Sr. Project Engineer

C.H. Guenther & Son•San Antonio, TX

7d•$99,000 - $158,400

About The Position

The Senior Project Engineer owns capital project planning and execution for one or multiple manufacturing sites. This autonomous role delivers strategic capital projects to improve safety, reliability, capacity, quality, and operational performance. The engineer partners with plant leadership, operations, maintenance, R&D, quality, and external engineering partners to advance long-term manufacturing capabilities. The role may require travel across North America to manufacturing sites, vendors, and project locations (up to 20%).

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 projects involving multiple millions of dollars.
Fluent English communication, including reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
Strong project management capability and ability to balance safety, quality, cost, schedule, scope, and business results.
Working knowledge of capital planning, purchasing, 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 and align stakeholders and hold them 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 facility layouts.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a matrixed, multi-site environment supporting several Senior Plant Engineers across North America.

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 an annual capital plan for assigned manufacturing sites with relevant site functions and 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 to execute projects safely and effectively.
Track and communicate project status, risks, decisions, cost, schedule, quality, deliverables, and post-start-up KPIs.
Anticipate project issues and develop mitigation and contingency plans, including clear requests for support when barriers arise.
Support changing 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 food safety, quality, occupational health and safety, environmental, and regulatory requirements, including applicable standards and laws.
Demonstrate, promote, and exemplify the Company's Core Values.
Follow site safety, sanitation, personal protective equipment, and food safety requirements in production facilities.