Maintenance Apprentice

Location: Suffolk VA

Background & Purpose of the Job

The largest tea processing facility in the United States, Lipton Tea, is looking for Maintenance Apprentice at its manufacturing plant in Suffolk, Virginia..

The Maintenance Apprentice plays an essential role in maintaining production assets within the factory.This includes Primary and Secondary Tea Packaging equipment as well as associated Conveyors and Palletizing equipment. The Maintenance Apprentice is responsible for all basic and intermediate trouble shooting, preventative and predictive maintenance and defined WCM/kaizen activities. In addition, the Maintenance Apprentice will act as part of the greater line team and will assist with operation of packaging equipment, changeovers, lubrications and relieve members of the production team as needed.

Who You Are & What You'll Do

The Maintenance Apprentice reports to the Production Supervisor. This individual is self-motivated and possesses strong teamwork, interpersonal, written/verbal communication, and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities of the role (not inclusive):

• Maintain all tea packaging equipment (primary and secondary) as assigned.
• Perform all required Cleaning, Inspection, and Lubrication tasks as defined by the WCM plan
• Support all equipment changeover activities including documentation
• Troubleshoot and diagnose equipment problems
• Perform machine breakdown repairs and PM activities
• Perform basic Electrical and PLC troubleshooting (teach sensors, replace sensors, cord/plug components, etc.)
• Partner with multi-craft teams to complete major repairs or PMs
• Replace machine parts working to tolerances of +0.002 inches
• Troubleshoot and resolve production line bottlenecks
• Maintain Equipment/Area spares, tools inventory (shadow boards/5S)
• Input required information into Data Collection systems
• Initiate and complete all work within the plant CMMS
• Ability to search for and locate spare parts in inventory and retrieval system
• Document material defects and submit required reports to QA
• Execute periodic cleaning tasks for equipment areas and document task completion
• Utilize CMMS system to document periodic scheduled tasks (CIL, Training, etc.)
• Perform THA, safety risks assessments for responsible equipment
• Perform periodic safety inspective as required
• Satisfactory completion of assigned training programs and passing score on assigned competency checks
• Always puts Safety first when considering an improvement to current/new equipment or process changes.
• Perform all work in compliance with plant lockout/tagout procedures and alternate energy control
• Knowledge and proper use of all equipment necessary to performing the assigned job.
• Understand Plant KPI requirements and fosters/drives teams to meet those requirements using WCM Tools/Techniques.
• Accountable for high performance standards and able to give and receive constructive feedback.
• Must have strong interpersonal skills and able to be a link with External parties.
• Able to participate in the development of training material for next steps in the WCM Process.
• Must be a high performer/technically capable and self-directed in current/previous role.
• Electrical or mechanical experience preferred.

What You'll Need To Succeed

• High School diploma or GED
• 2+ years maintenance or operations experience
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment.
• Must be able to bend, stoop, reach, and lift 50 lbs.
• Must achieve qualification level and completion of all training modules associated with assigned equipment.

A passing score on the Minimizer test will be required. This is a theoretical and practical/hands-on technical assessment proctored by a third party.

A WorkKeys assessment with a passing score is also required. A score of 4 or more points in all WorkKeys assessments will be considered a passing score (SILVER diploma or higher). Employment is subject to verification of pre-screening tests, which may include drug screening, physical and background check.

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Unilever is an organization committed to diversity and inclusion to drive our business results and create a better future every day for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. For more information, please see Equal Employment Opportunity Posters

Employment is subject to verification of pre-screening tests, which may include drug screening, background check, credit check and DMV check.

If you are an individual with a disability in need of assistance at any time during our recruitment process, please contact us at Please note: This email is reserved for individuals with disabilities in need of assistance and is not a means of inquiry about positions or application statuses.