Maintenance Materials Manager

At Link Snacks, we show up hungry, roll up our sleeves, plaid or otherwise, and dive straight into the hard work. We don’t hide from challenges; we hunt them down. We push harder, move faster, and take the kinds of big swings that built this business in the North Woods of Wisconsin four decades ago.We’re everyday people who deliver extraordinary results. Innovation, creativity, and urgency aren’t buzzwords, they’re expectations. And just like the real protein snacks we make across our global house of brands—Jack Link’s®, Lorissa’s Kitchen®, Golden Island®, BiFi®, and Peperami® and KOOEE!® to name a few—there’s nothing artificial about us. What you see is exactly what you get: humble, gritty, passionate people who show up every day ready to not just be a participate in the meat snack industry that the Link Family created, but to move faster, innovate harder and keep raising the bar so high, the rest of the world needs a ladder just to see it.Dominating this space across the world takes a team. A team that runs together, succeeds together, and celebrates together. A team that’s full of relentless energy and spirit that can only be fueled by one thing: a fist full of our delicious meat snacks.Real Meat Protein. Real People. Real Results. THAT is Link Snacks.Job DescriptionPosition SummaryThe Maintenance Materials Manager is responsible for the strategy, control, and execution of all maintenance spare parts, MRO inventory, and materials management processes supporting a highly automated, 24/7 food manufacturing facility.This role ensures maximum equipment uptime, optimal inventory levels, and cost control by delivering the right parts, at the right time, at the right cost—while supporting a multi-million-dollar repairs and maintenance (R&M) budget.This position is a critical enabler of maintenance efficiency, reliability performance, and overall plant OEE.Key Responsibilities Inventory Strategy & ControlDefine and maintain optimal inventory levels for all MRO and critical spare partsClassify and manage critical spares to prevent production downtimeBalance inventory investment against service level and uptime requirementsEstablish reorder points, safety stock, and stocking strategiesMaterial Availability & Uptime SupportEnsure required parts are available to support planned and unplanned maintenance workEliminate downtime caused by parts shortages or incorrect inventoryCoordinate with Maintenance and Reliability on critical equipment needsPrioritize parts availability for high-impact production assetsMaintenance Planning IntegrationPartner with the Maintenance Planner to align inventory with scheduled workEnsure all parts are kitted and available prior to planned maintenance executionSupport shutdown and outage planning with accurate materials readinessEliminate delays in maintenance execution due to materials issuesProcurement & Supplier ManagementSource and procure maintenance parts, components, and servicesManage vendor relationships for cost, quality, and lead time performanceNegotiate pricing and contracts to control R&M spendDevelop alternate sourcing strategies for critical componentsStoreroom Operations & AccuracyLead day-to-day storeroom operations, including receiving, issuing, and cycle countingEnsure high inventory accuracy and system integrity within CMMS/ERPStandardize storage, labeling, and organization of all materialsEliminate obsolete, excess, and duplicate inventoryCost Management & Budget ControlManage and track maintenance materials spending against the R&M budgetIdentify and execute cost reduction opportunities without increasing riskAnalyze usage trends, consumption, and inventory turnsReduce waste, emergency purchases, and expediting costsCMMS & Data IntegrityEnsure accurate setup and maintenance of parts data in CMMSStandardize naming conventions, descriptions, and BOM structuresMaintain equipment bills of materials (BOMs) with Maintenance and ReliabilityUse data to forecast demand and improve inventory decisionsReliability & Continuous ImprovementPartner with Reliability Engineering to identify required critical sparesSupport failure analysis by ensuring correct parts and historical usage visibilityDrive improvements in:Inventory turnsService levelsInventory accuracyEliminate recurring issues related to parts availabilityTeam LeadershipLead and develop:Storeroom personnelInventory/MRO analystsMaintenance buyer(s)Establish clear processes, expectations, and accountabilityDrive standard work and continuous improvement within materials managementCross-Functional AlignmentAlign with:Maintenance → execution readinessReliability → critical spares strategyProcurement → sourcing strategy and contractsFinance → budget and cost controlParticipate in planning and performance review processesKey Performance Indicators (KPIs)Inventory accuracy (%)Stockout frequency / downtime due to parts availabilityInventory turns and total inventory valueR&M materials cost vs budgetEmergency purchase ratePM job readiness (parts availability at execution)Obsolete and excess inventory reduction QualificationsExperience7–10+ years in maintenance materials, MRO, or supply chain rolesExperience in high-volume, automated manufacturing environmentsExperience managing multi-million-dollar inventory and spendTechnical CompetencyStrong knowledge of:MRO inventory managementCMMS/ERP systems (SAP, Maximo, etc.)Maintenance planning processesUnderstanding of:Industrial equipment and spare parts criticalityReliability and TPM principlesLeadership CompetenciesStrong systems thinker (connects inventory to uptime and cost)High attention to detail and process disciplineAbility to balance cost vs operational riskStrong cross-functional collaboratorData-driven decision makerSuccess Profile (What Good Looks Like)Within 12 months, this leader:Eliminates downtime caused by parts unavailabilityEstablishes >95–98% inventory accuracyReduces emergency purchases and expediting costs significantlyOptimizes inventory investment while improving service levelsFully integrates materials management with maintenance planning and reliabilityWhy This Role In a highly automated facility:Poor materials management = hidden downtime, wasted labor, and uncontrolled cost.This role directly determines:Whether maintenance can execute effectivelyWhether automation remains stableWhether the R&M budget is controlled or overwhelmedAdditional InformationThe pay range for this role is $90k - $110k (Annual). Actual wage will vary based on several factors, including but not limited to external market data, internal equity, location, and candidate skill set and experience. Base pay is just one component of Jack Link’s Total Rewards package for Team Members. Other rewards may include annual incentive and program-specific awards. Jack Link’s provides a variety of benefits to eligible Team Members, including medical, dental and vision benefits, life and disability insurance, 401k participation, paid holidays, and paid time offPHYSICAL DEMANDS The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a Team Member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.While performing the duties of this job the Team Member will be required to wear the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (i.e. beard/hairnet, ear plugs, frock, boots, etc.), stand for extended periods of time, and use hands/arms to push, pull, reach and occasionally lift above head. The Team Member must occasionally lift, push, pull up to 25 pounds and 50 pounds infrequently. Team Members are requested to visually inspect equipment and/or product. WORK ENVIRONMENTThe work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a Team Member encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The work environment is a plant setting with wet/slippery floors, varying degrees of temperatures with an average temperature of 40 degrees in the production area. Team Members will be exposed to raw and/or cooked meat products and moving equipment and will be required to follow all Food Safety Quality requirements.EEO Statement:Jack Link’s provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic that is protected by federal, state or local law.Jack Link’s is participant in the federal E-Verify program to confirm the identity and employment authorization of all newly hired employees. For information about the E-Verify program, please visit: http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify/employeesDisclaimer:This job description is intended to generally describe the nature and level of work to be performed by team members in this position. It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and skills required of team members performing this role.