Engineering Leadership Development Program

The Clemens Food Group Engineering Leadership Development Program is a two-year rotational experience designed to prepare emerging early career professionals for long-term careers and future leadership opportunities within our organization.

Through hands-on assignments, cross-functional projects, mentorship, and cohort-based development sessions, you will strengthen your technical, leadership, and problem-solving capabilities while gaining a broad understanding of food manufacturing and the Clemens Food Group business.

Our Engineering team turns ideas into practical solutions that help our operations run safely, efficiently, reliably, and sustainably. From designing production systems and managing capital investments to improving processes and equipment performance, Engineering plays an essential role in the continued growth of our manufacturing network.

As an Engineering LDP participant, you will gain experience across multiple engineering disciplines while contributing to meaningful projects with measurable business impact. The program will help you build the technical knowledge, operational understanding, and leadership foundation needed for a successful engineering career within food manufacturing.

• Meaningful Project Ownership: Contribute to engineering projects from concept through implementation while learning to manage scope, timelines, budgets, safety, and results.
• Cross-Functional Experience: Partner with Engineering, Operations, Maintenance, Finance, and Food Safety and Quality Assurance teams to solve business and manufacturing challenges.
• Learning on the Production Floor: Gain firsthand experience with manufacturing equipment, processes, and team member needs.
• Leadership Development: Participate in workshops, mentorship, plant tours, and cohort activities designed to strengthen your communication, business acumen, and leadership capabilities.

During the two-year program, you will rotate through areas that provide broad exposure to Engineering and manufacturing operations:

• Process Engineering and Continuous Improvement: Evaluate manufacturing processes, production flow, layouts, and performance data to identify opportunities that improve safety, quality, throughput, efficiency, and waste reduction. Participate in daily and weekly performance meetings and help drive improvement actions.
• Project Engineering: Support capital projects from initial concept and business justification through design, installation, startup, and completion. Work with internal teams, vendors, and contractors to coordinate project requirements, budgets, schedules, and deliverables.
• Reliability Engineering: Partner with Maintenance and Operations to improve equipment performance, reduce downtime, and strengthen preventive and predictive maintenance strategies. Apply tools such as overall equipment effectiveness, failure mode and effects analysis, and root cause analysis.

• Capital project planning and execution
• Manufacturing process analysis and optimization
• Equipment reliability and maintenance strategies
• Technical problem-solving and data analysis
• Budget, timeline, and vendor coordination
• Cross-functional communication and influence
• Leadership within a manufacturing environment

• Students graduating in December 2026 or May 2027 with a bachelor’s or master’s degree in engineering
• Strong preference for candidates with applied engineering experience demonstrated through internships, co-ops, technical projects, design teams, or engineering-related club leadership
• Demonstrated leadership through academics, employment, campus involvement, or community activities
• Strong analytical, communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills
• Interest in building a career in manufacturing engineering
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced pork production environment that may include temperature changes and unique sights, sounds, and smells
• Available to begin full-time employment in June 2027

We encourage candidates to apply early. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and the posting may close before Friday, December 11, 2026, if the program cohort is filled.

Agency Statement 

Clemens Food Group does not accept unsolicited resumes from search or staffing firms. All resumes submitted by search or staffing firms to any employee at Clemens Food Group via email, the Internet, or directly without a valid written search agreement for this role, and without having been asked to participate in this by Talent Acquisition, will be deemed the sole property of Clemens Food Group, and no fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired. Firms not authorized to submit candidates will not be eligible for any fee or ownership claim.

Disclaimer & EEOC Statement: 

It is the policy of Clemens Food Group to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. All employees are subject to a pre-employment screening process including a background check and drug screen. In addition, we will provide reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing the application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to your recruiter.