Who We Are
McMaster-Carr is an innovative e-commerce company that helps customers build and repair almost anything. For 125 years, we have thrived through an unwavering focus on customer experience, adaptability, and world-class operations. Curious, exceptional people are at the center of our evolution, turning new challenges and emerging technologies into opportunities to learn, improve, and make a meaningful impact.
It is an exciting time at McMaster-Carr. Our Chicagoland headquarters combines a large-scale distribution center with corporate office space and is evolving through significant investment in automation and infrastructure. The reliability of this complex facility is essential to our ability to serve customers and support employees.
What You’ll Do
As Maintenance Manager, you will lead the team responsible for the reliable, safe, and efficient operation of the building infrastructure across our largest distribution center and national headquarters.
Your scope will include HVAC, electrical distribution and emergency power, plumbing, fire and life-safety systems, security and access-control, roofing and building envelope, lighting, utilities, data center infrastructure and other critical facility systems. You’ll partner with automation system reliability teams where building systems and automated operations intersect.
This role combines day-to-day operational leadership with long-term asset stewardship. Developing technicians and supervisors, strengthening preventive and predictive maintenance practices, guiding complex problem solving, and planning facility improvements that protect uptime and prepare the site for future growth are central to success.
You will also lead external engineering and contractor partnerships that expand, renew, and improve critical facility systems. From defining the operational need through commissioning and handoff, you will ensure upgrade projects are technically sound, safely executed, and successfully integrated into a continuously operating facility.
Make an impact and grow your leadership skills through experiences like:
- Leading and developing a team of technicians and supervisors, building strong performance, technical capability, cross-coverage, and ownership of facility outcomes
- Advancing preventive and predictive maintenance practices through disciplined work planning, asset records, backlog management, reliability measures, and continuous improvement
- Directing the response to complex and urgent building-system issues, using root-cause analysis to restore operations quickly and prevent recurring failures
- Assessing asset condition and shaping multiyear maintenance and capital plans that improve safety, reliability, energy performance, and equipment life
- Leading facility upgrades from operating need through commissioning, translating requirements into clear scope, success measures, schedules, shutdown plans, and a sustainable transition to maintenance
- Selecting and directing engineering firms, contractors, and service partners, holding them accountable for safety, quality, cost, schedule, documentation, and long-term maintainability
- Partnering across Distribution, Workplace, Security, IT, Engineering, and Automation to manage risk, maintain regulatory compliance, and improve critical building systems without disrupting customer operations
Benefits
Cash Compensation
Total cash compensation between $230,000 and $320,000, including profit sharing based on company performance.
Growth & Learning
- 100% tuition reimbursement
- Informal and formal mentorship
- Employee resource groups
Health & Wellbeing
- Medical, dental, pharmacy, and vision plans with no monthly premiums
- Inclusive, all-gender benefits
Family & Future
- Paid parental leave for all new parents
- Adoption and surrogacy assistance
- First-time home buyer assistance
- Industry-leading company-funded retirement accounts
Time Off
Paid vacation and personal time
Qualifications:
- 5+ years of experience leading maintenance, facilities, plant engineering, or building-operations teams in a large, complex, continuously operating environment
- Demonstrated people leadership, including developing supervisors and technicians, setting expectations, evaluating performance, and building bench strength
- Working knowledge across several major building systems, with the judgment to engage internal experts and external specialists when needed
- Experience improving preventive maintenance, work-management, or reliability practices using a CMMS or comparable system
- A record of resolving complex technical problems, conducting root-cause analysis, and preventing recurrence while promoting a strong safety culture and compliance judgment
- A successful track record managing contractors, budgets, facility projects, shutdowns, or asset-renewal plans, including acting as the operational or technical owner for facility upgrades delivered through external engineering firms, contractors, or equipment vendors.
- The ability to balance immediate operational demands with long-term reliability and investment priorities
- Clear communication and the ability to influence partners across technical and nontechnical teams as well as curiosity, adaptability, and a commitment to developing both people and systems
For more information on McMaster-Carr, please visit: https://www.mcmaster.com/careers
Equal Opportunity Employer
We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and dedicated to providing employees a workplace with reasonable accommodations and free of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. At McMaster-Carr, we do not make employment decisions based on age, ethnicity, citizenship status, military status, gender identity and expression, race, religion, disability status, marital status, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected group.
This position is not eligible for work authorization sponsorship by McMaster-Carr.
Data We Collect
We may collect professional, education and employment-related data, and any assessments made throughout the recruiting process, to evaluate candidacy for employment. To communicate with job applicants, we may collect applicant names, contact information, and other personal identifiers, including those outlined in the California customer records statute. Through voluntary disclosure, we may also collect protected classifications under federal or California law (e.g., race, gender, etc.). For additional details about the personal information we collect and its uses, please click here.
McMaster-Carr Elmhurst, Illinois, USA Office
McMaster-Carr is in a thriving suburb with easy access to city living via public transportation and highways. The local community offers a vibrant downtown full of restaurants and pubs, parks, historic homes, art museums and a university.
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