Director Engineering

Job Summary The Engineering Director leads the execution of capital projects across manufacturing and packaging facilities, ensuring delivery against scope, timing, cost, and performance expectations. This role is accountable for driving engineering excellence while ensuring full compliance with Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) and Food Safety & Quality Assurance (FSQA) standards, maintaining zero regulatory violations. The role also supports enterprise asset reliability programs, partnering with site leadership to elevate equipment performance and move facilities toward world-class reliability practices. The Engineering Director builds organizational capability, ensures standardization of the engineering processes, and drives continuous improvement across systems, people, and technology. Travel: 40%-60% annually This is a remote home based role, but individual will reside local to the McComb, OH, Chicagoland area or Grand Rapids, MI. No relocation is available for this opportunity. Key Responsibilities Capital Project Leadership & ExecutionLead development and execution of site-level capital plans and budgetsEnsure all capital projects are delivered on time, within scope, and meet financial and operational targetsPartner with Finance to develop robust business cases, including ROI, IRR, and payback analysisEstablish and execute audit processes to validate project outcomes and realized savingsProvide weekly and monthly reporting on project performance, financials, and key metricsTravel to project sites on a regular basis to ensure adherence to budget, schedule and deliverablesEngineering Program LeadershipDrive consistent implementation of engineering programs, standards, and best practices across assigned sitesDevelop and deploy engineering policies and procedures aligned with enterprise strategyEvaluate and implement new and emerging technologies in partnership with the central engineering team to enhance operational performanceEnsure alignment with Supply Chain, Operations, Quality, Food Safety, and Maintenance stakeholdersReliability & Asset ManagementSupport and advance enterprise reliability strategy to improve asset availability, performance, and lifecycle managementIdentify and close gaps in equipment capability and reliability across production linesCollaborate with the maintenance excellence team and the maintenance teams to improve preventative, predictive, and TPM strategiesSupport asset tracking, transfers, utilization, and disposition across the networkLead root cause analysis and continuous improvement initiatives following equipment or system failuresContribute to enterprise risk management plans related to operational and reliability risksPeople Leadership & Organizational DevelopmentLead, coach, and develop Project Managers, Engineers, and Maintenance Leaders regarding project execution and technical practicesBuild organizational capability through performance management, succession planning, and ongoing developmentPromote a high-performance, collaborative culture focused on accountability and continuous improvementMentor teams on project management best practices and engineering standardsCross-Functional Collaboration & GovernancePartner with Supply Chain Leadership and plant teams to ensure seamless execution of engineering initiativesCollaborate with EH&S and FSQA to ensure full regulatory complianceInfluence stakeholders across functions and geographies to drive alignment and executionTravel regularly to sites to ensure adherence to project timelines, budgets, and standardsQualifications Education: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Industrial, Mechanical, Chemical, or related field) or equivalent technical experienceExperience:10+ years of progressive engineering experience, including leadership in food manufacturing or cGMP environmentsProven experience leading capital projects ($10MM–$35MM range preferred)Demonstrated success in engineering, maintenance, and reliability program leadershipExperience managing cross-functional teams and driving results through influenceBackground in vendor management, contract negotiation, and procurement processes• Technical Skills:Capital planning and executionSustainable Cost Reduction ProjectsAsset reliability and maintenance strategies (PM, PdM, TPM)Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma methodologiesFailure Modes Effects & Criticality Analysis (FMECA)Engineering design, process optimization, and industrial engineering techniquesERP/MRP systems (SAP)CMMS systems (MVP one or similar)Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Project, Visio)AutoCADSkills:Strong leadership, coaching, and organizational development capabilitiesExcellent communication and executive-level presentation skillsAbility to influence across multiple levels and functions in a matrixed environmentAdvanced problem-solving and analytical skills, including root cause analysisStrong project management and prioritization capabilitiesFinancial acumen including capital planning, forecast