Sr. Engineering Leader

Senior Engineering Leader

Food Manufacturing | Plant Operations Leadership | Capital Projects & Reliability

A well-established manufacturing organization is seeking a Senior Engineering & Maintenance Leader to provide strategic and operational leadership for all engineering, maintenance, reliability, utilities, and capital project functions within a large-scale production facility. This role is responsible for driving plant performance through the effective management of equipment reliability, capital investments, maintenance systems, regulatory compliance, and technical team development.

This is a highly visible leadership position that partners closely with plant leadership and corporate stakeholders to develop and execute long-term capital strategies, improve manufacturing capabilities, modernize equipment, and ensure the facility operates safely, efficiently, and reliably. The successful candidate will be expected to influence decision-makers at multiple levels while leading a team responsible for maintaining critical production assets.

Compensation & Benefits

Base Salary: $120,000 - $140,000+ depending on experience, technical expertise, leadership background, and overall fit for the role.

In addition to base salary, the company offers:

• Annual performance-based bonus opportunity
• Restricted stock awards / long-term incentive compensation
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits
• Generous paid time off package
• Relocation assistance for qualified candidates
• Career growth opportunities within a large manufacturing organization

The total compensation package extends well beyond base salary, making this an attractive opportunity for engineering leaders seeking both immediate earnings potential and long-term financial incentives.

Key Responsibilities

Engineering & Capital Project Leadership

• Lead all plant engineering activities with responsibility for facility infrastructure, equipment performance, utilities, and long-term asset management.
• Develop and execute multi-year capital investment plans that support safety, productivity, quality, reliability, and growth initiatives.
• Identify opportunities for equipment upgrades, modernization projects, automation improvements, and capacity expansions.
• Prepare capital appropriation requests and present project justifications to senior leadership and corporate stakeholders for approval.
• Manage project budgets, vendor selection, contractor relationships, implementation timelines, and project execution from concept through startup.

Maintenance & Reliability Leadership

• Direct all maintenance and reliability functions across the facility.
• Establish and continuously improve preventive and predictive maintenance programs to maximize equipment uptime and reduce unplanned downtime.
• Oversee maintenance planning, work order execution, spare parts strategies, and asset reliability initiatives.
• Drive root cause analysis and corrective actions for recurring equipment failures and operational challenges.
• Support continuous improvement efforts focused on operational efficiency, equipment performance, and maintenance effectiveness.

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead and develop engineering and maintenance personnel, including managers, engineers, supervisors, and technical staff.
• Provide coaching, mentoring, succession planning, and performance management for direct reports.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, employee engagement, and continuous improvement.
• Build strong relationships with production, quality, safety, finance, and corporate leadership teams.

Compliance & Operational Excellence

• Ensure compliance with all safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain strong knowledge of OSHA, EPA, GMP, food safety, and manufacturing compliance standards.
• Support quality systems, operational audits, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Lead energy management, sustainability, and operational efficiency projects that improve plant performance and reduce costs.

Desired Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related technical discipline required. Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, or similar engineering backgrounds are strongly preferred.
• Proven engineering and maintenance leadership experience within a manufacturing environment.
• Strong background in capital project management, equipment installations, facility improvements, and major plant investments.
• Experience developing and managing maintenance strategies, reliability programs, and operating budgets.
• Demonstrated success leading technical teams and influencing stakeholders across multiple levels of an organization.
• Experience working in a unionized manufacturing environment is highly desirable.
• Manufacturing experience within food, beverage, dairy, consumer packaged goods, pharmaceuticals, or other highly regulated process industries is strongly preferred.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a plant engineering leader who combines strong technical expertise with strategic thinking and business acumen. This individual has successfully managed large-scale capital projects, led maintenance and reliability organizations, and partnered with executive leadership to drive operational improvements. Candidates should be comfortable presenting investment opportunities, managing multimillion-dollar projects, building high-performing teams, and creating long-term engineering strategies that improve plant performance.

This opportunity is particularly attractive for engineering leaders seeking a highly visible role with significant impact, strong compensation, long-term incentive potential, leadership responsibility, and a clear path for future advancement within a growing manufacturing organization.