The Plant Engineering Manager is responsible for leading all engineering, maintenance, and reliability functions at a large food & beverage manufacturing facility. This role ensures equipment, utilities, and infrastructure operate at peak performance while meeting food safety, regulatory, and operational efficiency standards.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and develop maintenance and engineering teams to ensure equipment reliability and plant uptime.

• Oversee preventative and predictive maintenance programs, driving continuous improvement in performance and cost efficiency.

• Manage processing and utility systems, including pasteurization, homogenizers, CIP, refrigeration, boilers, and wastewater.

• Ensure compliance with FDA, USDA, SQF, HACCP, GMP, OSHA, and environmental regulations.

• Lead capital projects, facility expansions, and automation initiatives.

• Track and improve KPIs related to OEE, downtime, and maintenance costs.

• Partner with production, quality, and supply chain teams to resolve technical issues and support plant goals.

• Manage budgets, vendor contracts, and cost reduction initiatives.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial, or related engineering field.

• 10+ years in plant engineering, maintenance, or reliability within food & beverage manufacturing.

• Expertise in processing equipment, refrigeration systems, utilities, and process automation.

• Strong leadership, problem-solving, and project management skills.

• Knowledge of Allen-Bradley PLCs and ladder logic troubleshooting.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Travel:

• 50–75% travel for onboarding (6–9 months).

• Up to 25% travel until plant startup; occasional travel afterward.