Director Engineering

Maker's Pride Talent Acquisition Team•Downers Grove, IL

2d•$141,436 - $180,000•Remote

About The Position

The Engineering Director leads capital project execution across manufacturing and packaging facilities, ensuring projects meet scope, timing, cost, and performance expectations. The role drives engineering excellence and compliance with Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) and Food Safety & Quality Assurance (FSQA) standards, with the goal of maintaining zero regulatory violations. The position supports enterprise asset reliability programs and partners with site leadership to improve equipment performance and advance facilities toward world-class reliability practices. It builds organizational capability, standardizes engineering processes, and drives continuous improvement across systems, people, and technology. This is a remote, home-based role for someone residing near McComb, Ohio; Michigan City, Indiana; the Chicagoland area; or Grand Rapids, Michigan. Annual travel is 40%–60%. The position is full-time and salaried, with a base pay range of $141,436–$180,000 per year. It is eligible for a discretionary annual incentive based on company and individual performance. Benefits include health, dental, 401(k), and wellness benefits beginning on the first day of employment. Work authorization sponsorship is not available.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Industrial, Mechanical, Chemical, or related field), or equivalent technical experience.
At least 10 years of progressive engineering experience, including leadership in food manufacturing or cGMP environments.
Experience leading capital projects; projects in the $10 million–$35 million range are preferred.
Demonstrated success in engineering, maintenance, and reliability program leadership.
Experience managing cross-functional teams and driving results through influence.
Background in vendor management, contract negotiation, and procurement processes.
Knowledge of capital planning and execution, sustainable cost reduction projects, asset reliability and maintenance strategies (PM, PdM, TPM), Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, FMECA, engineering design, process optimization, and industrial engineering techniques.
Experience with ERP/MRP systems such as SAP; CMMS systems such as MVP One or similar; Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Project, Visio); and AutoCAD.
Strong leadership, coaching, and organizational development capabilities.
Excellent communication and executive-level presentation skills.
Ability to influence across multiple levels and functions in a matrixed environment.
Advanced problem-solving and analytical skills, including root cause analysis.
Strong project management and prioritization capabilities.
Financial acumen in capital planning, forecasting, and cost control.
Negotiation and contract management expertise.
Must be legally authorized to work in the location of application; work authorization sponsorship is not available.
Must reside near McComb, Ohio; Michigan City, Indiana; the Chicagoland area; or Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Nice To Haves

Experience leading capital projects in the $10 million–$35 million range.

Responsibilities

Lead development and execution of site-level capital plans and budgets.
Ensure capital projects are delivered on time, within scope, and in line with financial and operational targets.
Partner with Finance to develop business cases, including ROI, IRR, and payback analysis.
Establish and execute audit processes to validate project outcomes and realized savings.
Provide weekly and monthly reporting on project performance, financials, and key metrics.
Travel regularly to project sites to ensure adherence to budgets, schedules, deliverables, and standards.
Drive consistent implementation of engineering programs, standards, and best practices across assigned sites.
Develop and deploy engineering policies and procedures aligned with enterprise strategy.
Evaluate and implement emerging technologies with the central engineering team to enhance operational performance.
Ensure alignment with Supply Chain, Operations, Quality, Food Safety, and Maintenance stakeholders.
Support and advance enterprise reliability strategy to improve asset availability, performance, and lifecycle management.
Identify and close gaps in equipment capability and reliability across production lines.
Collaborate with maintenance excellence and maintenance teams to improve preventative, predictive, and TPM strategies.
Support asset tracking, transfers, utilization, and disposition across the network.
Lead root cause analysis and continuous improvement initiatives following equipment or system failures.
Contribute to enterprise risk management plans related to operational and reliability risks.
Lead, coach, and develop Project Managers, Engineers, and Maintenance Leaders in project execution and technical practices.
Build organizational capability through performance management, succession planning, and ongoing development.
Promote a collaborative, high-performance culture focused on accountability and continuous improvement.
Mentor teams on project management best practices and engineering standards.
Partner with Supply Chain leadership and plant teams to execute engineering initiatives.
Collaborate with EH&S and FSQA to ensure regulatory compliance.
Influence stakeholders across functions and geographies to drive alignment and execution.