Maintenance Engineer-Hormel Foods- Austin, MN
Hormel Foods · Austin, MN
- Level
- Engineer
- Team
- Reliability
- Base pay
- $84k–$117k
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 3+ years
- Industry
- Food & beverage
- Posted
- 30+ days ago
The role in 30 seconds
An engineer-level reliability role at Hormel Foods (food & beverage) in Austin, MN.
- They ask for
- 3+ years · degree required
- Base pay
- $84k–$117k
- Day to day
- some off-shift / weekend coverage · relocation help
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026
Reliability Engineer roles in Minnesota: typical posted base $95k–$130k. This one lists $84k–$117k.
Median of the low and high ends of 12 live postings that list pay, out of 16 reliability engineer openings in Minnesota, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Minnesota plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 15 other live reliability postings in Minnesota.
- Base pay
- About 11% below similar roles
- Experience asked
- Less than usual (3+ vs 5+)
Typical $95k–$130k, from 11 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Team leadership 38%
- Root cause 31%
- Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 31%
- FDA / GMP 25%
✓ = 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 Hormel Foods
We found 9 people at this company and state: 5 in this kind of role, 4 leaders, plus 1 likely hiring manager. 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 Julie → (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: Hormel Foods in Austin
3 other open roles at this site · 9 people we found in reliability roles at Hormel Foods.
- Team Leader (Production Supervisor) - Austin Plant (Austin, MN) · Production · Supervisor
- Maintenance Supervisor-Hormel Foods -Austin, MN · Reliability · Supervisor
- Plant Maintenance Mechanic 2nd and 3rd Shift - Austin Plant (Austin, MN) · Reliability · Technician
Full description from Hormel FoodsAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Responsibilities
- ◆Makes departmental decisions regarding maintenance (maintenance management)
- ◆Develops an understanding of the equipment and manufacturing processes
- ◆Trains and supervises mechanics, electricians, plumbers and other skilled trades
- ◆Offers sound technical and engineering advice for facilities performance improvement
- ◆Utilizes a CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System)
- ◆Uses CAD to gather information and design custom alterations to equipment
- ◆Selects vendors for equipment purchases
- ◆Troubleshoots mechanical processes
- ◆Installs and starts-up new equipment and processes
- ◆Develops creative ideas to cut costs
- ◆Supervises equipment design changes
- ◆Monitors and controls energy use
- ◆Researches alteration requests and provides justification
- ◆Negotiates and oversees contract work
- ◆Authorizes, delegates and follows-up with maintenance work-orders, schedules preventive maintenance for equipment
- ◆Ensures safety and security of physical plant and facilities
- ◆Verifies and completes administrative work
- ◆Communicates department projects with plant management
Qualifications
- ✓A minimum of 3 years of Maintenance Engineering experience.
- ✓Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Technology, Engineering Technology, Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Agriculture Engineering, or a related field.
- ✓Innovative, have good technical and mechanical knowledge, and possess excellent interpersonal, communication, and leadership skills
- ✓Ability to move to another shift every 12-18 months
- ✓Applicants must not now, or at any time in the future, require employer sponsorship for a work visa.
- ✓Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States for any employer.
- ✓Must be at least 18 years or older.
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
Maintenance Engineer – Austin, MN
To save time applying, Hormel Foods does not offer sponsorship of job applicants for employment-based visas for this position at this time.
About Hormel Foods —
Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minnesota, is a global branded food company with approximately $12 billion in annual revenue. Its brands include PLANTERS ® , SKIPPY ® , SPAM ® , HORMEL ® NATURAL CHOICE ® , APPLEGATE ® , WHOLLY ® , HORMEL ® BLACK LABEL ® , COLUMBUS ® , JENNIE-O ® and more than 30 other beloved brands. The company is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, was named one of the best companies to work for by U.S. News & World Report, one of America’s most responsible companies by Newsweek, recognized by TIME magazine as one of the World’s Best Companies and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts. For more information, visit hormelfoods.com .
Location/shift
Austin, MN
2 Openings
- •2nd Shift 1:30pm start time. Monday through Friday with some weekends required.
- •3-4-4-3 shift - 5:30pm to 5:30am -typically work a repeating cycle of 3 days on, 4 days off, 4 days on, 3 days off including weekend coverage
- •Shift rotation every 12-18 months
Advancement
- •Maintenance Engineering is often the stepping stone to corporate engineering, project engineering, design engineering, or plant management.
- •Additional opportunities may exist in different departments, facilities, or subsidiaries
- •Hormel Foods' "promote-from-within" philosophy rewards outstanding performance
At Hormel we invite difference and diversity in all aspects. We offer a space of support, understanding, and community. We are committed to the journey! Learn more about our progress here: https://www.hormelfoods.com/about/diversity-and-inclusion/