Maintenance Planner & Scheduler at Novonesis in Blair, NE

Interested in a career that matters?

Interested in a career that matters?

At Novonesis, we are committed to creating a positive impact through biology. We are looking for a Maintenance Scheduler/Planner to join our Blair site and play a critical role in ensuring maintenance activities are planned, scheduled, and executed efficiently. This role matters because effective planning directly supports safe work execution, equipment reliability, production uptime, compliance, and the ability of our teams to deliver high-quality products to our customers. You will join a collaborative maintenance organization that partners closely with Operations, Finance, Contractors, Vendors, and Service Providers to keep our facility running safely and effectively while continuously improving our performance.

The Role & Your Impact

As a Maintenance Scheduler/Planner, you will coordinate and schedule maintenance work orders for Novonesis personnel and contractors, ensuring resources, materials, documentation, and schedules are in place to support successful execution. You will also support purchasing activities, cost control, and backlog management while contributing to continuous improvement initiatives across the maintenance organization.

Key responsibilities include:

• Plan and schedule preventive and corrective maintenance work orders using SAP and the site SAP processes.
• Coordinate materials, specialty tools, equipment, contractors, and supporting documentation needed for maintenance activities.
• Develop work plans, estimate labor requirements, and communicate job costs to stakeholders.
• Maintain equipment history, ensure accurate recordkeeping, and communicate bill of material discrepancies.
• Procure maintenance-related products and services while supporting cost-effective and timely delivery.
• Manage purchase orders and support supplier communications, quotations, deliveries, invoicing, returns, and shipments.
• Maintain maintenance backlog within established goals through effective planning and scheduling practices.
• Support safety, environmental, quality, food safety, and employee relations requirements across all activities.
• Build safe, executable job plans that account for LOTO requirements, permit requirements, hazard recognition, PPE, tools, materials, and work-area readiness.
• Prioritize work based on safety, compliance, production impact, equipment reliability, material readiness, and stakeholder expectations.
• Communicate schedule changes, job readiness concerns, priority shifts, and execution risks clearly with Maintenance, Operations, contractors, vendors, and leadership.
• Build safe, executable job plans that account for LOTO requirements, permit requirements, hazard recognition, PPE, tools, materials, and work-area readiness.
• Serve as a peer trainer and contribute to the continuous development of maintenance and operations personnel.

What You’ll Need to Be Successful

To succeed in this role, you will bring:

• HS Diploma or Equivalent
• Minimum 5 years of maintenance, planner/scheduler, or similar industrial experience.
• Knowledge of industrial maintenance best practices.
• Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Experience working with SAP or other computerized maintenance management systems used for work order planning, scheduling, purchasing, and equipment history.
• Ability to estimate maintenance repair work, labor requirements, and job costs in an industrial environment.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to work effectively across all levels of the organization.
• Understanding of safety, GMP, quality systems, food and feed safety requirements, and environmental policies.
• Ability to recognize job hazards, support safe job planning, and ensure LOTO, permit, PPE, and compliance requirements are identified before work execution.
• Self-motivation, initiative, creativity, agility, and a commitment to continuous improvement.
• Strong collaboration skills and a positive team-oriented mindset.

Additional Skills & Interests We Value

The following qualifications are considered beneficial but are not required:

• AP/APP purchasing certification.
• Experience coordinating contractors and external service providers.
• Experience with maintenance purchasing processes and supplier management.
• Knowledge of inventory management, procurement, and cost-control practices.
• Experience supporting continuous improvement initiatives and KPI-driven maintenance programs.

Ways of Working / Working Conditions

This position is based at our Blair manufacturing site and requires regular presence in production and processing areas.

Working conditions include:

• Walking throughout production and processing areas.
• Climbing stairs, ladders, and accessing elevated work locations.
• Working safely while wearing required PPE, including hard hats, safety glasses, hearing protection, and respirators as required.
• Exposure to an industrial manufacturing environment.
• Physical capability to perform site-related activities safely and effectively.

Compensation & Benefits

Expected salary range: $65k to $80k

Benefits you will enjoy:

• 401(k) with up to a 9% company contribution
• Minimum of 3 weeks’ vacation, plus 12 holidays and 2 weeks of wellness time
• Health, Dental, Vision & Life insurance
• Healthcare savings account option with generous employer contribution
• Employee Assistance Program
• Parental leave
• Tuition reimbursement
• All benefits begin on your first day

Our purpose guides the way

In Novonesis, we know that solutions rooted in biology can help solve humanity’s biggest challenges. Since we began more than a century ago, this has been our guide. It’s how we've gotten so far. And it’s how we'll impact the future. Now, more than ever, the world needs change. And with biosolutions, the possibilities for transformation are endless. If our purpose resonates with you, we encourage you to apply.

Opportunities for everyone

We are committed to an inclusive recruitment process and equal opportunity for all applicants. Therefore we ask you to apply without a cover letter or photo and instead include a few sentences in your CV explaining your motivation for applying.

We make all employment decisions based on business needs and welcome candidates with a wide range of backgrounds, including ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or veteran status.

Explore other openings

If this position isn’t the right fit, you may still find other opportunities with us. You’re welcome to explore open roles or create a job agent to stay connected with future opportunities at http://novonesis.com/Career