Maintenance Apprentice at Mars, Incorporated in Topeka, Kansas

Job Description:

Job Description:

Job: Maintenance Apprentice Technician

Shift: Various

Location: Topeka, Kansas

The Maintenance Apprentice Technician (MAT) will follow a formal 2-to-4-year program to provide them with the knowledge, skills, and experience to develop into effective multi-skilled maintenance technicians. This will include a combination of technical training and in-plant experience. As a maintenance team member, the MAT will ensure safety, efficiency, operational conformance, product quality, continuous improvement, and maintenance of assets. The MAT will have a maximum of 4 years to demonstrate multi-skills technician competence or potentially be removed from the program.

Key Responsibilities:

• Learn & demonstrate mastery of Functional / Technical Skills.


• Safety Compliance


• Implement Continuous Improvements


• Equipment Maintenance and Sanitation


• Develop to become a recognized expert for maintenance, including:


• Ability to troubleshoot routine and non-routine issues and be a resource towards achieving safe, timely, cost-efficient solutions.


• Develop best practices for the area and ensure best practices are followed.


• Lead or participate in continuous improvement efforts.


• Effective shift communications. Attends and participates in maintenance issues in shift overlaps, quality reviews, and daily meetings as required.


• Performs equipment PM's as assigned.


• Ability to complete root cause failure analysis on issues involving reliability, product/packaging defects, downtime and slow time


• Effectively works and communicates with all departments (scheduling, engineering, R&D, IE, logistics, operations, etc.).

Key Skills Required:

• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot and problem-solve.


• Demonstrated strong interpersonal, approachability, and communication skills.


• Demonstrated ability to work in a team environment.


• Demonstrated technical aptitude


• Leadership


• Self-Development, Personal Learning

Physical/Environmental Requirements:

• Standing on a concrete floor


• Wearing proper personal protective equipment (hair net, bump cap, ear plugs,safety shoes, and uniform)


• Bending, stooping, twisting, turning, standing for extended periods, reaching, climbing stairs, and lifting up to 50 lbs.


• Ability to operate a forklift

Minimum Qualifications:

• Be 18 years of age or older


• Have a High school diploma, GED or equivalent education


• 1+ years MARS experience as a Team Member / Production Operator. May substitute external industrial maintenance experience or industrial electrical / mechanical technical certificate for up to 2 years MARS experience.


• Or 1+ years MARS experience in a Production Support / Team Captain position.


• Ability to travel 5% of the time


• Demonstrated competency in computer and pc software including MS Office and email.


• Must be willing and able to work and accept varying shifts and schedules, including rotating shifts, weekends, and all shutdowns; Must be willing to work overtime.


• Ability to read/comprehend written and oral instruction in the English language.


• Successful completion of a substance screening and background check.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 2+ years of experience as a Team Member / Production Operator.
  Or 2+ years MARS experience in a Production Support / Team Captain position.
  BOTH 1 & 2 : May substitute external industrial maintenance experience or industrial electrical / mechanical technical degree for up to 2 years MARS experience.


• Associates degree or advanced training


• Knowledge of sensory evaluations


• SAP experience


• Electricalexperience


• Mechanical experience

About Mars, Incorporated

Mars is a family-owned business with more than a century of history making diverse products and offering services for people and the pets people love. With almost $35 billion in sales, the company is a global business that produces some of the world's best-loved brands: M&M's®, SNICKERS®, TWIX®, MILKY WAY®, DOVE®, PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, EXTRA®, ORBIT®, 5™, SKITTLES®, UNCLE BEN'S®, MARS DRINKS and COCOAVIA®. Mars also provides veterinary health services that include BANFIELD® Pet Hospitals, Blue Pearl®, VCA® and Pet Partners™. Headquartered in McLean, VA, Mars operates in more than 80 countries. The Mars Five Principles - Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom - inspire its more than 100,000 Associates to create value for all its partners and deliver growth they are proud of every day.

Mars is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. If you need assistance or an accommodation during the application process because of a disability, it is available upon request. The company is pleased to provide such assistance, and no applicant will be penalized as a result of such a request.