Director, Production Engineering

Smithfield Foods • Sioux Falls, SD

19h

About The Position

Are you a creative, self-driven engineering professional who thrives in fast-paced environments? Do you excel at turning bold ideas into reality and collaborating with key stakeholders to drive business growth? If so, Smithfield Foods, one of the top 25 consumer packaged goods companies in the nation, is looking for someone like you to join our Engineering team! In this pivotal role, you’ll analyze data and craft strategic implementation plans to optimize production processes, identifying ways to boost efficiency and eliminate waste—directly impacting our bottom line. Your contributions will be instrumental in the manufacturing of Smithfield, Eckrich, Nathan’s Famous, and other iconic brands, helping us meet the ever-evolving needs of our customers and consumers. As Director, Engineering, you will lead and direct engineering operations across a key functional area, ensuring the efficient use of engineering resources to achieve world-class performance in our plants. You’ll collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to drive strategic initiatives, resolve complex challenges, and ensure top-tier execution in everything from maintenance to capital budget management. Your leadership will be critical in building, developing, and managing a high-performing team capable of delivering operational excellence and executing strategies that elevate the business to new heights. If you’re ready to shape the future of manufacturing and be part of an innovative, growth-driven company, Smithfield Foods is the place for you!

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university in Engineering, Business or related field and 10+ years of relevant experience in Engineering management; or equivalent combination of education and experience, required.
• Candidates with a Master's degree in Engineering, Business, or related field from an accredited four-year college or university and 8+ years of relevant experience will be considered qualified.
• 5+ years of experience in a position of leadership to include team development and management, required.
• Prior experience in an engineer role required.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and SAP.
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• High level of written and oral communication skills, organizational planning, teamwork, analytical reasoning, and adaptability.
• Ability to communicate technical ideas to a non-technical audience effectively.
• Strong interpersonal, technical and presentation skills
• Ability to work well with others in fast paced, dynamic environment.
• Respectful, approachable and team oriented while building strong working relationships and a positive work environment.
• Energized by collaboration through travel to other locations. (50% of the time).

Nice To Haves

• Licensure as a Professional Engineer, preferred
• Knowledge of different pork products and the Meat Industry, preferred.

Responsibilities

• Engineering Leadership: You'll lead engineering teams in various Engineering disciplines across plants to ensure optimal performance.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (Operations, HR, Safety, etc.) to achieve company goals.
• Oversee and manage Capital and Maintenance budgets and project planning.
• You'll also drive engineering performance to meet operational goals efficiently and cost-effectively.
• Strategic Plan Development and Support: You'll create and implement short- and long-term operational plans to meet customer and quality standards.
• Identify and implement strategies to improve operational performance with internal and external resources.
• Provide clear direction on processes, schedules, and priorities for engineering teams.
• Develop and enforce best practices for engineering development.
• Ensure facilities comply with internal and external engineering standards and regulations.
• Asset Utilization and Optimization: You’ll analyze asset age and utilization data and structure models on optimal replacement timing as well as methods to increase asset longevity.
• Employee Development: Lead and motivate engineering teams to achieve business objectives and deliver solutions on time and on budget.
• Partner with HR to develop leadership programs, manage performance, and build a diverse, high-performing workforce.
• You'll make sure to foster a culture of workplace safety, open communication, empowerment, and recognition.
• People Management: Drives a positive employee experience through leadership by way of employee development and coaching.

Benefits

• Smithfield is proud to offer robust, flexible and affordable benefit plans and programs to support our team members and their loved ones, and with out-of-pocket costs, on average, 20 percent less than plans offered by other employers.
• Beyond our medical plans, our Be Well programs offer tools and resources to enhance your quality of life, at no additional cost.
• These programs are uniquely tailored to our Smithfield team and provide support for elective surgeries, weight loss, mental health, cancer, kidney disease, diabetes, smoking cessation, asthma, maternity management and more.
• Our company invests in your future.
• We offer comprehensive training and professional development programs designed to help you reach your full potential.
• Our partnership with GUILD supports your continuing education with tuition assistance covering English language learning and various certificate programs, while our leadership development initiatives nurture high-potential talent.
• For those looking to build specialized skills, we offer apprenticeship programs that combine hands-on experience with focused learning.
• We also offer unique benefits like our Smithfield Scholarship Program for employees’ children.
• Smithfield’s Education Reimbursement Program provides financial reimbursement to team members who want to further their formal education by obtaining a GED/High School Equivalency (HSE) Diploma or by pursuing an academic degree at an accredited college or university that is not a Guild learning partner.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director