Engineering Project Manager

Engineering Project Manager – Food Manufacturing

Location: Chaska, MN (Onsite)

Compensation: $108,000–$145,000 Base + 15% Annual Bonus

Travel: Approximately 25–50%

About the Opportunity

We are partnering with a well-established, national food manufacturing company seeking an Engineering Project Manager to lead capital improvement projects across its manufacturing operations.

This is a newly created position driven by growth and increased capital investment. The company is looking for a hands‑on, self‑motivated engineering professional who can take ownership of projects, identify opportunities for improvement, and work closely with plant leadership to drive results.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead capital engineering projects from initial planning and budgeting through installation, commissioning, and startup.
• Manage project scope, timelines, budgets, contractors, and vendor relationships.
• Identify opportunities to improve equipment reliability, production efficiency, and overall plant performance.
• Develop capital expenditure proposals and provide project updates to leadership.
• Partner with Operations, Maintenance, and Engineering teams to execute projects with minimal disruption to production.
• Ensure projects meet safety, quality, regulatory, and operational standards.
• Support engineering initiatives across multiple manufacturing locations.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of engineering or capital project management experience within food manufacturing.
• Experience managing capital projects of $250K+ in multi-line manufacturing environments.
• Proven ability to independently manage projects from concept through commissioning.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing equipment, production processes, and plant operations.
• Collaborative, solutions-oriented approach with strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Willingness to travel up to 50% and provide occasional off‑shift or weekend support during project execution.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Experience with SAP and AutoCAD.
• Strong Excel skills, including pivot tables and lookups.
• Experience supporting equipment upgrades, process improvements, and production expansion projects.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

• Newly created role: Opportunity to make an immediate impact and take ownership of meaningful capital projects.
• High visibility: Work directly with plant leadership and cross‑functional teams.
• Project variety: Exposure to multiple facilities and a range of engineering initiatives.
• Career development: Join an established organization with continued investment in its manufacturing operations.
• Competitive compensation: Base salary of $108K–$145K, plus a 15% annual bonus opportunity.

Benefits

Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401(k) with company match, paid time off, paid holidays, and additional employee benefits.

Schedule: Primarily Monday–Friday, onsite, with flexibility required during installations, shutdowns, and other critical project milestones.