Project Engineer

POSITION SUMMARY:   

The Project Engineer is responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing engineering projects within a large-scale food manufacturing facility. This role works closely with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, Food Safety, EHS, Supply Chain, and external contractors to deliver projects safely, on schedule, within budget, and in compliance with applicable food manufacturing and regulatory requirements. 

Projects may include equipment installation and upgrades, process improvements, facility modifications, utilities, automation, packaging systems, capacity expansions, energy reduction initiatives, and capital improvement projects. 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:  

• Lead engineering projects from initial concept and scope development through design, procurement, installation, commissioning, and project closeout. 

• Develop project scopes, schedules, budgets, capital expenditure estimates, and project documentation. 

• Coordinate with Operations and Maintenance to identify opportunities for improved safety, reliability, quality, capacity, efficiency, and cost performance. 

• Prepare and review engineering drawings, equipment specifications, layouts, process flow diagrams, and technical documentation. 

• Manage contractors, engineering consultants, equipment suppliers, and other external partners. 

• Coordinate equipment installation, construction, commissioning, startup, and acceptance activities while minimizing disruption to production. 

• Ensure projects comply with applicable building codes, electrical and mechanical requirements, environmental regulations, food safety standards, and company engineering standards. 

• Incorporate hygienic design principles into equipment, piping, facility, and process modifications. 

• Partner with Food Safety and Quality teams to ensure projects meet sanitation, allergen-control, product-quality, and regulatory requirements. 

• Support the development and execution of equipment qualification, commissioning, startup, and validation activities as applicable. 

• Conduct project risk assessments and ensure appropriate safety controls are incorporated into project designs and execution plans. 

• Track project costs, schedules, risks, issues, and change orders; communicate status and escalations to plant and corporate leadership. 

• Develop and maintain project documentation, including scopes of work, RFQs, equipment specifications, drawings, commissioning records, and as-built documentation. 

• Lead or support continuous-improvement initiatives involving throughput, OEE, labor efficiency, waste reduction, energy consumption, and process reliability. 

• Work with Maintenance and Reliability teams to improve equipment maintainability, spare-parts requirements, preventive maintenance, and asset reliability. 

• Support troubleshooting and root-cause analysis for engineering-related production and equipment issues. 

• Participate in capital planning and help develop multi-year facility and equipment improvement plans. 

• Ensure contractors and project personnel follow plant safety, GMP, sanitation, lockout/tagout, and site-specific requirements. 

• Participate in project post-mortems and implement lessons learned on future projects. 

TYPICAL PROJECT AREAS 

The Project Engineer may support projects involving: 

• Production and processing equipment 

• Packaging and material-handling systems 

• Conveyors and automation 

• Robotics and controls 

• Refrigeration and HVAC 

• Steam, compressed air, water, and other utilities 

• Wastewater and environmental systems 

• Electrical distribution and power systems 

• Facility expansions and building modifications 

• Sanitary piping and process systems 

• CIP and sanitation systems 

• Energy and water reduction projects 

• Safety and ergonomic improvements 

• Capacity expansion and new production lines 

• Equipment replacement and modernization 

 

COMPETENCIES:  

• Project management 

• Engineering problem-solving 

• Capital project execution 

• Contractor and vendor management 

• Manufacturing process improvement 

• Safety and risk management 

• Cross-functional collaboration 

• Budget and schedule management 

• Technical communication 

• Continuous improvement 

• Root-cause analysis 

• Attention to detail 

 

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:  

 

Required: 

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related engineering discipline. 

• 3+ years of engineering or project engineering experience, preferably in food, beverage, consumer products, pharmaceutical, chemical, or other process/manufacturing environments. 

• Experience managing multiple engineering projects from concept through implementation. 

• Strong understanding of manufacturing equipment, industrial processes, and facility systems. 

• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, specifications, and equipment documentation. 

• Strong project management, communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills. 

• Ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams, contractors, vendors, and plant leadership. 

• Demonstrated commitment to workplace safety and regulatory compliance. 

Preferred: 

• Experience in a high-volume food or beverage manufacturing facility. 

• Experience with capital projects and CAPEX budgeting. 

• Knowledge of GMPs, HACCP, sanitation, hygienic design, and food safety requirements. 

• Experience with automated production and packaging equipment. 

• Familiarity with PLCs, industrial controls, robotics, or manufacturing automation. 

• Experience with CAD and project management software. 

• Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or continuous-improvement experience. 

• Professional Engineer (PE) license or Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certification. 

 

Required Education:  

BA/BS Engineering and 5years related experience or 10 years related experience in bakery plant engineering position. 

Required Experience:   

• Strong engineering skills and mechanical aptitude. 

• Excellent planning/organizational skills. 

• Able to read and draw electrical schematics (line) 

• Ability to troubleshoot, diagnose, and make programming changes to AB PLC500, PLC5, PanelView, PanelView+ 

• Contract negotiation skills. 

• Troubleshoot equipment & machinery. 

• Ability to work effectively with regulatory agencies. 

• Excellent management skills. 

• Effective communication skills. 

• Familiar with AutoCAD, Machine Design, Parts Drafting 

• Ability to work with deadlines/schedules. 

• Self-starter. Requires minimum supervision.