Principal Mechanical Engineer - Utilities

Join Ingredion, where innovation impacts lives worldwide! Without even realizing it, you’ve experienced our work in your favorite chocolate, your pet’s food, the paper you write on, and your everyday snacks. As a global powerhouse across more than 60 industries, we harness the potential of natural ingredients to transform lives. Whether you’re just starting your career or bringing years of experience, there's a place for you here to make a real difference.

Be part of our team that values a wide range of perspectives and is committed to shaping a better world with every product we create.

Location:

Westchester, IL

Workplace type:
Hybrid

As a Principal Mechanical Engineer, you provide global technical leadership and subject matter expertise for industrial utility and energy systems across Ingredion facilities and business segments to achieve manufacturing, safety, quality, reliability, sustainability, energy, and cost objectives. The role is the Mechanical Engineering Subject Matter Expert (SME) for utilities, with primary emphasis on boilers and feedwater systems, HRSGs, steam and gas turbines, combined-cycle cogeneration (CHP) and related balance-of-plant equipment, steam, fuel, and compressed-air distribution, and pressure-relief systems.

The engineer supports utility master planning, system design, equipment selection and specification, troubleshooting, reliability improvement, project development and review, commissioning, startup, and post-implementation performance verification. Provides a high level of technical leadership through mentoring engineers, resolves complex technical issues, develops and deploys global engineering standards, Best Operating Practices, and asset-management strategies. This role reports to the Director of Global Process Engineering, Utilities.

Provide global mechanical engineering leadership and technical expertise for industrial utility systems, including system assessments, utility master planning, engineering studies, design specifications, piping specifications, equipment specifications, design reviews, troubleshooting, optimization, and lifecycle improvement.

• Demonstrate deep technical experience with boilers using natural gas, wood, LPG, biogas, coal, or other fuels; boiler feedwater systems; deaerators; HRSGs; steam distribution; pressure reduction; condensate recovery; boiler auxiliaries; pressure‑reducing valves; and safety valves.
• Demonstrate working knowledge of steam turbines, gas turbines, combined‑cycle cogeneration, and CHP systems, microturbines, gas compressors, generators, heat recovery, balance‑of‑plant equipment, operating modes, performance monitoring, and integration with plant utility demand.
• Apply expertise in utility distribution systems, including steam, compressed air, and fuels such as natural gas, LPG, biogas, and hydrogen, with emphasis on safe design, pressure control, integrity, reliability, and energy‑loss reduction.
• Develop utility mass and energy balances, demand profiles, capacity and redundancy assessments, equipment sizing, hydraulic analyses, and efficiency evaluations to improve reliability, resilience, energy intensity, emissions performance, and total cost of ownership.
• Lead troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and reliability improvement for utility systems, including recurring failures, capacity limitations, unstable operation, energy losses, corrosion, vibration, water hammer, pressure‑control issues, and mechanical integrity concerns.
• Lead critical utility asset management for cogeneration and other high‑risk equipment, including asset database governance, mechanical repair‑shop qualification, new‑vendor qualification, lifecycle…