OVERVIEW
Established in 1955, Meyers Farms is Niagara-on-the-Lake's (Ontario, Canada) premiere choice for quality flowers and fresh fruit. With established modern greenhouse facilities and accompanying farms, we have grown steadily through hard work, a commitment to quality, and the fostering of our horticultural and agricultural expertise.
Purpose
The Maintenance & Automation Manager leads and participates in all maintenance activities to ensure safe, efficient, and reliable operation of greenhouse systems, equipment, and infrastructure. This role is both hands-on and managerial — overseeing a team of maintenance staff while actively troubleshooting, repairing, and optimizing systems. The manager also oversees the maintenance ticketing system, time tracking, and preventive maintenance programs to drive operational excellence.
Value Proposition
The Maintenance & Automation Manager provides both strategic and operational value by combining technical expertise with structured leadership. This role ensures long-term reliability, cost efficiency, and performance excellence through data-driven maintenance management and proactive system optimization.
Key areas of value include:
· Operational Reliability – Ensures all production and facility systems run smoothly, minimizing unplanned downtime and protecting crop quality and yield.
· Cost Efficiency – Reduces reactive maintenance, lowers repair costs, and optimizes labor utilization through time tracking and preventive planning.
· Data-Driven Maintenance – Leverages ticketing and time metrics to improve scheduling accuracy, identify recurring issues, and guide capital investment decisions.
· Team Development – Builds a skilled and accountable maintenance team capable of managing mechanical, electrical, and automation challenges.
· Safety & Compliance – Maintains a safe, compliant, and well-documented operation that meets all workplace and environmental standards.
· Continuous Improvement – Drives ongoing innovation and system optimization to ensure sustainable, high-performance operations year-round.
Core Responsibilities
1. Leadership and Team Management
· Lead, mentor, and coordinate a team of maintenance technicians and specialists.
· Assign, prioritize, and review daily maintenance work through the ticketing system.
· Support team development through coaching, training, and technical guidance.
· Promote a culture of safety, accountability, and continuous improvement.
2. Hands-On Technical Work
· Perform mechanical, electrical, or automation repairs as required.
· Troubleshoot and resolve complex system failures across heating, cooling, irrigation, fertigation, ventilation, and control systems.
· Provide on-call support during critical breakdowns or emergencies.
· Collaborate with automation or production teams to fine-tune systems for efficiency and reliability.
3. Maintenance Planning and Scheduling
· Develop and execute a preventive maintenance program for all key systems.
· Balance reactive and proactive maintenance priorities to minimize downtime.
· Maintain accurate service logs, equipment records, and maintenance history.
4. Ticketing System Oversight
· Utilize CMMS/ticketing systems to manage work orders, track maintenance performance, analyze trends, and improve labor planning and efficiency.
5. Time and Task Tracking
· Record and analyze how long each maintenance task takes to complete.
· Establish performance benchmarks and efficiency targets for recurring tasks.
· Use time data to forecast labor needs, improve scheduling accuracy, and identify training opportunities.
6. Equipment, Infrastructure, and Inventory Management
· Oversee maintenance of greenhouse structures, utilities, and automation systems.
· Manage inventory of spare parts, tools, and consumables to prevent delays.
· Coordinate external vendors for specialized repairs or projects.
· Support capital planning by identifying aging equipment or improvement opportunities.
7. Safety and Compliance
· Ensure all work meets safety standards and environmental regulations.
· Conduct safety inspections and enforce PPE and lockout/tagout procedures.
· Lead incident investigations and corrective actions when required.
8. Fleet & Vehicle Maintenance Oversight
· Manage maintenance schedules for all company trucks, tractors, and vehicles.
· Coordinate with mechanics, vendors, or external service providers for required repairs or inspections.
· Track vehicle service history, licensing, and compliance records - MTO compliance and annual inspections.
· Ensure vehicles meet safety and operational standards for greenhouse and logistics use.
9. Budgeting and Cost Management
· Build and manage the annual maintenance budget, including labor, parts, tools, and contractor costs.
· Track actual spending versus budget and report monthly variances.
· Identify cost-saving opportunities through improved maintenance planning, vendor negotiation, and lifecycle management.
· Support capital project budgeting and ROI analysis for major repairs or system upgrades.
· Partner with Finance and Operations to align spending with production priorities and long-term asset sustainability.
10. Capital Projects & Facility Improvements
· Lead maintenance-related capital projects.
· Manage installation of new greenhouse equipment and automation systems.
· Coordinate contractors and project timelines.
· Support ROI analysis and project implementation.
Preferred Backgrounds
This hybrid role can be filled by candidates from one of two strong technical foundations:
A. Industrial Millwright / Electrician Path
· Licensed Millwright 433A or Electrician 309A or 442A preferred. Red Seal certification considered an asset.
· Strong mechanical and electrical systems knowledge.
· Ability to repair motors, conveyors, HVAC, and power systems.
B. Automation / Controls Specialist Path
· Background in industrial automation, instrumentation, or controls.
· Experience with PLCs, sensors, relays, and greenhouse control systems (e.g., Priva, Argus).
· Skilled in optimizing and troubleshooting climate, irrigation, and fertigation systems.
Leadership Competencies
· Planning and organization
· Accountability
· Communication
· Coaching and development
· Cross-functional collaboration
· Continuous improvement mindset
Performance Metrics
· Equipment uptime
· PM completion rate
· Ticket closure rate
· Budget adherence
· Safety performance
Qualifications
· 5+ years of hands-on maintenance or automation experience (greenhouse, manufacturing, or agricultural environment preferred).
· Strong mechanical, electrical, and/or automation troubleshooting skills.
· Experience with maintenance ticketing or CMMS systems (e.g., Fiix, Limble, UpKeep).
· Proven ability to lead a small team while performing hands-on work.
· Experience overseeing fleet and vehicle maintenance schedules.
· Demonstrated ability to manage budgets and track spending against plan.
· Excellent problem-solving, planning, and communication skills.
· Comfortable working in variable greenhouse conditions (temperature, humidity, seasonal fluctuations).
Pay: $100,000.00-$130,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental care
- Employee assistance program
- Extended health care
- Life insurance
- On-site parking
Work Location: In person
