Engineering and Project Manager

Lesaffre North America•Cedar Rapids, IA

5d•Onsite

About The Position

This role involves directly managing a diverse group of strategic and tactical projects, while indirectly supporting tactical maintenance Capex projects. The position requires providing technical leadership, ensuring engineering designs meet standards, and collaborating with engineering teams to address technical challenges. A key aspect is monitoring the Capex portfolio, including tracking expenditures, budgets, milestones, and deadlines, as well as compiling and analyzing capex data for portfolio performance. The role also entails maintaining Capex accounting interfaces, developing Project Management Office tools and methodologies, and managing risks by identifying potential issues and developing mitigation strategies. Effective communication with steering committees, executive management, and stakeholders is crucial, as is strategic thinking to achieve organizational goals and adapt project implementation strategies. The role requires 20% domestic travel.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree (or foreign education equivalent) in Industrial Maintenance, Mechanical Engineering or a related field and six (6) years of experience in the job offered or closely related occupation.
Alternatively: Master’s degree (or foreign education equivalent) in Industrial Maintenance, Mechanical Engineering or a related field and four (4) years of experience in the job offered or closely related occupation.
Four (4) years of experience performing engineering troubleshooting and building or implementing new manufacturing assets, including fermentation, separation, filtration, drying, yeast extract process, automated packaging machines, wastewater treatment, robots, automated finish product storage, automated raw material storage, and PLC/automation.
Demonstrated experience with engineering principles and practices for biological or food and beverage manufacturing.
Engineering experience in large-scale ($5M+) project management.
Project management of multiple project priorities simultaneously from end-to-end in a primary leadership role.
Working with multiple project stakeholders across specialties (Safety, Environment, Purchasing, Finance, Quality, Production, Supply Chain, Sales, and Customers).
Presenting and gaining approval from global executive committees for Capex projects.
Costs theory and structure involving CAPEX expansion projects for biological or food and beverage sales and manufacturing.
Implementing human safety, food safety, and quality control manufacturing standards.
Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.

Responsibilities

Directly manage a diverse group of strategic and tactical projects simultaneously.
Indirectly support a diverse group of tactical maintenance Capex projects.
Develop phased project plans, including scope, goals, deliverables, timelines, budget and resource requirements.
Provide technical leadership to teams.
Ensure engineering designs and solutions meet Group and industry standards and best practices.
Collaborate within the Group and local engineering team to address technical challenges and provide guidance.
Promote the use, adoption, and continuous improvement of Group standards.
Promote the continuous improvement of project management processes and engineering practices.
Aid in portfolio coordination by tracking project expenditures, budgets, milestones and deadlines with project managers.
Compile, consolidate, and analyze capex data for portfolio performance.
Ensure accounting documentation is being used at the initiation and closing of projects.
Consolidate and analyze capex booked and paid (to-date and forecasted) data throughout the year.
Enter project information into group reporting tool.
Manage interactions with accounting and accounting management for Capex including monthly and annual reporting.
Continue to develop the Project Management Office tools and methodologies.
Promote the standardization of documents and reporting across the portfolio.
Archive documents and maintain capex knowledge base.
Facilitate Front End Planning and Construction Readiness Assessments.
Assist project managers in developing baseline schedules.
Identify potential risks and develop mitigation strategies.
Proactively manage issues to keep projects on track.
Work with Group resources to ensure best practices are being used and maintained.
Make decisions that protect and promote safety.
Maintain regular communication with the steering committees, executive management, and key stakeholders.
Ensure alignment of outcomes with executive management expectations.
Maintain clear and open communication channels with contractors and internal stakeholders.
Develop strategies to achieve organizational goals.
Adapt project implementation strategy to changing conditions utilizing an agile mindset.