Maintenance Lead

OXEA Corporation Company Overview | World leader in Oxo Chemicals

Oxo products are the core competency of OXEA Corporation. We are producing more than 70 oxo intermediates and oxo derivatives for customers in a wide range of industries with various end market applications. Our chemicals are important ingredients in products that are used in daily life around the world. "We" refers to more than 1,200 OXEA employees worldwide. At our plants in Germany, the USA, and China, we produce intermediates and derivatives.

Job Purpose

The Maintenance Lead is responsible for leading plant maintenance operations to ensure plant equipment and assets are maintained in a safe, reliable, efficient, and cost-effective manner. The Maintenance Lead provides leadership and direction to a multi-craft workforce through direct supervision of craft supervisors and indirect oversight of maintenance craftsmen to ensure effective execution of planned, scheduled, preventive, and emergency maintenance activities.

The Maintenance Lead is responsible for developing and sustaining a highly trained and capable maintenance workforce, optimizing maintenance strategies and resources, and driving maintenance performance and continuous improvement. Working cross-functionally with Production, Technical Services, Engineering, Reliability, Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE), and other site functions, this role supports equipment reliability, regulatory compliance, quality systems, and safe and reliable plant operations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead and provide direction across site maintenance functions, including the electrical and instrumentation, rotating, and analyzer teams, to ensure maintenance work is executed safely, reliably, efficiently, and cost-effectively.
• Develop and sustain a highly trained and competent maintenance workforce through effective leadership, coaching, development, cross-training, and implementation of established maintenance policies and procedures.
• Collaborate with plant leaders and managers to establish priorities and optimize the allocation and utilization of maintenance resources.
• Ensure maintenance work is properly planned, prioritized, assigned, and executed.
• Oversee planned and scheduled maintenance activities as well as emergency and interruption work to ensure timely and effective execution.
• Ensure maintenance schedules remain current and preventive maintenance activities are completed in accordance with established requirements and timelines.
• Hold craft supervisors accountable for safe, timely, efficient, and quality execution of maintenance work.
• Ensure appropriate workforce cross-training and backup coverage to maintain continuity of maintenance support and plant operations.
• Monitor work completion, backlog, schedule compliance, and resource utilization.
• Establish, monitor, and utilize maintenance performance metrics to evaluate performance against site service and operational objectives and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Develop and support maintenance objectives, processes, and work practices that align with company requirements, site priorities, applicable regulatory requirements, and industry standards.
• Maintain and reinforce a strong, proactive safety culture through visible leadership, employee engagement, coaching, and support of established site safety processes and expectations.
• Partner with site leadership and HSE to support the development, implementation, and integration of environmental, health, and safety compliance processes within maintenance and manufacturing activities.
• Lead maintenance initiatives supporting the development, implementation, and monitoring of applicable quality system processes.
• Support equipment reliability and continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to optimize maintenance strategies, work processes, and maintenance performance.
• Support operational leadership in the development and control of the annual operating budget and promote responsible utilization of maintenance resources.
• Provide performance feedback, coaching, and development to craft supervisors and support effective performance management of maintenance personnel.
• Build effective cross-functional relationships and collaborate with Production, Technical Services, Engineering, Reliability, and other site functions to support safe, reliable, and efficient plant performance.

Key Interarctions

• Internal: Maintenance and Turnaround Manager, Maintenance Supervisors, Maintenance Personnel, Production Leadership, Production, Technical Services, Engineering, Reliability, Environmental, Health & Safety (HSE), Quality, Procurement, Finance, and Human Resources.
• External: Contract maintenance organizations, equipment vendors, service providers, and other contractors, as appropriate.

Working Conditions

• Primarily office-based with routine presence throughout an operating chemical manufacturing facility.
• Regular field engagement to support maintenance execution, equipment reliability, employee development, and safety initiatives.
• Frequent exposure to industrial equipment, elevated work areas, confined spaces, noise, heat, and varying weather conditions.
• Requires climbing stairs and ladders and working in manufacturing environments while wearing required personal protective equipment (PPE).
• May be required to respond to plant emergencies or maintenance issues outside of normal business hours.
• Occasional travel may be required for training, vendor meetings, and other business activities.

Education Requirements

• Associate degree in a technical or related field with five (5) years of relevant experience or ten (10) years of experience in the chemical, manufacturing, or related industry in lieu of degree.

Minimum Qualifications

• Associate degree in a technical or related field with five (5) years of relevant experience or ten (10) years of experience in the chemical, manufacturing, or related industry in lieu of degree.
• Five (5) years of leadership experience in the chemical, manufacturing, or related industry.
• Must possess a current, valid Texas driver's license.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, and Excel.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and build collaborative working relationships across multiple departments.
• Knowledge of maintenance and reliability practices within an industrial manufacturing environment.
• Familiarity with environmental, health, safety, and regulatory compliance requirements applicable to industrial maintenance activities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering or a related field.
• Experience with process control and cost management.
• Ten (10) years of leadership or supervisory experience in a chemical, manufacturing, or related industrial environment.
• Experience using SAP or other computerized maintenance management systems.
• Experience supporting turnarounds, shutdowns, startups, or capital projects.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of maintenance and reliability practices and their impact on safe and reliable plant operations.
• Knowledge of industrial mechanical systems, equipment, and maintenance work processes.
• Strong leadership, coaching, team-building, and employee development capabilities.
• Ability to lead and coordinate maintenance activities across multiple maintenance functions and competing operational priorities.
• Knowledge of industrial mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, analyzer, and associated maintenance systems and equipment.
• Ability to balance safety, reliability, operational requirements, and cost performance when making maintenance decisions.
• Strong problem-solving skills with a demonstrated focus on continuous improvement.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to establish priorities and coordinate resources effectively.
• Ability to develop productive cross-functional working relationships across Maintenance, Production, Technical Services, Engineering, Reliability, EHS, and other site functions.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, continuous chemical manufacturing environment.

All Employees are invited to participate regardless of race, sex, age, color, national origin, marital status, religion, disability or veteran status, and any other criterion prescribed by law.

OXEA is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not tolerate discrimination based on race, sex, age, color, national origin, marital status, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, veteran status, or any other basis protected by law.

Check Out Our Benefits

• Excellent Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance Plans
• Health Equity Health Fund for health and dependent care
• Disability Benefits
• Basic Group Term Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D)
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Work/Life Balance
• Paid Time Off for a balanced life
• Competitive salary, bonus, 401(k) plan with match and profit-sharing match

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Nearest Major Market: Houston