Group Manager - Maintenance Plant Operations

Classification:

Job Description:

Are you looking for a new challenge? Passionate about innovation? Want to work for a global company that values integrity, teamwork, and loyalty? 

At LATICRETE International, we aim to be the leading construction brand trusted globally for high-performance tile and stone installation systems and building finishing solutions. We’ve been in business for 70 years, family-owned for three generations, and can be found in over 100 countries. The Hartford Business Journal even named us one of Connecticut’s top family-owned companies in 2017! 

We don't just make innovative, industry-leading products. Our purpose is to improve the built world and the lives of those who build it. We strive to connect with, engage with and improve the lives of our employees, our customers, our partners, and the global communities in which we operate. 

We are seeking passionate and ambitious employees who want to make a difference not just within our organization, but within their communities, our industry, and the world. If that sounds like you, then what are you waiting for? Join the family and expand your horizons! 

Just some of our benefits:

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• 401k
• Tuition reimbursement
• 13 paid holidays in addition to paid vacation and sick time
• Flexible spending
• Life Insurance, AD&D and Supplemental Insurance

POSITION SUMMARY 

The Group Manager, Maintenance Plant Operations provides enterprise-aligned leadership for plant maintenance, reliability, and asset stewardship in support of safe, efficient, and uninterrupted manufacturing operations. This role establishes the site maintenance strategy, governance, and performance framework for preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance; utilities and infrastructure reliability; shutdown and turnaround execution; and maintenance-related continuous improvement. The position translates business priorities, production requirements, and capital objectives into integrated maintenance strategies, resource plans, and asset care standards. This role exercises broad judgment in maintenance prioritization, capital and repair planning, contractor governance, organizational capability, and resource deployment, with significant impact on equipment uptime, operational continuity, cost performance, compliance, and long-term site effectiveness.  In addition, this role owns the enterprise strategy and execution for building maintenance workforce capability across the manufacturing network, including the development of technical training programs, skilled trades pipelines, apprenticeship initiatives, competency standards, certification processes, and strategic partnerships necessary to create a sustainable pipeline of highly skilled maintenance talent and future maintenance leaders. 

This position will have a small team of direct reports and will provide indirect leadership for the AM program and TPMs within the Maintenance WCM pillar. The role will partner closely with site leadership to strengthen maintenance execution and standards, autonomous maintenance program, TPM execution, administrative follow through tied to the Maintenance WCM pillar, asset care discipline, technical expertise, talent development and succession planning along with enterprise alignment. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

Additional duties and responsibilities may be assigned, as necessary.   

Maintenance Leadership and Asset Performance (30%) 

• Direct the maintenance function to deliver asset reliability, uptime, service responsiveness, and cost performance in alignment with site and enterprise operating objectives. 

• Establish maintenance strategy, service standards, and governance for preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance execution across the site. 

• Evaluate asset risks, reliability constraints, and system vulnerabilities and make decisions that protect operational continuity, service performance, and long-term site capability. 

Maintenance Talent Development, Training & Apprenticeships Programs (30%) 

• Own the enterprise strategy, design, implementation, execution and continuous improvement of maintenance training and skilled trades development programs across the manufacturing network. 

• Develop and implement standardized technical training and competency-based learning programs for maintenance technicians, including mechanical, electrical, automation, controls, reliability, predictive maintenance, and plant-specific equipment disciplines. 

• Design, launch, and manage apprenticeship and skilled trades development programs from start to finish, including program structure, research and selection of external partner schools and programs, selection criteria, training requirements, skills verification, and completion requirements. 

• Conduct workforce capability assessments and skills gap analyses across manufacturing locations and translate findings into targeted training, development, and succession strategies. 

• Establish and maintain maintenance skills matrices, certification standards, competency assessments, and career progression frameworks to ensure a consistent and measurable approach to technician development across all plants. 

• Build and manage relationships with technical schools, community colleges, workforce development organizations, trade associations, equipment manufacturers, and other external partners to create sustainable pipelines of maintenance talent. 

• Develop train-the-trainer and mentorship programs that promote knowledge transfer, technical expertise development, and retention of critical maintenance knowledge throughout the organization. 

