Our client, a leader in the food and beverage manufacturing industry, is seeking a Plant Engineering Manager to oversee all engineering functions at a production facility. This is a plant-based role responsible for leading a team of engineers, managing capital projects, ensuring compliance with safety and food-grade standards, and supporting continuous improvement initiatives.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of 3 direct reports within the plant engineering function.
• Plan, manage, and execute capital improvement projects including equipment upgrades, utilities, and infrastructure.
• Ensure engineering systems support compliance with FDA, USDA, GMP, and food safety requirements.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including maintenance, operations, quality, and safety.
• Drive root cause analysis and problem-solving to reduce downtime and optimize production.
• Manage engineering and project budgets, timelines, and deliverables.
• Ensure all engineering systems and utilities, including refrigeration and ammonia systems, are safely maintained and compliant.
• Champion plant-wide continuous improvement and reliability initiatives.

Required Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, or related discipline).
• 5+ years of engineering experience in food, beverage, or pharmaceutical manufacturing.
• 2+ years of engineering leadership experience in a plant setting.
• Demonstrated experience with capital projects and team leadership.
• Solid understanding of GMPs, food safety standards, and manufacturing regulations.
• Strong problem-solving, leadership, and communication skills.

Highly Preferred:

• Ammonia refrigeration system experience (e.g., PSM, RETA certification, or equivalent).
• Experience with Lean, Six Sigma, or other continuous improvement tools.
• Familiarity with CMMS and automation/controls systems.