Join America’s favorite family bakery since 1934—home of Little Debbie®, Drake’s® Cakes, and Sunbelt Bakery® Granola Bars. Work with legacy brands that bring smiles to faces nationwide, including yours. You’ll experience a culture committed to work-life balance, guaranteed time off, and supportive health and wellness offerings. Enjoy profit sharing, long-term job security, and a range of exciting career paths. When you join McKee Foods, you’ll discover a better way to live and work.
Pay
Salaried grade 5 or 8 depending on qualifications.
$65,359 - $92,593 / year, depending on experience and qualifications.
Actual salaries may vary and in some cases may be higher with extensive experience and strong performance.
This position is part of a career ladder that includes grades 5 – 13, indicating potential for advancement.
Schedule
1st shift (Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.)
On-site
Flexible to work other shifts as needed.
Some travel required.
Location
Plant 2, Plant Engineering
10260 McKee Road, Collegedale TN 37315
Job Summary
Best known for Little Debbie® snack cakes, America’s leading snack cake brand, Sunbelt Bakery® granola products, and Drake’s Cakes®, McKee Foods Corporation is seeking an engineer to join our Plant Engineering team as a Reliability Engineer. This position will support a broad range of process improvement projects associated with the manufacture and distribution of packaged food products. This is an exciting opportunity to start or continue your career with a company that is committed to providing consumers with quality products at an excellent value. McKee Foods is a privately held, family owned company with an 85 year history of innovation and treating employees with respect, and a deeply held belief in the importance of doing business with integrity.
This is an outstanding opportunity for a Reliability Engineer to lead and implement maintenance improvement projects of significant magnitude, and make a considerable impact on the business in short order. In this role, you will leverage an electronics and mechanical (mechatronics) background to improve machinery performance, resolve production issues, and enhance overall plant reliability.
Key Responsibilities
Reliability & Maintenance Strategy:
- Apply Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) and Root Cause Analysis (RCA) to develop long-term maintenance strategies and solve continuous improvement problems
- Support Preventive (PM) and Predictive Maintenance (PdM) optimization by refining job plans and intervals
- Facilitate Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) to mitigate unplanned downtime
- Provide guidance and technical oversight of condition based monitoring programs
- Assist in reviewing proposed new equipment for maintainability
Equipment Troubleshooting & Upgrades:
- Apply mechatronics principles to troubleshoot production equipment and diagnose control logic/drive parameters to improve functionality
- Lead efforts to upgrade obsolete electrical and mechanical systems
- Provide direction and support to engineering project teams
Project Execution:
- Complete projects of limited technical difficulty from concept to completion with guidance from senior engineers
- Prepare technical drawings, equipment specifications, and project documentation for end-users
- Review new and existing equipment for maintainability and suitability.
Required Qualifications
- ABET-accredited BS degree in a technical engineering discipline (e.g., Mechanical, Electrical, Mechatronics), Engineering Technology, or a related field
- Knowledge of reliability methodologies including FMEA, RCM, PM, and PdM
- Experience with 3D CAD modeling software (SolidWorks preferred)
- Effective leadership and interpersonal skills
- Ability to identify and research opportunities to improve reliability, quality and efficiency of plant operations and systems
- Knowledge of advanced problem-solving and improvement methodologies using Root Cause Analysis
- Proven problem-solving skills
- Outstanding attention to detail
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- High level of initiative and self-direction
Preferred Qualifications
- Condition-monitoring certifications, such as Ultrasound Level 1, vibration analysis, or infrared thermography
- Experience and accomplishment preferred in the following areas:
- Total Productive Maintenance
- Predictive Maintenance
- Development of Equipment Maintenance Plans
- Engineering economic analysis/capital project and investment analysis
- Skilled in mining machinery failure data using a CMMS system (MAXIMO)
- Proven skills in implementing and sustaining Reliability strategies and continuous improvement in a manufacturing environment
Benefits
- Competitive weekly pay
- Profit-sharing cash bonus program
- 401(k) with matching contributions
- Paid Time Off (for vacation, holidays, sick time, personal time, etc.)
- Medical insurance, including health, dental, vision and prescription drug plan
- Supplemental plans, including life insurance
- Fully-paid parental leave
- Health Center and Pharmacy
- Mental wellness counseling (on-site in TN, virtual elsewhere)
- Tuition reimbursement
- Credit Union
- Exercise and recreation facility
- Wellness programs with incentives
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Short-term and long-term disability (company-paid)
Please upload your current resume to be fully considered for this position.
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer
Skills Required
- ABET-accredited bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, Engineering Technology, or a related technical engineering discipline
- Knowledge of reliability methodologies, including FMEA, RCM, preventive maintenance, and predictive maintenance
- Experience with 3D CAD modeling software; SolidWorks preferred
- Effective leadership and interpersonal skills
- Ability to identify and research opportunities to improve reliability, quality, and efficiency of plant operations and systems
- Knowledge of advanced problem-solving and improvement methodologies using Root Cause Analysis
- Proven problem-solving skills
- Outstanding attention to detail
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- High level of initiative and self-direction
- Condition-monitoring certification, such as Ultrasound Level 1, vibration analysis, or infrared thermography
- Experience with Total Productive Maintenance
- Experience with Predictive Maintenance
- Experience developing equipment maintenance plans
- Experience with engineering economic analysis, capital projects, or investment analysis
- Experience mining machinery failure data using a CMMS system, preferably MAXIMO
- Experience implementing and sustaining reliability strategies and continuous improvement in a manufacturing environment
What We Do
McKee Foods Corporation is a privately held and family-owned American snack food and granola manufacturer headquartered in Collegedale, Tennessee. The company is the maker of popular brands including Little Debbie, Drake's Cakes, and Sunbelt Bakery. As one of the largest independent bakeries in the U.S., McKee Foods is dedicated to creating nostalgic snack cakes and granola products that bring smiles to consumers across North America.








