Senior Director, Engineering - Technical Delivery

Conagra Brands•Chicago, IL

8d•$157,000 - $241,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Reporting to the Vice President of Engineering, the Senior Director, Engineering - Technical Delivery leads technical delivery for major, multi-year capital initiatives and manufacturing network redesign. The role spans engineering design through startup, stabilization, and transition to Operations and Maintenance, providing enterprise technical leadership across process, packaging, equipment, facility, and network design. The position challenges proposed solutions to improve operability, maintainability, safety, quality, cost, and startup readiness. In partnership with Operations leadership, the role prepares plant teams to own and sustain new technology and directs pauses or changes to designs and execution plans when technical risk, readiness, or business outcomes require it. The Senior Director integrates technical and operational requirements into executable solutions, leads design reviews and technical risk resolution, and establishes early collaboration among Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, Safety, and other partners. The role defines readiness and transition plans from design through handoff, ensures operating teams have the capabilities and resources needed to sustain new technology, and reports fact-based assessments and recommendations to Engineering and Operations executives. It also partners with plant and business leaders to deliver capital work in active manufacturing facilities while protecting safety, food safety, quality, service, cost, and ongoing operations. The position strengthens accountability, applies capital and project management discipline, and coaches engineering and cross-functional leaders to improve future execution. The role may require visits to manufacturing facilities and travel to manufacturing and project locations based on initiative needs. Facility visits may involve walking, climbing stairs or ladders, kneeling, repetitive tasks requiring hand-eye coordination, and lifting or carrying materials. The manufacturing environment may include large moving equipment, high noise levels, and varying temperatures. The listed annual pay range is $157,000–$241,000. Actual salary depends on factors including location, relevant experience and skillset, and internal equity. The company describes benefits including healthcare plans, wellness and mental wellbeing support, fitness reimbursement, bonus incentive opportunity, matching 401(k), stock purchase plan, career development, employee resource groups, on-demand learning, tuition reimbursement, paid time off, parental leave, flexible work schedules, and volunteer opportunities, subject to location and role.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a related technical discipline.
At least 12 years of progressive experience in engineering, manufacturing, operations, maintenance, or a related technical discipline, including leadership of complex capital programs and major manufacturing startups.
Demonstrated expertise across process and packaging engineering, equipment and facility design, commissioning, startup, and transition to Operations and Maintenance.
Experience delivering large, complex capital initiatives in operating manufacturing facilities.
Strong knowledge of capital and project management, including scope, schedule, budget, risk, change control, vendor management, and startup governance.
Experience partnering with original equipment manufacturers and external engineering firms and challenging technical designs to improve reliability, maintainability, operability, and lifecycle performance.
Working knowledge of manufacturing operations and maintenance systems, capability requirements, training, and asset-care readiness.
Proven ability to influence senior leaders and cross-functional teams, make difficult recommendations, and lead through ambiguity without relying solely on direct authority.
Strategic thinking, sound judgment, collaboration, change leadership, problem-solving, and executive communication skills.
Willingness to travel to manufacturing and project locations based on initiative needs.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree.
Experience in food, consumer packaged goods, process, or high-speed packaging environments.

Responsibilities

Own technical delivery for assigned enterprise capital initiatives, integrating process, packaging, utilities, facilities, controls, maintenance, and operational requirements into executable solutions.
Lead technical design challenges and reviews with internal engineering teams, external engineering partners, and original equipment manufacturers; identify gaps, evaluate trade-offs, and resolve technical risks.
Establish and lead an early management approach that involves Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, Safety, and other partners early enough to influence design, installation, commissioning, and startup outcomes.
Define technical readiness and transition plans covering engineering design, construction, commissioning, qualification, startup, stabilization, and handoff to Operations and Maintenance.
Ensure operating and maintenance teams have the standards, documentation, training, skills, spare parts, preventive maintenance strategies, and problem-solving capability needed to operate and sustain new technology safely at startup.
Provide fact-based assessments of design maturity, startup probability, organizational readiness, and critical risks to Engineering and Operations executives; recommend corrective actions, resource changes, or escalation as needed.
Partner with plant and business leaders to deliver major capital work in active manufacturing facilities while protecting safety, food safety, quality, service, cost, and ongoing operations.
Establish accountability across project teams, original equipment manufacturers, contractors, and functional partners for technical decisions, milestones, issue resolution, and committed outcomes.
Apply capital and project management discipline to scope, schedule, budget, risk, change control, and business-case delivery, while focusing on long-term asset performance and network value.
Coach engineering and cross-functional leaders, strengthen technical capability, and advance ways of working that improve execution across future capital initiatives.
Perform other duties as assigned.