Maintenance & Process Improvement Manager (Engineer)
Location: Wentzville, MO – On-site
Employment Type: Full-Time, Salaried (Exempt)
Reports To: CEO
Industry: Print-on-Demand (POD) Sublimation – Personalized Gifts & Home Décor
About the Role
We are a fast-growing e-commerce-driven manufacturer specializing in high-volume, customized sublimation products (mugs, tumblers, apparel, blankets, ornaments, etc.). To support continued rapid growth and maintain industry-leading quality and on-time fulfillment, we are seeking an experienced hands-on leader to own all equipment maintenance, preventative maintenance programs, spare parts inventory, and continuous process improvement for our digital printing and sublimation production facility.
You will lead a team of maintenance technicians and collaborate daily with production supervisors to maximize uptime, improve throughput, reduce waste, and implement lean/6S practices in a high-SKU, quick-turn environment.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead, coach, and develop a team of 4–8 maintenance technicians (scheduling, training, performance reviews, hiring).
- Build and execute a comprehensive preventative maintenance (PM) program for all production equipment including: – Large-format dye-sublimation printers, Heat presses small format flat presses, large format flat presses, heat tunnels and large calendar/rotary presses) – Sewing and cutting machines as well as compressed air systems
- Maintain critical spare parts inventory and vendor relationships for fast repairs.
- Respond to and resolve equipment breakdowns quickly to minimize production downtime (on-call rotation required).
- Drive continuous improvement projects using Lean, 6S, Kaizen, and root-cause analysis to increase OEE, reduce scrap/rework, and improve workflow.
- Partner with production and leadership teams to specify, install, and commission new equipment during facility expansions.
- Ensure compliance with OSHA safety standards and maintain a safe working environment
- Track and report key metrics
- Manage maintenance budget and capital expenditure requests.
Required Qualifications
- 5+ years of hands-on industrial maintenance experience in a production environment (printing, packaging, textiles, or similar high-speed manufacturing strongly preferred).
- 3+ years in a supervisory or team-lead role with proven ability to motivate and develop technicians.
- Strong electrical, mechanical, pneumatic, and hydraulic troubleshooting skills (480V 3-phase, PLC basics, sensors, VFDs, etc.).
- Experience maintaining digital printers and heat presses (sublimation, DTF, DTG, or wide-format inkjet) is a major plus.
- Demonstrated success implementing preventative maintenance systems and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Working knowledge of CMMS software
- Proficient with Microsoft Office/Google Workspace; ability to create reports and presentations.
- Comfortable in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment where priorities can shift quickly.
Preferred Skills & Attributes
- Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or higher
- Formal training in PLC programming
- Experience with RIP software and color management
- Bilingual (English/Spanish) a plus
- “Roll-up-your-sleeves” attitude – willing to work alongside the team when needed
Compensation & Benefits
- Competitive salary
- Performance bonus
- Health, dental, vision insurance
- 401(k) with company match
- Paid time off + paid holidays
If you have a passion for keeping production running smoothly, love solving complex technical problems, and enjoy building high-performing teams, we’d love to hear from you!
We are an equal-opportunity employer.
