Lead Project Engineer

Copeland•Cudahy, WI

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Lead Project Engineer serves as the technical leader for complex industrial refrigeration and gas compression projects and provides engineering leadership across multiple project teams. This role is responsible for ensuring technical excellence, project execution success, and adherence to company standards throughout the project lifecycle. The Lead Project Engineer acts as the primary technical authority for major customer projects, leading multidisciplinary engineering efforts from concept through commissioning. In addition to executing projects, this position drives continuous improvement initiatives, develops engineering standards and best practices, mentors Project Engineers and junior engineering staff, and serves as a key technical advisor to internal stakeholders and customers. Success in this role requires advanced engineering expertise, strong project leadership capabilities, the ability to influence without direct authority, exceptional customer-facing skills, and a commitment to delivering safe, reliable, and commercially successful solutions.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering or related engineering discipline.
8+ years of progressive engineering experience, including significant experience leading complex engineered-to-order industrial equipment or systems projects.
Demonstrated expertise in industrial refrigeration, gas compression, pressure piping systems, or related thermodynamic process systems.
Strong knowledge of applicable industry codes and standards, including ASME, CRN, NFPA, AWS, and related regulations.
Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary engineering teams and influence cross-functional stakeholders.
Strong understanding of Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs), system design, equipment integration, and manufacturing processes.
Experience managing technical risk, project schedules, engineering deliverables, and customer-facing project execution activities.
Strong written, verbal, and presentation communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively at all organizational levels.
Understanding of ERP systems, manufacturing BOM structures, and engineered-to-order product environments.
Ability to travel approximately 10-15%.
Authorization to work in the United states now and in the future - sponsorship will not be provided for this role.

Nice To Haves

Professional Engineer (PE) license or ability to obtain.
Experience leading large-scale industrial refrigeration or gas compression projects.
Experience supporting global customers, field installations, and commissioning activities.
Experience developing engineering standards, procedures, and design practices.
Prior formal or informal leadership experience, including mentoring engineers and leading technical teams.
Advanced knowledge of thermodynamics, heat transfer, rotating equipment, and process systems.

Responsibilities

Serve as the lead technical authority for complex industrial refrigeration and gas compression projects by reviewing customer specifications, evaluating technical risk, developing execution strategies, and engineering cost and schedule estimates.
Direct and coordinate multidisciplinary engineering activities, ensuring technical alignment across mechanical, electrical, controls, manufacturing, sourcing, quality, and field service functions.
Report project status, resource requirements, technical risks, and mitigation plans to Engineering and Project Management leadership.
Review and approve compression system designs for compliance with applicable codes, customer specifications, company standards, and regulatory requirements.
Lead technical customer discussions, design reviews, and issue resolution efforts while serving as the primary engineering interface for key accounts.
Champion continuous improvement and drive project execution improvements by developing engineering standards, design tools, lessons learned, and best practices that enhance quality, productivity, and customer satisfaction.
Lead root cause investigations and resolution of significant technical issues encountered during design, manufacturing, testing, installation, or commissioning.
Mentor and develop Project Engineers and junior engineers through technical coaching, project guidance, and knowledge sharing to ensure quality and adherence to established engineering practices.