Maintenance and Reliability Systems Lead

job purpose

The Maintenance & Reliability Systems Lead leads the development, deployment, and standardization of reliability and Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) across fairlife's manufacturing network. The role's first priority is leading the CMMS implementation for a major capital project, so that asset data, equipment hierarchies, BOMs, spare parts, preventive maintenance programs, reporting, and user training are fully in place before startup. Working with Maintenance, Engineering, Reliability, Operations, and Supply Chain, this role will establish a standardized maintenance management framework and data governance processes that drive consistent asset management, work management, and system use across all sites. Aligned with ISO 55000 principles, the position will build scalable standards that support asset lifecycle management, maintenance excellence, and future CMMS deployments.

responsibilities

• Serve as the CMMS SME and lead system development and deployment, including asset hierarchy, equipment master data, BOMs, Item Master, PM programs, and maintenance workflows.

• Partner with OEMs, engineering firms, contractors, and project teams to collect, validate, and organize equipment specifications, drawings, and maintenance requirements.

• Establish data governance processes, and guide the teams responsible for collecting, cleansing, validating, and loading equipment, spare parts, and maintenance data.

• Standardize asset structures, criticality rankings, maintenance plans, spare parts strategies, reliability practices, and PM/PdM programs, utilizing best practices from across the network. Build scalable processes that can be repeated for future implementations, expansions, and upgrades.

• Work with Maintenance, Operations, Reliability, Engineering, and Supply Chain to develop site maintenance strategies aligned with corporate maintenance excellence standards.

• Monitor and improve planning, scheduling, execution, backlog management, and PM optimization. Partner with maintenance leadership on the CMMS KPIs, dashboards, and reports that drive performance.

• Develop training, SOPs, and work instructions, and coach planners, mechanics, supervisors, and site leadership so CMMS processes are adopted consistently.

• Ensure maintenance activities, procedures, and system configurations comply with safety, regulatory, and environmental requirements, including LOTO.

skills/qualifications required:  

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related discipline

• 5+ years of experience in Maintenance & CMMS master data and deploying the platform on large greenfield or brownfield projects in manufacturing (food and dairy preferred).

• Strong knowledge of ISO 55000 and related asset management standards.

• Project management and work management skills, including planning, scheduling, and backlog management, leading meetings, and reporting results to stakeholders.

• Strong communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with project managers, OEMs, contractors, mechanics, and leadership, and to assess training needs for mechanics and operators.

• Experience & knowledge on CMMS Systems such as MVPOne, D365 Dynoway, SAP - Preferred

• Strong mechanical and electrical aptitude.

• Working knowledge of core reliability strategies, including asset criticality, preventive, predictive, and condition-based maintenance, RCM/FMEA, and PM optimization.

• Experience with failure analysis and spares strategy, including failure coding, bad actor analysis, root cause analysis, and critical spares planning.

• Ability to work with databases and build digital reports on reliability KPIs (MTBF, MTTR, PM compliance), parts usage, and spare parts inventories.

• Adaptable in a fast-changing environment, balancing shifting priorities by business impact.

position location: Coopersville, MI or Webster, NY

reports to: Sr Director of Plant Capital Engineering

travel requirements: 25-30%

exempt/nonexempt: Exempt