Prairie AquaTech Manufacturing, LLC dba Houdek is a manufacturing company based in Volga South Dakota that is improving animal health and nutrition by providing high-quality feed ingredients. Using patent-pending technologies licensed on a worldwide, exclusive basis from South Dakota State University and developed internally, the Company is upgrading soybean meal to high-quality ingredients used in aquaculture and other animal feeds.

Position Summary

Maintenance Supervisor – Reliability & Training is a hands‑on leadership role responsible for supporting the daily execution of maintenance work, developing technician skillsets, and driving consistent reliability practices throughout the facility. Reporting to the Maintenance Manager, this position provides on‑the‑floor leadership, technical support, and training to ensure equipment reliability, safe work practices, and strong team performance. The supervisor serves as a key resource for troubleshooting, work quality, and technician development.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Development
-Lead technicians through daily work assignments, providing hands-on coaching and support.
-Train and mentor team members in mechanical, electrical, and reliability practices.
-Maintain and update a skills matrix to identify technician strengths and training needs.
-Promote a positive, accountable culture centered on teamwork, communication, and safety.
-Support onboarding and ongoing development of new and existing maintenance personnel.

Maintenance Strategy & Reliability
-Support preventive and predictive maintenance programs to improve equipment uptime.
-Ensure high-quality execution of PM tasks and maintenance work orders.
-Conduct field inspections to verify workmanship, safe practices, and adherence to standards.
-Utilize vibration, ultrasonic, and other condition-monitoring tools to identify failure risks.
-Participate in root cause analysis (RCA) and help implement corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).

Hands-On Technical Support
-Assist technicians with troubleshooting mechanical, electrical, and instrumentation issues.
-Serve as the first point of escalation for equipment failures or complex breakdowns.
-Support planning and execution of shutdowns to minimize downtime and ensure proper work sequencing.

Maintenance Planning & CMMS Execution
-Support daily and weekly maintenance planning meetings.
-Ensure accurate CMMS documentation, including work orders, notes, and PM completion.
-Provide feedback on PM improvements, parts needs, and long-term reliability issues.

Safety, Compliance & Work Quality
-Lead by example in maintaining a strong safety-first culture.
-Enforce safe work practices, including LOTO, confined space, and hot work procedures.
-Conduct routine safety audits and ensure corrective actions are completed.
-Maintain clean, organized work areas and reinforce 5S principles.

Inventory & Equipment Care
-Support parts management, including critical spares, bench stock, and tool organization.
-Identify recurring parts needs or inventory gaps impacting reliability.
-Work with the Maintenance Manager to ensure tools, testing equipment, and shop spaces are maintained.

Physical Requirements
-Ability to lift up to 60 pounds.
-Ability to work in industrial environments, including elevated areas, confined spaces, and variable temperatures.
-Ability to participate in on-call rotations as needed.

Minimum Qualifications
-3+ years of industrial maintenance experience in mechanical, electrical, or multi-craft roles.
-Demonstrated leadership ability, either formally or as an informal leader/mentor.
-Strong troubleshooting experience with mechanical, electrical, or instrumentation systems.
-Experience with preventive and predictive maintenance practices.
-Strong communication, coaching, and teamwork skills.
-Proficiency with maintenance management software (CMMS).

Preferred Qualifications
-Experience with vibration analysis, ultrasonic testing, or other PdM technologies.
-Technical training in mechanical, electrical, or electromechanical fields.
-Experience in ethanol, digestion, biotech, or similar industrial manufacturing environments.
-Experience conducting training or developing technician skillsets.

This position is not eligible for sponsorship.

Compensation: Pay based on experience and education. Additional employee benefits include generous PTO, quarterly bonuses, 100% employee paid health, dental, vision, 15K basic life insurance, STD, LTD, 401K match, ten paid holidays, gym membership, yearly clothing allowance and more!

Prairie AquaTech Manufacturing, LLC dba Houdek is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.