Lead Maintenance Technician

The Lead Maintenance Technician at Half Acre Beer Co. is a hands‑on technical role responsible for maintaining, troubleshooting, repairing, and improving brewery production and facility equipment, with a strong emphasis on maintenance system continuity, responsive service to internal customers, and accurate CMMS data.

• Lead by example in adherence to Half Acre safety policies, OSHA requirements, and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs).
• Actively participate in continuous improvement initiatives.

• Maintain, troubleshoot, and repair brewery production equipment, including high‑speed beverage packaging systems such as can fillers, double seamer, keg‑wash/fill line, and brewhouse systems.
• Support utilities and facilities systems including glycol chillers, boilers, HVAC equipment, compressors, pumps, gearboxes, and kitchen equipment.
• Perform mechanical work including alignment, lubrication, disassembly/reassembly, pump rebuilding, and seal replacement.
• Troubleshoot and maintain mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, and hydraulic systems.
• Serve as an on‑floor subject matter expert for production equipment and complex repairs.

• Act as the primary day‑to‑day steward of CMMS data quality and usability, in coordination with the Facilities Manager.
• Develop, maintain, and continuously improve preventive maintenance tasks and schedules.
• Create clear, step‑by‑step PM and job plans for routine, complex, and infrequent repairs.
• Maintain accurate asset records, equipment histories, and asset relationships.
• Maintain parts lists and spare components associated with specific assets.
• Ensure maintenance documentation reflects actual work practices and supports repeatability.
• Identify gaps, redundancies, or unclear procedures and collaborate with management to address them.
• Support broader documentation efforts using CMMS, SharePoint, and Microsoft Teams.

• Assist in training and onboarding maintenance technicians on equipment, procedures, and CMMS standards.
• Review PM execution quality and provide coaching on troubleshooting approaches and repair best practices.
• Act as the technical decision‑maker during maintenance activities when the Facilities Manager is not present.
• Support autonomous maintenance initiatives and collaboration with production teams.
• Serve as the primary technical point of contact for external vendors, contractors, and equipment manufacturers.
• Coordinate service visits, troubleshooting calls, and equipment repairs.
• Maintain service documentation, OEM manuals, and repair history.
• Assist with parts sourcing and recommendations for critical spares.
• Identify root causes of equipment failures and support implementation of long‑term corrective actions.
• Contribute to maintenance KPIs, reliability goals, and production uptime.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and professional work environment.
• Document work clearly and communicate effectively with production and leadership teams.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Must be 21+ years old.
• Strong mechanical and electrical troubleshooting skills.
• Ability to read and interpret blueprints, schematics, and equipment manuals.
• Experience working within a CMMS and contributing to accurate documentation and PM development.
• Ability to balance hands‑on maintenance work with documentation and system improvement.
• Strong communication skills and ability to train and guide other technicians.
• PLC familiarity (Siemens or Allen‑Bradley) preferred.

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• 3+ years of maintenance experience in a beverage production or manufacturing environment.
• Prior experience maintaining high‑speed beverage packaging equipment or similar food/manufacturing systems.
• Experience with automated fillers, seamers, keg lines, and brewhouse systems (or equivalent equipment).
• Technical certifications.
• Ability to weld.

• Ability to ascend/descend stairs and ladders and work at varying heights and angles.
• Ability to lift and transport loads up to 65 lbs and maneuver heavy equipment with assistance.
• Ability to perform desk work for documentation and CMMS updates.
• Ability to stoop, kneel, crouch, and work under/around conveyors and equipment.
• Close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, the ability to adjust focus and the ability to see color; either with or without accommodation.

Compensation/Salary: $28.00 - $32.00 per Hour

Location: 2050 W Balmoral Ave, Chicago, IL, 60625

Date Posted: 1/13/2026