Strategic Maintenance Manager - Elgin, IL

Strategic Maintenance Manager · We are looking for a Strategic Maintenance Manager at Oerlikon Balzers Coating USA. The Strategic Service role owns and governs service processes, standards, documentation, analytics, and cross‑site alignment to ensure reliable, safe, and efficient ...

Job description

Strategic Maintenance Manager

We are looking for a Strategic Maintenance Manager at Oerlikon Balzers Coating USA. The Strategic Service role owns and governs service processes, standards, documentation, analytics, and cross‑site alignment to ensure reliable, safe, and efficient operation of coating systems across the network. This role supports service teams through standardization, process improvement, technical documentation control, training content, and escalation management, enabling consistent performance across all sites.

Your Responsibilities:

1.) Maintenance Planning & Interval Governance

• Ensure each machine has the correct maintenance tasks and intervals based on usage profiles.
• Update maintenance plans after engineering changes, ECNs, retrofits, or configuration updates.
• Review cross‑site maintenance performance to refine maintenance strategy.

2.) Spare Parts & Work Instructions Integrity

• Strategic life cycle and spare parts management
• Ensure all spare parts lists and WIs are current, accurate, and revision-controlled.
• Update WIs and parts lists based on engineering updates, ECNs, retrofits, and field feedback.

3. Training & Competency

• Drive the development of service technicians
• Develop and maintain all training materials, modules, videos, job aids, and assessments.
• Perform service training for local teams when requested for complex or updated tasks.
• Update training materials following engineering changes, retrofits, or platform updates.

4. Monitoring Execution & On‑Site Support

• Identify systemic risks or recurring gaps across sites through monitoring and feedback.
• Recommend corrective actions and recovery plans based on cross-site insights.
• Trigger deeper investigations into systemic issues or recurring deviations.
• Ensure corrective plans are completed and integrate learnings into training and standards.

5. Spare Parts Inventory Optimization

• Recommend stocking parameters (min/max) using risk-based and cross‑site analysis.
• Identify parts with recurring shortages, long lead times, or systemic failure trends.
• Support inventory procedures, and availability checks through audit and data review.
• Ensure spare parts requirements are reflected in maintenance plans and documentation.

6. Remote & On‑Site Troubleshooting

• Perform remote troubleshooting of escalated, complex, or systemic issues.
• Coordinate with Engineering and Aftersales for design-related or high-complexity issues.
• Ensure troubleshooting learnings drive updates to WIs, maintenance plans, and training.

7. Installations, Moves & Retrofits

• Participate in planning and risk review for installations, relocations, and retrofits.
• Provide SME support during complex or high‑risk projects.
• Ensure manuals, checklists, and acceptance criteria remain current and engineering aligned.
• Ensure SAP/Orbis updates (configuration, PM plans, spare parts) are completed accurately across sites.
• Capture lessons learned and update documentation and training materials.

8. Safety, Compliance & Standards

• Ensure safety controls (LOTO, electrical, confined space, rigging/lifting, PPE) are correctly integrated into technical documentation.
• Ensure installation/retrofit procedures contain required safety steps and hazard mitigations.
• Maintain compliance with site-specific and global safety requirements.

9. Service Quality, Documentation & Reporting

• Monitor KPIs including Maintenance performance,cost and usage, MTTR, reliability, documentation quality, and installation/retrofit performance.
• Ensure documentation templates and standards are accurate and aligned with engineering requirements.
• Identify systemic documentation gaps or improvement opportunities.

10. Cross‑Functional Collaboration & Customer Satisfaction

• Align service processes with Engineering, Product Management, Operations, Quality, and Spare Parts.
• Communicate performance insights and improvement opportunities with leadership.
• Support customer satisfaction through consistent service standards and cross‑site alignment.

11. Escalation Procedure & Issue Resolution

• Define escalation triggers, thresholds, and communication expectations.
• Document escalation actions, responsible parties, and follow‑up requirements.
• Ensure containment, corrective, and preventive actions are completed and closed.
• Update processes and documentation based on escalation learnings.

