Utilities and Facilities Engineer

Sconza Candy Co • Oakdale, CA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Sconza Candy Company is seeking an experienced Utilities and Facilities Engineer to provide engineering leadership for the utility and facility systems supporting its food manufacturing plant in Oakdale, California. The role focuses on engineering design, analysis, specification, optimization, and capital project execution while supporting reliable production, food safety, regulatory compliance, and cost-effective performance.

The engineer provides ownership of plant utility and facility systems, leads capital and expense projects from concept through commissioning, and manages project budgets, schedules, contractors, and change control. The position also supports plant modifications, startups, and system upgrades; maintains engineering documentation; and promotes energy efficiency, water conservation, sustainability, and safe engineering practices. It is an on-site role in an active food manufacturing plant, requiring regular presence on the plant floor, in mechanical rooms, and in outdoor equipment areas. Occasional exposure to noise, temperature extremes, and industrial environments is expected. Some evening or weekend work may be required during project execution or system outages, and the engineer may need to respond to critical system or project needs outside normal hours.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a closely related engineering discipline.
• At least 7 years of progressive engineering experience focused on utilities and facilities in a manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated project engineering and project management experience delivering capital projects in an operating plant, including scope development, design, budgeting, contractor management, and commissioning.
• Strong technical knowledge of utility and facility systems required to support food manufacturing operations.
• Working knowledge of California regulatory requirements affecting manufacturing facilities, including Cal/OSHA, environmental permits, energy codes, wastewater, and air quality.
• Proficiency in reading and producing engineering drawings, P&IDs, specifications, and technical documentation.
• Experience with engineering analysis, system design, and equipment specification.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to respond to critical system or project needs outside normal hours when required.
• Some evening or weekend work may be required during project execution or system outages.

Nice To Haves

• Food, beverage, dairy, or pharmaceutical manufacturing experience.
• Experience with refrigeration systems and related Process Safety Management (PSM) requirements.
• Knowledge of food safety standards such as HACCP, SQF, or BRC and hygienic design principles for utility systems.
• Experience with energy management, boiler or system optimization, or utility metering and analytics.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or formal project management training.
• Familiarity with PLC/SCADA interfaces related to utility monitoring and control.
• Background in continuous improvement methodologies applied to engineering projects.

Responsibilities

• Provide engineering ownership for the design, performance, reliability, and continuous improvement of plant utility and facility systems, including steam, refrigeration and process cooling, compressed air, water, wastewater, HVAC, electrical distribution, natural gas and fuel, fire protection, and life-safety systems.
• Lead capital and expense engineering projects from concept through commissioning, including scope development, justifications, designs, specifications, procurement packages, installation oversight, and project close-out.
• Manage project budgets, schedules, contractors, and change control.
• Perform engineering calculations, system evaluations, capacity studies, and failure analyses.
• Develop and maintain engineering documentation, including P&IDs, single-line diagrams, equipment specifications, and as-built records.
• Ensure engineering compliance with applicable California and federal regulations, permits, energy codes, and food safety requirements.
• Support food safety and hygienic design for utility systems that interface with production, including water and air quality, temperature control, and prevention of cross-contamination.
• Specify equipment; prepare technical scopes of work and RFQs; evaluate vendor proposals; and manage relationships with consultants, contractors, and equipment suppliers.
• Drive energy-efficiency, water-conservation, and sustainability projects through engineering analysis and implementation.
• Provide technical leadership and mentoring on utility and facility engineering matters.
• Serve as an engineering resource during plant modifications, startups, and system upgrades.
• Champion engineering best practices and a strong safety culture in project and system work.
• Respond to critical system or project needs outside normal hours when required.

Benefits

• Full medical coverage
• Full dental coverage
• 401(k) with company match and discretionary contribution; 100% vested immediately
• Vacation
• 11 holidays per year

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior