a maintenance team.
- Strong communication and problem-solving skills.
- Reliable attendance and punctuality.
- Ability and willingness to work extended periods in a hot production environment.
- Ability to perform maintenance work around ovens, heated equipment, and other areas where elevated temperatures may be present.
Physical & Work Environment Requirements
This position requires working in an active bakery and food-manufacturing environment. The employee must be able and willing to:
- Work for extended periods in hot and humid conditions, including areas near ovens and other heat-producing equipment.
- Work scheduled shifts in areas where temperatures may be elevated for several hours at a time.
- Stand and walk for extended periods throughout the shift.
- Bend, kneel, crouch, reach, climb, push, and pull as required to access and repair equipment.
- Work around operating industrial machinery and production equipment.
- Work from ladders or approved elevated work platforms when properly trained and authorized.
- Safely use hand tools, power tools, and maintenance equipment.
- Lift and carry materials within company-established lifting requirements.
- Work in hot, cold, wet, noisy, and changing manufacturing conditions.
- Wear all required PPE and follow applicable heat-safety and hydration requirements.
- Perform physically demanding maintenance activities while maintaining safe work practices.
