Industrial Utilities & Packaging Maintenance Technician (Boilers/HVAC)

Berner Foods Manufacturing • Dakota, Illinois, United States • $28 - $36 / hour • 2d ago

Is this your next role?

Do you enjoy diagnosing complex mechanical issues on high-speed food and beverage lines?
Are you comfortable maintaining plant utilities like steam boilers, chillers, cooling towers, well pumps, and HVAC?
Can you balance PM execution, safe troubleshooting, precise documentation, and cross-team communication?

Why join Berner Food & Beverage

Headquartered in Dakota, IL, Berner offers a collaborative, development-focused environment inside a modern, SQF Level III-certified operation. Our 290,000 sq. ft. expansion tripled production space and added leading-edge automation to support shelf-stable beverages, dips, sauces, and aerosol cheese. In 2025, we were a finalist in the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association’s “Coolest Thing Made in Illinois” for Aerosol Cheese Products—proof of our industry leadership.

Your impact

Execute the Preventive Maintenance program to reduce unscheduled downtime.
Analyze problems; interpret manuals, drawings, and schematics to perform mechanical repairs.
Inspect, operate, and test machinery to validate repairs and confirm root cause.
Follow all company safety policies, LOTO, GMPs, food safety, and OSHA standards.
Troubleshoot equipment and plant mechanical systems; implement durable fixes.
Close work orders on time with accurate records in CMMS; communicate clearly across departments.
Assist with equipment changeovers and startups to hit performance targets.
Own spare parts: identify needs, maintain inventories, and keep reorder lists current.
Advance quality by ensuring all products meet top standards.
Contribute to Continuous Improvement and team projects; build maintenance and leadership skills via training.
Support utilities: safe operation and maintenance of steam boilers, water chillers, cooling towers, well pumps, HVAC, and related plant equipment.
Perform and document wet chemistry water testing accurately; publish internal/external data.

What you bring

Technical maintenance schooling or 3+ years of industrial maintenance experience; food manufacturing preferred.
Training in boilers, chillers, or HVAC preferred; strong mechanical background with bearings, seals, and gaskets.
Ability to troubleshoot/repair gearboxes, chains/sprockets, belts, clutches, bearings, and brakes.
Knowledge of compressed air, basic plumbing/piping, boilers, and hydraulics is a plus.
Comfort with hand/power tools, drill presses, and shop tools.
Read/interpret English safety rules, operating/maintenance manuals, procedures, diagrams, and schedules; work from drawings, schematics, sketches, and verbal instructions.
Self-starter and team player; proactive status updates to supervision.
Willing to work shifts, overtime, weekends, and holidays as needed.
Strong problem-solving skills; ability to manage multiple variables.
Growth mindset—advance maintenance and leadership skills through assigned training.
Alignment with Berner’s collaborative culture and expectations.
Understanding of lean tools, process capability, and operational discipline.
Basic computer literacy for work orders and data capture.
Provide and maintain your own basic tools.
Able to read and write in English.

Technical focus

Mechanical Troubleshooting Skills
120/208/240/480 Voltage Systems
Pneumatics Troubleshooting
Maintenance and Repair Skills
Mechanical Systems & Component Repair
Electrical Panel Installation
Equipment Repair & Maintenance
Equipment Installation
Aircraft Electrical Systems

Machines & technologies: Conveyor Systems; Servo Motors

Compensation, schedule & benefits

Hourly pay: $26.00–$40.00 based on experience.
PM shift differential: +$2.00/hour for the PM shift only.
Benefits: Medical, Vision, Dental, Flexible Spending, Basic Life & AD&D, Short- and Long-Term Disability, EAP, and 401(k).
Benefits eligibility: Health benefits start the 1st of the month after 60 days; 401(k) eligibility after 30 days.
Flexible work schedules supporting work-life balance.

Compliance & physical requirements

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Ability to lift 50-70 lbs. Performs highly repetitive motions, stands for eight-plus hours, talks, and hears.

Ability to climb ladders and stairways, use a man-lift/scissor lift at ceiling heights or above with proper safety equipment, and work in a non-air-conditioned environment.

May require going into a confined space on the manufacturing floor.

While performing job duties, the associate will frequently walk, use hands to feel or handle, and reach with hands and arms. Frequent exposure to oils and greases or coolants.

While performing job duties, the associate will occasionally sit, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl, and smell. Occasional exposure to wet and/or humid conditions; high, precarious places; toxic or caustic chemicals; outside weather conditions; extreme heat; and vibration.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Note: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. An employee may perform other related duties as needed to meet Berner Food & Beverage’s ongoing needs.

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