Principal Engineer - Packaging

CONAGRA•Chicago, IL

1d•$109,000 - $159,000•Remote

About The Position

Reporting to the Director of Engineering, you will provide technical leadership to identify and develop strategies and projects that deliver the highest value business benefit to the company. You will work with cross functional teams to review requirements and develop optimized technical solutions that fit business needs. This is a Corporate Engineering role supporting manufacturing operations through innovation, automation, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Robotics Engineering, or Packaging Engineering
10 +years of experience in food manufacturing with packaging system design
Experience leading teams and solving complex technical challenges
Subject matter expertise in one or more areas of food production line packaging equipment
Experience with machine design and working in a United States Department of Agriculture or Food and Drug Administration regulated manufacturing environment
Demonstrated success developing and implementing automation and robotic solutions
Experience in project engineering and project execution
Knowledge of continuous improvement applications within engineering design
Experience translating project requirements into technical solutions through sound engineering principles
Strong experience in packaging equipment engineering and practical application
Willingness to travel up to 50 percent to support plant operations

Responsibilities

Identify, develop, rollout, and provide governance for key strategies and programs across the manufacturing platform
Use subject matter expertise, third party engineering partners, and original equipment manufacturers to develop labor reducing and cost saving automation projects
Stay current with industry regulations and codes related to packaging equipment system design and operations, and provide recommendations to improve programs, policies, and goals
Provide technical and economic feasibility analysis to support business initiatives that deliver competitive advantages
Develop Front End Loading packages that are complete, clear, and reflect due diligence to ensure project success, including: Technology assessments and recommended solutions aligned to plant, company, and industry best practices; Physical location layouts and general arrangement drawings; Infrastructure requirements and needs assessments; Equipment acceptance criteria and support of testing and acceptance trials; Equipment and system performance criteria; Identification of alternatives, prerequisites, risks, and opportunities
Partner with engineering teams to establish cost, schedule, risk, and startup requirements for projects
Write detailed functional control descriptions for unit operations and processing systems
Perform reviews of Front End Loading packages or equivalent deliverables to ensure accuracy, completeness, and operational effectiveness
Develop rough order of magnitude estimates to provide early business case direction
Troubleshoot and drive continuous improvement of existing packaging operations
Lead machine design improvements and equipment modifications
Conduct production plant site surveys and assessments, and provide support to sites as needed