Sr. Project Engineer

C.H. Guenther•San Antonio, TX

18d

About The Position

The Senior Project Engineer owns capital project planning and execution for one or multiple manufacturing sites. The role is accountable for delivering strategic capital projects that improve safety, reliability, capacity, quality, and operational performance. It operates with a high degree of autonomy and partners with plant leadership, operations, maintenance, R&D, quality, and external engineering partners to improve long-term manufacturing capability. The role leads medium to large capital investments from feasibility, scope development, and funding approval through engineering design, installation, commissioning, start-up, and handover. It also supports changing business needs involving products, processes, equipment, capacity, packaging, automation, and infrastructure. Travel across North America to manufacturing sites, vendor locations, and project sites may be required (20%). Work takes place in office and food manufacturing environments. Hours may vary with project needs; extended hours, off-shift support, and weekend work may be required during installations, shutdowns, commissioning, and start-ups. Manufacturing environments may involve food products and allergens, refrigerated or frozen conditions, wet, humid, dusty, or noisy areas, and mechanical, electrical, chemical, and construction-related hazards. Site safety, sanitation, personal protective equipment, and food safety requirements must be followed in production facilities.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a closely related technical discipline.
5 to 10 years of experience executing capital projects or engineering initiatives in a manufacturing environment.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple-million-dollar projects.
Fluent English communication skills, including reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
Strong project management skills and ability to balance safety, quality, cost, schedule, scope, and business results.
Working knowledge of capital planning, purchasing processes, cost estimating, vendor management, construction coordination, and equipment installation.
Ability to develop design basis documents, RFQs, option analyses, project deliverables, manufacturing readiness tools, and start-up plans.
Understanding of manufacturing equipment, utilities, process systems, automation, controls, and productivity improvement methods.
Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills, including the ability to influence, align, and hold stakeholders accountable without direct authority.
Creative, innovative, detail-oriented approach and ability to improve or streamline work processes.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and MS Project.
Basic AutoCAD drawing skills and ability to conceptualize minor changes to current facility layouts.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a matrixed, multi-site environment supporting several Senior Plant Engineers across North America.
Ability to follow site safety, sanitation, personal protective equipment, and food safety requirements while in production facilities.
Successful completion of pre-employment screening, including a drug screen and review of criminal background and other records as required.

Nice To Haves

Experience in food manufacturing, food processing technology, packaging, automation, controls, or frozen/refrigerated manufacturing environments.
Experience with lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, engineering work processes, or capital project management.

Responsibilities

Manage capital expenditures, forecasts, and project financial performance against approved business cases and ROI targets.
Develop and maintain a balanced annual capital plan for assigned manufacturing sites in partnership with maintenance, safety, quality, R&D, operations, and plant leadership.
Establish, execute, and deliver savings from automation, productivity, capacity, reliability, safety, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Lead medium to large capital projects from feasibility, scope development, and funding approval through design, installation, commissioning, start-up, and handover.
Prepare project scopes, design basis documents, cost estimates, schedules, business case support, option analyses, RFQs, purchase recommendations, and capital funding packages.
Coordinate internal stakeholders, engineering partners, vendors, contractors, construction resources, and plant teams for safe and effective project execution.
Track and communicate project status, risks, decisions, cost, schedule, quality, deliverables, and post-start-up KPIs to leadership and stakeholders.
Anticipate project issues and develop mitigation and contingency plans, including clear requests for support when barriers arise.
Support new business needs involving products, processes, equipment, capacity, packaging, automation, and infrastructure.
Develop, improve, and standardize engineering work processes, project governance, change management, readiness tools, and manufacturing deliverable tracking.
Ensure projects comply with applicable food safety, quality, occupational health and safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements, including HACCP, GMP, SQF, CFIA or equivalent country requirements, and applicable laws.
Demonstrate, promote, and exemplify the company's Core Values.