Job Description

The Associate Director, Production Maintenance position is responsible for administering and directing the Wilson Production Maintenance team activities including maintaining uptime within the IPTs, project prioritization, development and evaluation, allocating resources to meet due dates and development of the group's profit plan.

As part of the our Manufacturing Division Wilson Maintenance and Utilities team, the position is responsible for providing day to day tactical and strategic direction to the Production Maintenance team, ensuring that business objectives are met within budgetary constraints, and that a high standard for Quality and EHS compliance is maintained. This position also maintains responsibility for ongoing maintenance and calibration of all production equipment and instruments and providing technical support to packaging operations in the resolution of problems for in-line products. The position will also be expected to promote continuous improvement and ensure a positive work environment and culture is maintained within the team. Primary job responsibilities for the position may include but are not limited to the following:

Business / Delivery

• Utilize high degree of independent judgment and decision-making to direct Production Maintenance activities within our Manufacturing Division Wilson site

• Provide ongoing maintenance and calibration of all production equipment and instruments and technical support to packaging and manufacturing operations as needed to resolve processing problems for in-line products.

• Direct all production maintenance for our Manufacturing Division Wilson site including preventative maintenance, emergency repairs, and routine maintenance.

• Resolve and escalate issues impacting production operations within the daily, weekly, and monthly tier management processes.

• Responsible for directing the Maintenance Planning activities to utilize the systems designed for effective measurement and analysis and control of Wilson production maintenance activities including analysis of preventative maintenance, predictive maintenance, maintaining equipment history, and evaluation of backlog work.

• Responsible for directing the Production Maintenance to provide technical support to the site to improve equipment performance, compliance and effectiveness including optimization project management, ongoing monitoring of performance (OEE) and leading targeted performance improvement events.

EHS / Quality Compliance

• Ensure Production Maintenance activities are executed in compliance with Safety, Environmental, cGMP, and Labor regulations. Provide support as needed for compliance related audits and inspections.

• Investigate, determine root cause, and implement robust CAPAs for any compliance discrepancies noted during day-to-day activities and/or audits.

People Management

• Staff and allocate resources to ensure critical business needs are met across multiple shifts. Ensure that all assigned actions are completed within due date.

• Provide effective leadership to the Production Maintenance team including coaching, employee development, and performance management. Ensure that a positive work environment and culture is maintained within the team.

• Develop and implement technical capability plan to ensure the right skills are present across all shifts and teams.

Cost

• Develop expense budget for Production Maintenance team and control expenditures in accordance with agreed upon plan.

• Ensure appropriate controls are in place to track and manage spending trends with an emphasis on waste elimination and identification of savings opportunities.

Continuous Improvement

• Help develop strategy for Production Maintenance team and tactical plans to meet both short and long-term goals including optimization of RBAM process.

• Embed culture of continuous improvement into the team focused on leadership, standard work, making problems visible, minimizing waste, reducing process variability, and problem solving.

Education Minimum Requirement:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Science, Technical, Engineering, or relevant Management field (Engineering preferred)

Required Experience and Skills:

• Minimum of 8 years of relevant industry work experience in Maintenance/Engineering with background in manufacturing/packaging.

• Demonstrated ability to work independently as a team leader and team member

• Demonstrated strong leadership and interpersonal skills with ability to coach, influence and support others through a culture of inclusion, feedback and empowerment

• Demonstrated ability to motivate teams to achieve stretch goals

• Willing to work irregular hours to support multi-shift operation on an as needed basis

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Experience managing within a multi-layer complex manufacturing facility

• Experience managing computerized maintenance management systems (SAP or similar)

• Strong written and verbal communication skills including experience with technical writing

• Excellent analytical and decision making skills

• Experience in continuous improvement, lean manufacturing, problem solving, and/or right first time methodologies

• Familiarity with change execution management and behavioral coaching / consequence management tools

• Experience supporting regulatory inspections (FDA or other international agencies)

Required Skills:

Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS), Driving Continuous Improvement, Equipment Maintenance, GMP Operations, Leadership, Lean Manufacturing, Lean Product Development, Maintenance Management, Maintenance Planning, Mentoring Staff, Predictive Maintenance, Project Optimization, Regulatory Inspections, Routine Maintenance, Safety Procedures, Technical Problem-Solving

Preferred Skills:

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

US and Puerto Rico Residents Only:

Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.

As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:

EEOC Know Your Rights

EEOC GINA Supplement​

We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively.

Learn more about your rights, including under California, Colorado and other US State Acts

U.S. Hybrid Work Model

Effective September 5, 2023, employees in office-based positions in the U.S. will be working a Hybrid work consisting of three total days on-site per week, Monday - Thursday, although the specific days may vary by site or organization, with Friday designated as a remote-working day, unless business critical tasks require an on-site presence.This Hybrid work model does not apply to, and daily in-person attendance is required for, field-based positions; facility-based, manufacturing-based, or research-based positions where the work to be performed is located at a Company site; positions covered by a collective-bargaining agreement (unless the agreement provides for hybrid work); or any other position for which the Company has determined the job requirements cannot be reasonably met working remotely. Please note, this Hybrid work model guidance also does not apply to roles that have been designated as “remote”.

The salary range for this role is

$139,600.00 - $219,700.00

This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, government requirements, and business or organizational needs.

The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits. Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.

You can apply for this role through https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (or via the Workday Jobs Hub if you are a current employee). The application deadline for this position is stated on this posting.

San Francisco Residents Only: We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

Los Angeles Residents Only: We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully
Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company. No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails.

Employee Status:

Regular

Relocation:

Domestic

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

No Travel Required

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Not Applicable

Shift:

1st - Day

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Job Posting End Date:

11/21/2025

*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.

Requisition ID:R372728