12. Professional Conduct & Continuous Improvement

• Maintain professional communication across engineering, operations, product, and leadership groups.
• Drive cross‑site and systemic continuous improvement initiatives.
• Ensure service processes align with company policies, engineering requirements, and operational standards.
• Represent the service organization in cross-functional initiatives and reviews.

Your Profile:

• Bachelor's Degree preferably, Experience substitutes
• 5+ years of inventory experience
• Experience working through manufacturing/ Production environment to working the production cycles to deliver products on time
• Strong understanding of supply chain process
• Deep understanding of SAP and its processes

We offer:

Aside from a dynamic global culture and leading market position, we are proud to offer our employees development opportunities, competitive salary and a robust benefit program ALL available on first day of employment

The perks and benefits of working at Oerlikon include the following:

• Comprehensive medical and prescription drug plan with low premiums, company sponsored HSA contributions and without cumbersome waiting periods to keep you going strong.
• Excellent Dental and Vision coverage.
• Employee Assistance, Financial and Wellness programs to help improve all aspects of your life journey.
• 401(k) retirement savings plan with significant company match and financial planning and education options to help you achieve your retirement goals
• Tuition reimbursement and internal education resources to satisfy your love of learning so you can continue to grow with us
• Generous paid time off to support your physical and mental wellbeing.
• 12 paid company holidays to occasionally extend your weekends or time off.
• 100% company paid life insurance and disability insurance
• Employee Referral Bonus program because why not to bring your friends to work everyday

Why Oerlikon:

Curiosity thrives at Oerlikon, and creates a dynamic, energetic and exciting environment that incubates innovation and passion to consistently improve what we do every day. This drives value for our customers and other stakeholders and helps us to enhance the performance of our products and services.

#joinoerlikonus #joinourteam

Are you curious? Then release your passion to succeed and APPLY to discover how you can help us build a better world and realize how you can make a personal difference by joining our global team Our commitment is your success

Oerlikon is required by law to include a reasonable estimate of the current compensation range for this position, which is $125,840 - $188,760 per year. Some positions within Oerlikon may also offer eligibility to participate in a discretionary incentive program. The salary of the finalist(s) selected for the role will be based on a variety of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including, but not limited to, internal equity, job location, work experience, education, training, certifications, licenses, etc. Therefore, as compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each individual, it is likely that not all applicants will be hired at the highest end of the listed compensation range. Our total compensation package goes beyond base compensation and it will include a competitive benefits package starting with 2 weeks paid time off accrued on a monthly basis, 12 holidays, 48 hours personal/sick time (exception for NY where we follow State law,) medical, dental, vision, 401K, holidays, pet insurance and tuition reimbursement all effective day one of hire.

About us

Oerlikon is a global leader in surface technologies and advanced materials. With a unique portfolio spanning surface engineering, high‑performance materials, coating equipment and components, we make products better by enhancing performance, efficiency and sustainability. Oerlikon serves a wide range of industries, including aerospace, automotive, energy, medical, luxury, semiconductors and tooling. Head‑quartered in Pfäffikon, Switzerland, Oerlikon operates in 38 countries with approximately 9,500 employees, achieving sales of CHF 1.6 billion in 2024.

Equal Opportunity Employment

Oerlikon is an Equal Opportunity Employer. If you'd like more information on your EEO rights under the law, please click here: Know Your Rights.

If you are unable to complete an application or respond to a job opening because of a disability, please contact us at or This contact information is for accessibility requests only and is not intended for inquiries about the status of applications or for third-party vendor/agency requests.

Oerlikon will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR c)

Agencies

Oerlikon only accepts agency resumes for positions that have been explicitly approved by HR for third-party support. We work exclusively with our approved vendors who have agreed to Oerlikon's terms and conditions and have an executed contract in place. Any resumes or profiles submitted to Oerlikon employees for roles not approved and requested by HR will be considered unsolicited, and Oerlikon will not be obligated to pay a placement fee.

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