• Partner with Plant Managers, Maintenance Leaders, Operations Leadership, and Human Resources to support workforce planning, recruiting strategies, succession planning, and career development initiatives for maintenance personnel. 

• Establish key performance indicators and reporting metrics for training effectiveness, apprenticeship progression, certification attainment, time-to-proficiency, employee retention, and overall workforce capability improvement. 

• Lead continuous improvement efforts related to maintenance workforce development, ensuring training programs evolve with changing technologies, equipment, reliability practices, and business requirements. 

Maintenance Safety, Compliance, and Technical Stewardship (15%) 

• Provide leadership for maintenance safety, technical compliance, and work execution standards to ensure safe maintenance practices and regulatory adherence. 

• Ensure maintenance programs, contractor governance, utilities systems, and infrastructure activities align with internal standards, audit expectations, and applicable regulatory requirements. 

• Ensure effective investigation, root cause analysis, and corrective action for equipment failures, maintenance-related incidents, and significant reliability events. 

Reliability, Planning, and Continuous Improvement (15%) 

• Lead reliability and maintenance improvement efforts that increase equipment performance, strengthen asset care practices, and reduce unplanned downtime. 

• Translate business, production, and capital priorities into integrated maintenance plans, shutdown strategies, spare parts approaches, and asset investment recommendations. 

• Drive disciplined planning, scheduling, and cross-functional execution to improve maintenance productivity, resource utilization, and asset availability. 

Financial Accountability and Cross-Functional Partnership (10%) 

• Provide stewardship of maintenance budgets by partnering with site leadership, repair and replacement spend, contractor services, and cost improvement actions to support financial commitments and asset sustainability. 

• Influence outcomes through effective partnership with production, engineering, quality, EH&S, supply chain, finance, and external service providers. 

• Recommend and approve maintenance resource deployment, repair priorities, and selected capital or infrastructure actions that support plant stability and growth. 

REQUIRED SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS 

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  

Education and Experience: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Industrial Maintenance, Operations, or a related technical field required; Master’s degree preferred. 

• 10+ years of progressive maintenance, engineering, reliability, or plant operations experience within a manufacturing environment, including leadership responsibility for multi-shift operations. 

• 5+ years of experience leading maintenance managers, supervisors, planners, technicians, or other technical teams in a complex manufacturing environment. 

Specialized Skills and Experience: 

• Demonstrated leadership in maintenance operations, asset reliability, maintenance planning, safety, and cost management within a manufacturing environment. 

• Demonstrated experience developing, implementing, and leading technical training programs, apprenticeship programs, workforce development initiatives, or skilled trades talent pipelines within a manufacturing environment. 

• Strong working knowledge of preventive and predictive maintenance programs, reliability methodologies, root cause analysis, and planning and scheduling practices. 

• Ability to interpret maintenance and reliability data, identify trends, and translate insights into asset performance and business action. 

• Strong communication, coaching, technical leadership, contractor management, and cross-functional collaboration skills. 

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and familiarity with CMMS, ERP, maintenance planning tools, and plant systems preferred. 

Key Competencies: 

• Enterprise-oriented maintenance and reliability leadership 

• Asset strategy, planning, and technical judgment 

• Coaching, Mentoring, and Knowledge Transfer  

• Organizational Capability Building 

• Strategic decision-making and operational governance 

• Continuous improvement, problem solving, and execution discipline 

• Organizational leadership, talent development, and succession planning 

• Cross-functional influence and enterprise partnership 

• Accountability, resilience, and results orientation 

Travel Requirement: 

• 50% (Domestic & International, as applicable).  

Physical Requirements: 

• Lift: Must be able to lift and/or carry a minimum of 50 pounds.    

• Push/Pull: Must be able to push/pull 25 pounds.  

• Standing: Must be able to stand at least 50-75% of the day.  

• Sitting:  Must be able to sit 25-50% of the day. 

• Twisting/Bending:  Must be able to Twist/bend 50-75% of the day. 

• Squatting, Climbing and/or Crawling:  Must be able to squat/climb/crawl 20% of the day. 

#LI-DS1

The hiring range for this position is $150,000 to $175,000 annually.  Actual compensation is based on experience, skills, geographic location and other job-related factors permitted by law.