Director of Engineering

Position Overview

Our high-growth CPG client is seeking an innovative and results-driven Director of Engineering to lead manufacturing engineering within a modern food and beverage production environment. This role oversees engineering and maintenance functions and is accountable for delivering reliable, efficient, and high-performing production operations. The ideal candidate combines strategic thinking with a hands-on approach, brings deep expertise in food processing, and excels in fast-moving, growth-oriented settings.

• Ensure manufacturing processes consistently achieve exceptional product quality, safety, and operational efficiency
• Partner closely with production leadership to support complex food manufacturing operations, including ingredient handling, mixing and reconstitution, thermal processing, in-process quality controls, CIP systems, and related engineering systems
• Lead the design, optimization, and continuous enhancement of manufacturing systems to meet performance, regulatory, and quality requirements
• Develop, maintain, and improve engineering documentation and standard operating procedures to ensure scalability and repeatability

• Define annual capital upgrade strategies aligned with capacity, risk mitigation, innovation, and business priorities
• Build and manage multi-year (3–5 year) capital investment plans
• Oversee execution of capital projects to ensure safety, quality, schedule, and budget targets are met
• Provide hands-on leadership in identifying, analyzing, and resolving process and equipment issues, with a strong focus on safety, quality, and compliance
• Develop engineering leaders to deliver the same level of hands-on problem-solving to frontline teams
• Serve as a primary escalation point for critical production or quality incidents
• Communicate issues, root causes, and corrective actions clearly to stakeholders
• Drive process improvements using data collection, analytics, and performance trending
• Apply structured root-cause analysis to eliminate recurring issues and improve reliability

• Define and manage facility utility requirements and preventative maintenance strategies
• Resolve utility-related issues impacting production
• Ensure compliance with applicable regulations related to utilities, wastewater, potable water, air quality, and building systems

• Lead the design and implementation of new manufacturing and utility systems from concept through commissioning
• Manage cross-functional teams to deliver complex engineering projects on time and within budget
• Partner with product development to integrate manufacturability, quality, and efficiency into product design and commercialization
• Perform additional duties as required

• 10–15 years of progressive experience in food manufacturing and processing, with strong hands‑on exposure to aseptic beverage or thermal processing environments
• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering or a related engineering discipline (Food Technology preferred)
• Strong expertise in sanitary design, CIP systems, and food equipment standards
• Experience with ammonia refrigeration or chiller systems
• Working knowledge of PLC‑based control systems, including the ability to read and interpret logic
• Demonstrated commitment to world‑class manufacturing performance and process innovation
• Creative mindset for developing and implementing novel food processing solutions
• Proven leadership in fast‑paced environments, including complex troubleshooting and concurrent projects
• Experience leading cross‑functional engineering teams
• Strong track record managing engineering budgets, schedules, and capital projects

• Experience with beverage sterilization technologies
• Knowledge of microbiological testing and analytical methods
• Advanced experience with PLC systems and industrial automation

Director

Full‑time

Engineering and Manufacturing

Food and Beverage Manufacturing, Food and Beverage Services, Wholesale Food and Beverage