Technical Manager, Asset Reliability
A Sustainable, Forward Thinking Protein Company
Maple Leaf Foods is a leading meat and plant-based protein company, employing over 11,500 people and publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange. We are proud of our roots, which trace back well over 100 years, but our vision and purpose are decidedly forward looking. As we pursue our vision to become the most sustainable protein company on earth, we are committed to creating shared value – creative business value through addressing some of the world’s most critical social and environmental challenges. Our goal is to build a more sustainable food system, which provides nutritious affordable food, operates within planetary limits, cares for animals responsibly, and meaningfully engages with our communities to advance a more just society. We are advancing bold changes within Maple Leaf and more broadly within society to pursue our vision. We deeply believe this is the sustainable path to growth.
Our job is to make great food
Maple Leaf Foods embraces a strong values-based culture, where our people are deeply engaged in work that is purposeful, fast-paced and challenging. We cultivate an open, non-bureaucratic and inclusive workplace that fosters safety and transparency, along with individual leadership and accountability. Each Maple Leaf team member has a voice and plays an active role in helping all of us achieve our goals with passion and discipline. We support one another to grow professionally, to learn new skills and to take on challenging experiences in the spirit of continuous improvement.
Raise the Good in Food
We have united behind a shared purpose – to Raise the Good in Food. This spans a dramatic transformation of our flagship Maple Leaf brand, replacing anything artificial with simple, natural ingredients; investments and process changes to reduce our environmental footprint by 50% by 2025; building a diverse and inclusive culture where all talent thrives; becoming a leader in animal care; and advancing food security through our charitable foundation, the Maple Leaf Centre for Action on Food Security. .
Our Leadership Values
Eight core values guide us in everything that we do.
Do What’s Right
Shared Value
High Performance
Diverse and Inclusive Teams
Disciplined Decision Making
Our Accountability
Intense Curiosity
Transparency and Humility
The Opportunity
Reporting to the Senior Manager of Asset Reliability Programs and MRO, this position is within the Asset Reliability Group (ARG). The ARG sets strategy and direction for reliability, asset management, and maintenance for all Maple Leaf Foods manufacturing facilities (network of 25+ sites), and precisely executes on a roadmap to move the Asset Reliability maturity toward world class.
This position is responsible for providing technical, project, and program leadership to operationalize the AR strategy and roadmap across the Maple Leaf Network. The projects will be aimed at site reliability support, transformation, and modernization for reducing downtime, increasing throughput, reducing health and food safety risks, reducing carbon footprint, and increasing the asset lifecycle.
This role has a high degree of visibility, where focus and attention on the “voice of the customer” is key for success. This role requires frequent interactions, presentation, negotiation, and direct engagement with Maintenance Managers, Plant Managers/Site Leads, the Operating Unit Vice Presidents, and senior management in cross-functional groups (e.g. information solutions, food safety, finance, engineering, sustainability and operations excellence) to advance the Asset Reliability strategy.
The position requires strong and independent judgement, large scale project management skills, negotiation, and technical analytics for precise management and execution of the strategy, within the existing policies and processes, across the MLF network. Decision making and stakeholders (plants) management risk will have a significant impact on advancing the Asset Reliability strategy toward achieving the AR Bold Goal as well as maximizing capacity and uptime, increasing customer fill rate, optimizing maintenance costs, maximizing asset lifecycle and reducing risk for environment, food safety and health and safety.
A snapshot of some of the exciting things you will lead and do:
Deliver on the AR Annual Plan and projects in alignment with the strategy and roadmap
Manage, monitor, and report on a portfolio of ongoing AR projects
Develop, lead, manage, deploy, and change manage AR Asset Reliability projects in collaboration with cross-functional teams
Manage and supervise the execution of AR projects (budget, timeline, performance)
Develop consultant and contractor timelines and budgets; oversee projects to completion
Provide reliability due diligence inputs to new builds, mergers, acquisitions and divestitures
Identify risks to network reliability performance and develop actions for mitigating risk to uptime, costs, and customer fill-rate
Deploy the existing reliability program (fundamentals) at sites with early maturity
Enhance and monitor AR systems and tools for identifying chronic problems and improvement opportunities
Enhance the existing reliability program with condition-based and predictive maintenance; work with plants, IS, Engineering, and the OEM’s to implement such enhancements.
Establish the requirements and process for asset lifecycle management, from design to decommissioning; work with cross-functional stakeholders for network implementation.
Serves as a subject matter expert in identifying and balancing risks and costs to equipment reliability using health index metrics, preventive maintenance optimization, and KPIs.
Enhance or develop work management process using CMMS functions, developing standards, SOPs, guides, and training
Perform Reliability analytics using data science principles; monitor and identify opportunities for reliability improvements
Coach and facilitate AR workshops for failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA), root cause failure elimination (RCFE), and preventive maintenance optimization (PMO)
Provide change management and training to all applicable personnel for plant reliability practices and maintenance techniques
Other related maintenance and reliability activities, as assigned
What we have to offer you:
Be part of a company with an inspiring and unique vision, with a deep commitment to sustainability and expanding its leadership in sustainable protein across North America
Professional and career development opportunities, supported by our commitment to talent development through our partnership with the Ivey School of Business.
Competitive Health and Wellness benefits that start on your first day of employment
Defined Contribution Pension Plan
Commitment to Learning – courses, resources and tools provided to all employees
Employee Assistance Program
What you will bring:
University degree
Professional Engineering Association Membership (P.Eng.) and/or MBA preferred
Project Management Professional or demonstrated project management experience
Extensive technical support, project/program management experience (5+ years)
Experience with implementing and/or knowledge of maintenance and reliability concepts
Experience in managing strategic projects with network level impact
Experience in client facing or site support roles including technical consulting
Experience in manufacturing or industrial environment
Experience with Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS)
Experience with technology, reporting, analytical platforms
Advanced software skills in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio
Self-starter, high energy, customer oriented, with superb communication/interpersonal skills
Continuous improvement mindset, critical thinker, challenging the status quo.
Highly results oriented, extremely organized, and capable of working independently while managing multiple priorities
Must be highly adaptable to constant change and comfortable in a very fast-paced environment
Knowledge of GMPs, food safety development and health & safety requirements.
Proven experience and performance in the management of capital projects execution and successful management of consultants and contractors.
Knowledge of contract development and execution
Proven capability to provide technical leadership to business and operations.
Excellent interpersonal and communications skills at all levels
We thank all applicants for their interest in exploring employment opportunities with Maple Leaf Foods; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. Applicants may be subject to a background check and must meet the security criteria designated for the position.
Championing diversity and inclusion is a critical component to advancing our collective purpose and vision, living the Maple Leaf Leadership Values, and delivering winning results. Accommodation is available upon request for applicants with disabilities in the recruitment and assessment process and when hired; please contact our Talent Attraction Team at
accommodations@mapleleaf.com