Engineering Project Manager

JonnyPops•Elk River, MN

9d•$135,000 - $160,000•Onsite

About The Position

JonnyPops is executing an aggressive capital and operational improvement agenda at its Elk River manufacturing facility. From major equipment installations and facility buildouts to utility upgrades and line expansions, our engineering and operations project load has grown substantially. Managing this work — across general contractors, trade partners, equipment vendors, and internal teams — requires someone who knows how to run construction and engineering projects the right way: on scope, on budget, and on time. This role is the connective tissue between what leadership decides to build and what actually gets built. We need someone who can write a scope, build an estimate, run a bid process, manage a contractor, track time and materials against budget, and hold everyone — internal and external — accountable to the plan. Commercial construction and industrial project experience is essential; this is not a residential background role. The Engineering Project Manager owns the planning, execution, and financial control of capital projects and engineering initiatives at JonnyPops’ Elk River facility. You will manage projects from initial scoping and estimation through contractor selection, construction, commissioning, and close-out — maintaining full visibility into time, materials, labor, and budget at every stage. You will work directly with Operations & Engineering leadership and serve as the primary interface between JonnyPops and its contractors, vendors, and trade partners. You are the person on the floor when work is happening, and the person in the room when decisions need to be made.

Requirements

7+ years of project management experience in commercial construction, industrial construction, or heavy manufacturing — with a clear track record of delivering complex projects on scope, on schedule, and on budget.
Deep, demonstrated expertise in time-and-materials management, cost estimating, and budget control — you can build an estimate from scratch and defend every line item.
Extensive experience managing general contractors, subcontractors, and trade partners across multiple simultaneous projects — including bid management, contract administration, and change order control.
Strong working knowledge of commercial and industrial construction processes — including MEP systems, structural work, permitting, and inspections. Residential-only background is not a fit for this role.
Proficiency with project scheduling tools ( ASANA, MS Project, Smartsheet, Procore, or equivalent) and financial tracking tools.
Ability to read and interpret construction drawings, specifications, P&IDs, and engineering documents.
Strong written and verbal communication skills — able to produce clear project status reports, budget summaries, and executive updates that don’t require translation.
Comfortable operating in a fast-moving, high-growth company where priorities shift and ambiguity is part of the job — you build the process, you don’t wait for it.

Nice To Haves

PMP, CCM, or equivalent project management certification.
Experience in food & beverage, CPG, or other regulated manufacturing environments — understanding the unique constraints of working in an active production facility.
Familiarity with capital appropriation processes, owner’s representative responsibilities, and design-build delivery models.
Experience managing equipment procurement and installation projects — from vendor selection and FAT through site installation, commissioning, and startup.
Working knowledge of OSHA construction safety standards (29 CFR 1926) and general industry safety (29 CFR 1910).
Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field — or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

Develop detailed project scopes, schedules, and cost estimates for capital construction and engineering projects — from facility modifications and equipment installations to utility upgrades and infrastructure improvements.
Produce and maintain accurate time-and-materials (T&M) estimates, lump-sum bids, and budget forecasts; track actuals against estimates throughout the project lifecycle.
Develop and manage project schedules using industry-standard tools; identify critical path dependencies, float, and risk areas before they become problems.
Coordinate and lead pre-construction planning — including site walks, constructability reviews, permit requirements, and phasing plans that minimize production disruption.
Manage the full bid and procurement process — developing RFPs, evaluating contractor submissions, conducting bid leveling, and making award recommendations to leadership.
Serve as the primary day-to-day owner of contractor and subcontractor relationships — setting clear expectations, managing performance, reviewing daily logs, and resolving field issues promptly.
Review, validate, and approve contractor invoices, T&M tickets, and change order requests — challenging scope creep and cost overruns with documented justification before any approval.
Maintain and grow a qualified contractor and vendor base for the trades and services JonnyPops uses most — ensuring competitive pricing, reliability, and alignment with facility and food-safety standards.
Own the project budget from initial appropriation request through final close-out — maintaining a real-time view of committed costs, actuals, and forecast-to-complete at all times.
Produce regular budget status reports for the VP of Operations / Engineering and finance leadership — with clear variance explanations and corrective actions when needed.
Develop capital appropriation requests (CARs) and business cases for new projects, including cost-benefit analysis, ROI projections, and risk assessments.
Track and reconcile time-and-materials billing across all active contractors; identify billing errors, duplicate charges, and unapproved work before they hit the ledger.
Provide active field presence during construction and installation activities — monitoring work quality, safety compliance, and adherence to scope and schedule in real time.
Coordinate project activities with production scheduling to minimize disruption to manufacturing operations — sequencing work, managing access, and communicating impacts proactively.
Manage permit coordination, inspection scheduling, and AHJ relationships for all permitted construction and mechanical work at the facility.
Lead project close-out activities — punch lists, as-built documentation, equipment commissioning sign-offs, warranty management, and lessons learned capture.
Maintain a master project portfolio tracker with status, budget, schedule, and risk visibility across all active capital and engineering initiatives — updated and distributed to leadership on a regular cadence.
Coordinate with operations, maintenance, quality, and supply chain teams to align project timelines with production needs, equipment delivery schedules, and organizational priorities.
Identify, escalate, and manage project risks proactively — with mitigation plans in place before issues become schedule or budget impacts.
Support the development of the annual capital plan and multi-year facility roadmap in partnership with the VP of Operations / Engineering and finance leadership.
Ensure all contractors and vendors working in or adjacent to production areas comply with JonnyPops GMP requirements — including hygiene standards, restricted access protocols, and foreign material controls — before work begins and throughout project execution.
Incorporate food-safety and sanitary design principles into project scopes for equipment installations, facility modifications, and infrastructure work — specifying food-grade materials, cleanable surfaces, and NSF/USDA-compliant designs where applicable.
Coordinate with Quality and Operations leadership to schedule construction activity in a way that protects active production — managing dust, debris, contamination risk, and production access during all phases of work.
Ensure all construction close-out activities include a food-safety walkthrough and sign-off by the Quality team before production resumes in any affected area.
Support facility food safety audits (SQF, FDA, customer audits) by ensuring all capital installations are documented, permitted, and compliant with applicable regulatory and certification standards.
Report any food safety concerns observed during construction or contractor activity to the Quality team immediately — and stop work if a food safety risk cannot be immediately controlled.