Skilled Maintenance Mechanic
General Mills · Cedar Rapids, IA
- Level
- Technician
- Team
- Reliability
- Experience asked
- 2+ years
- Industry
- Food & beverage
- Posted
- 30+ days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A technician-level reliability role at General Mills (food & beverage) in Cedar Rapids, IA.
- They ask for
- 2+ years
- Tools it names
- Root cause, Machining, Welding
- Day to day
- some off-shift / weekend coverage
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Maintenance Technician roles in the US: typical posted base $58k–$84k.
Median of the low and high ends of 37 live postings that list pay, out of 1616 maintenance technician openings in the US, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Iowa plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 47 other live reliability postings in Iowa.
- Experience asked
- Less than usual (2+ vs 3+)
Similar roles usually ask 3+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- Team leadership 65%
- PLC 42%
- ✓ Welding 42%
- TPM 23%
- ✓ Root cause 21%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Reliability team at General Mills
We found 6 people at this company and state: 5 in this kind of role, 1 leaders. Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. See them ↓
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
Write to David → (free) - 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- How does off-shift and weekend coverage work?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
This plant: General Mills in Cedar Rapids
2 other open roles at this site · 6 people we found in reliability roles at General Mills.
- Manufacturing Process and Packaging Engineer · Process
- Maintenance Supervisor - Cedar Rapids Plant · Reliability · Supervisor
Full description from General MillsAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Qualifications
- ✓Minimum of a high school education or GED
- ✓Ability to lift up to 50 lbs
- ✓Ability to stand, walk, climb, bend, push, pull, and twist for extended periods
- ✓Willingness to work in hot, cold, noisy, wet, or dusty conditions
- ✓Ability to climb and/or work at heights while utilizing stairs, ladders, personnel lifts, or platforms
- ✓Ability to follow human and food safety, quality, and grooming standards
- ✓Ability to wear such as protective clothing and equipment (Personal Protective Equipment -PPE) such as safety shoes, safety glasses, hearing protection, hard/bump cap, hair/beard net, gloves, and face masks (when required)
- ✓Ability to work around high-speed machinery and food allergens
Preferred qualifications
- ✓2 years of manufacturing or production experience
- ✓All employees must go through a forklift certification course and are required to drive a forklift
- ✓Previous lab or food safety/quality department experience
- ✓A proven ability to manage multiple projects while performing everyday tasks is essential
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Company overview
We exist to make food the world loves. But we do more than that. Our company is a place that prioritizes being a force for good, a place to expand learning, explore new perspectives and reimagine new possibilities, every day. We look for people who want to bring their best — bold thinkers with big hearts who challenge one another and grow together. Because becoming the undisputed leader in food means surrounding ourselves with people who are hungry for what’s next.
Position overview
- •Skilled Maintenance Mechanic
- •$37.15 per hour with annual wage progression up to $39.92 per hour
- •Shift differential
- •Additional $.24 per hour for hours worked on 2nd shift
- •Additional $.31 per hour for hours worked on 3rd shift
- •Overtime pay
- •Time worked after 40 hours of work in anyone (1) work week is paid at 1.5 times regular hourly rate of pay
- •Time worked on a holiday is paid at 2 times regular hourly rate of pay (if eligible for holiday pay and holiday is worked)
Why Join Our Team
The Cedar Rapids plant offers numerous growth and promotion opportunities, often promoting from within for salaried positions. The plant provides competitive pay and benefits, making it one of the highest-rated employers in the area. The plant organizes holiday dinners, family days, bring your child to work day, a summer bash with families and community involvement, and a quarter-century club celebration for employees with 25 or more years of service. Fun facts include Ashton Kutcher's previous employment at the plant and his father's 35-year tenure in the fruit department. The plant is also the sole domestic producer of Betty Crocker frosting.
What We Have to Offer
- •Great paid time off benefits
- •15 days (120 hours) of vacation annually and 13 paid holidays
- •6 paid Sick and Emergency days per year
- •401(k) match
- •Health Insurance- Including medical, vision, dental and life
- •And much more!
Your Work Schedule and Shift Information
- •8-hour shifts
- •1st shift: 7:00 am to 3:00 pm
- •2nd shift: 3:00 pm to 11:00 pm
- •3rd shift: 11:00 pm to 7:00 am
- •Shift schedule of 2nd or 3rd shift to be determined during orientation and based on availability and business need
- •Overtime pay
- •Time worked after 40 hours of work is paid at 1.5 times regular rate of pay
- •Time worked on Saturday is paid at 1.5 times regular rate of pay
- •Time worked on Sunday is paid at 2 times (double pay) regular rate of pay
- •Time worked on a holiday is paid at 3 times regular rate of pay (if eligible for holiday pay and holiday is worked)
- •Ability and willingness to work overtime, any shift, including days, nights, weekends, and holidays
- •Plant operation is 24 hours per day, 7 days per week
As part of our manufacturing team, you will
- •Installing, maintaining, repairing, and replacing industrial processing and packaging machinery, work tools and equipment
- •Identifying and troubleshooting mechanical issues
- •Performing basic machining and welding tasks
- •Understanding of circuit layouts; replacing and troubleshooting instrumentation, motors, and other electrical equipment/components
- •Providing technical support and plant leadership for troubleshooting equipment and equipment modification
- •Understanding, initiating, and participating in Root Cause Analysis (Why, Why)
- •Performing both uptime and down time preventative maintenance
- •Participate in Continuous Improvement initiatives to increase platform performance
- •Assist in training new employees
Eligibility
Applicants must meet a minimum 18-year age qualification.
Check out why General Mills Manufacturing is a great place to grow a career: