Category Engineer

Unilever•Chicago, IL

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Category Engineer, based at the Chicago - Kilbourn Factory, manages end-to-end delivery of condiment technology projects for the Dressings Category in North America. The role directly manages capital projects for innovation and technology changes at Kilbourn and third-party manufacturers, supports day-to-day factory and reliability activities, and runs factory trials for pack and process changes. The position reports to the Category Engineering Manager, Dressings. The engineer leads the portfolio of category projects and trials at Kilbourn and represents the factory in coordination with external teams such as R&D, Brand, Procurement, and suppliers. Responsibilities include estimating and assessing projects, evaluating options, providing technical support, conducting plant trials, and implementing projects with limited supervision. Project work covers formulation, process and equipment evaluations; industrial trials; preliminary engineering; cost and timeline controls; commissioning plans; equipment commissioning; and production startup. The role also supports dressings product launches at third-party manufacturers as needed. The position contributes to category technology improvements for processing and packaging equipment, company-wide practices and standards for technology changes and commissioning, and cross-plant improvement efforts. It partners with manufacturing, corporate engineering, workforce, R&D, marketing, innovation, and supply chain planning teams to deliver innovation and savings projects on time. Assigned capital and innovation projects, typically valued at €0.1 million to €2 million, are expected to meet delivery commitments and Unilever standards, with safety as the top priority.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science in Chemical, Mechanical, or Industrial Engineering, or an equivalent technical degree.
At least 3 years of engineering experience in FMCG, food, a related industry, an engineering consultancy environment, or equivalent technical experience.
At least 6 months of practical, on-the-floor experience with industrial machinery, such as equipment layout, installation, startup, commissioning, troubleshooting, or continuous improvement.
Project management, maintenance, operations leadership, R&D, and/or continuous improvement experience in a manufacturing environment.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to influence others.

Nice To Haves

At least 1 year of AutoCAD experience.
First-hand experience delivering or leading startup for capital projects at Unilever or in a similar FMCG environment.
At least 5 years of project engineering experience in FMCG, food, a related industry, or an engineering consultancy environment.
Experience working in a Research and Development team or deep knowledge of product development.

Responsibilities

Manage end-to-end delivery of condiment technology projects for the North American Dressings Category.
Directly manage capital projects for innovation and technology changes at the Kilbourn factory and third-party manufacturers.
Support day-to-day factory and reliability activities and run trials for pack and process changes.
Lead the portfolio of category projects and trials at Kilbourn and represent the factory to R&D, Brand, Procurement, suppliers, and other external teams.
Provide project estimates, assess options, conduct plant trials, provide technical support, and carry out implementation with limited supervision.
Perform formulation, process, and equipment evaluations; industrial trials; preliminary engineering; project cost control; timeline management; commissioning planning; equipment commissioning; and production startup.
Ensure compliance with Unilever hygiene, equipment, and safety standards, specifications, and best practices.
Participate in establishing company-wide best practices and standards for technology changes and commissioning.
Serve as a technical resource to the category engineering team for new products and product restages, including innovation and renovation.
Contribute to processing and packaging equipment technology improvements for the category.
Develop and manage checkout, testing, and startup protocols for equipment, packaging lines, and control systems.
Participate in cross-plant improvement teams and collaborate with manufacturing engineers and category engineers to establish best practices.
Partner with plant manufacturing, corporate engineering, and the workforce, and contribute to innovation, restructuring, and strategic supply chain investment teams.
Interface with R&D, marketing, innovation, and supply chain planning teams to deliver innovation and savings projects on time.
Support dressings product launches at third-party manufacturers as needed.
Deliver assigned capital and innovation projects on time and in full, following Unilever standards and prioritizing safety.