Project Engineering Manager

Date: Oct 5, 2024

Location: Hiram, OH, US, 44234-1806

Company: Great Lakes Cheese

Job Overview

The Engineering Project Manager is responsible for supporting capital projects across the enterprise and providing technical leadership to drive continuous improvement initiatives within the technical community. This role will guide projects from ideation and concept development through to the exploration of options, application of critical thinking, and successful execution of capital installations and ramp-ups. The Project Manager will collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure project success and contribute to the overall operational excellence of the company.

Job Responsibilities

  • Manage capital projects and oversee contractors with assigned project responsibilities.
  • Develop short range and long range capital plans for multiple facilities.
  • Address emerging issues from suppliers, contractors, and subcontractors, managing changes with minimal disruption to project objectives.
  • Provide technical expertise for investigation and resolution of process/packaging deviations, development and interpretation of data trending.
  • Understand line layouts and support plant requests for design and line layouts changes.
  • Working collaboratively with shop floor system team, plant employees, lead the team through root-cause investigations, identify cost savings opportunities, and drive process efficiencies.
  • Serve as a process subject matter expert during regulatory inspections and other interactions with regulatory agencies.
  • Support process technology transfer from OEMs to GLC teams, process validation and the preparation of documentation.
  • Lead cross-functional teams for new product start-ups or other process changes.
  • Direct department activities to modify existing designs, improve production techniques, and develop test procedures.
  • Resolve problems using solutions that involve new techniques, technologies, or concepts.
  • Analyze technology trends, human resource needs, and market demand to plan projects.
  • Collaborate with management, production, and marketing teams to assess engineering feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and customer demand for new and existing products.
  • Advise management of new developments which may affect profit, schedule, costs, customer relations, and/or inter-departmental relations.
  • Provide direction and example for interpretation and application of company policies and procedures to the engineering activities.
  • Maintain a working knowledge of new technologies which may improve operations, and develop recommendations accordingly.
  • Capital Project Management
  • Collaborate with key stakeholders to develop success criteria.
  • Project >$100k will need to be competitively bid, develop the bid list.
  • Preparation of the RFP:
  • Create a clear statement of work.
  • Outline the project success criteria for timeline, start up, throughput, quality, etc.
  • Provide process flow diagram or appropriate info to vendors with the RFP.
  • Confirm the RFP has current T&C doc and FAT expectations.
  • Review the submitted responses to the RFP and prepare a bid tab on the budgetary side and on the technical comparisons of each vendor.
  • Prepare purchase orders (contract) with line item detail to match the deliverables, performance, timeline etc.
  • Project execution including but not limited to; planning, design review, FAT, installation and ramp up until deliverables are achieved.
  • Project ownership for cost, schedule & performance. 
  • Up to 50% travel.
  • All GLC employees are expected to perform any assignment or job task according to the stated safety policies and procedures.
  • All GLC employees are expected to produce and promote our products and services in a manner that exceeds the quality and value expectation of our customers and consumers by adhering to Good Manufacturing Practices, Policies and Procedures outlined in our Safe Quality Food Program.
  • Other responsibilities as assigned by the manager.

Required Education and Experience

  • Must possess one of the following:
  • Associate’s Degree in engineering or a related field from an accredited institution, a minimum of 5 years project engineering experience, and a PMP certification.
  • Or a Bachelor’s Degree in engineering from an accredited institution and a minimum of 3 years project engineering experience 
  • Must be legally authorized to work for a company in the United States without sponsorship.

Preferred Education and Experience

  • Project management and CPG equipment experience including sanitary design and SQF requirements in a food manufacturing environment.
  • 10 years of experience in the food industry.
  • Proficient in AutoCAD and Microsoft Office including Excel, Visio, Project, and Word.
  • Demonstrated willingness to teach and train other stakeholders on the shop floor. Have a natural curiosity about our processes and experience in investigating process deviations.
  • Mastery of GMPs and the know how to work and manage within a regulatory environment.
  • Strong technical, managerial, leadership, cost consciousness, organizational, and communication skills taking projects from concept development to commercialization stages.
  • Excellent verbal & written communications skills. Interpersonal and facilitation skills necessary to interface with and influence all levels of the organization with the ability to lead people and multi-disciplinary teams.
  • Strong problem solving and hands on trouble shooting skills. 
  • Excellent attention to detail on multiple simultaneous tasks.
  • SAP experience.
  • MES experience.
  • OSHA 10hr Safety Certification
  • Lean manufacturing and CI experience.

Working Conditions

• Work is performed in an office setting.
• Occasional exposure to industrial operations including: temperature extremes from approximately 35ºF to 100ºF; noise levels in excess of 85 dB; moisture and moving machinery.

EEOC & Disclaimer

Great Lakes Cheese is an Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer.