About the company
This role provides senior-level controls and engineering leadership across multiple manufacturing facilities and operational environments. You will coordinate the design, installation, commissioning, and start-up of process control, electrical, network, and equipment projects.
Responsibilities
- Coordinate the design, installation, commissioning, and start-up of process control, network, electrical, plant construction, and process equipment projects.
- Develop project scopes, implementation plans, timelines, capital and expense estimates, equipment specifications, and purchasing requirements.
- Partner with regional manufacturing leadership, international teams, plant managers, operators, and project stakeholders to identify opportunities and deliver improvements.
- Lead process improvement initiatives focused on safety, efficiency, reliability, product quality, and optimized process variables.
- Develop recommended engineering methods and standard operating practices for safe and effective control of manufacturing processes.
- Provide technical leadership with a strong focus on PLC equipment, controls, automation, and associated plant processes.
- Select and coordinate contractors and support the successful execution of construction and installation projects.
- Manage multiple projects and cost initiatives simultaneously, ensuring milestones, budgets, and implementation requirements are met.
- Work directly with plant-floor operators to understand equipment behavior, process variables, operational challenges, and opportunities for improvement.
- Investigate operational problems using fact-based root-cause analysis and develop practical corrective solutions.
- Support commissioning, reliability, maintenance, training, and operational improvement activities across manufacturing locations.
- Create and maintain process control, electrical, engineering, and project documentation.
- Travel approximately 50–75% domestically, with limited international travel, including occasional weekends and extended project installations of up to three weeks.
Requirements
- Bachelor's or Associate's degree in Engineering, with a concentration in Mechanical, Agricultural, Food, Industrial, Feed Process Engineering, or a related discipline.
- 10+ years of relevant engineering, manufacturing, process, controls, or project experience.
- Strong technical expertise in animal feed, food processing, or closely related manufacturing environments.
- Solid understanding of mechanical or agricultural engineering principles, processing plants, and industrial equipment.
- Demonstrated success developing and refining process equipment projects and managing construction or installation projects.
- Proven project management experience with the ability to manage multiple initiatives, budgets, timelines, and cost-reduction opportunities.
- Strong knowledge of current grain, food, or feed processing systems and technologies.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, as well as tools such as Adobe/Bluebeam, AutoCAD, and SKM.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to adapt communication styles when working with operators, supervisors, plant managers, and technical stakeholders.
- Ability to collaborate closely with plant-floor teams and translate operational observations into effective engineering improvements.
- Strong root-cause analysis and problem-solving capabilities, with a fact-based approach to developing recommendations.
- Ability to visualize and design process, equipment, and facility modifications and improvements.
- Preferred experience of at least two years in commissioning, reliability, and/or maintenance.
- Experience with plant design and in-depth knowledge of food or animal feed processing technology is highly valued.
- Hands-on experience with Allen-Bradley PLC platforms, including ControlLogix, CompactLogix, and MicroLogix, as well as FactoryTalk View ME/SE HMI systems.
- Experience configuring Allen-Bradley VFDs and SMC soft starters.
- Basic knowledge of Cisco switch configuration and troubleshooting.
- Experience creating and managing process control and electrical documentation.
- Willingness and ability to travel extensively, including occasional weekends and work across different manufacturing shifts.
- Ability to work safely and effectively in manufacturing environments that may involve typical levels of dust and noise.
Conditions
- Annual salary range of $123,920–$185,880, depending on qualifications, experience, and other applicable factors.
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance for eligible full-time employees.
- Paid time off (PTO).
- Life and disability insurance.
- 401(k) retirement plan.
- Education assistance.
- Employee well-being and support resources.
- Opportunities to work across multiple manufacturing facilities and gain broad industrial engineering exposure.
- Opportunity to lead high-impact process improvement, automation, controls, and manufacturing projects.
- Primarily remote/virtual work arrangement.