Director of Engineering - Strategic Capital Delivery

Perdue Foods has a goal of becoming the most trusted name in premium proteins by creating products for consumers and for retail and foodservice customers around the globe while changing the way animals are raised for food. It is part of Perdue Farms, a fourth-generation, family-owned food and agricultural business deeply rooted in tradition yet with a forward-thinking mindset. We believe that success starts with our people, and our culture is built on a foundation of teamwork, integrity, and respect, where every voice matters and everyone is encouraged to contribute to our shared goals. We are dedicated to creating a supportive, inclusive environment where associates feel valued and inspired to make an impact, both within the company and in the communities we serve. From promoting growth and development to prioritizing work-life balance, we’re committed to helping our team members thrive. That's Perdue.

Summary

As the Director of Engineering Strategic Capital Delivery, you will oversee the planning and execution of large-scale capital investments that strengthen food safety, enhance employee safety, improve operational performance, and drive long-term business growth across our manufacturing network. In this highly visible leadership role, you will lead complex capital projects ranging from $50M to more than $200M, partnering with engineering firms, EPC partners, and cross-functional leaders across Operations, FSQA, Maintenance, EHS, Procurement, and Finance to deliver projects from concept through commissioning with minimal disruption to production. This role is ideal for a strategic, results-driven engineering leader who thrives in a fast-paced, highly regulated environment, excels at leading cross-functional teams, and is passionate about delivering innovative solutions that create lasting value for the business.

Principal Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Lead planning and execution of large-scale capital projects typically ranging from $50M to $200M+ and major equipment installations across processing, packaging, cold storage, rendering, and support operations.
• Develop clear scopes of work, budgets, schedules, and risk-response plans that prioritize production continuity.
• Select, manage, and oversee contractors, OEMs, integrators, and engineering partners to ensure compliance with food safety, sanitary design, and plant standards.
• Accountable for delivering large capital projects on scope, schedule, and budget while aligning with enterprise operational and financial objectives.
• Direct equipment installation, commissioning, validation, and performance verification.
• Maintain accountability for project cash flow.
• Drive consistent use of standardized engineering work practices and build a team culture centered on strong project-management and execution methods.
• Ensure all engineering activities align with USDA, FSIS, FDA (as applicable), OSHA, and environmental regulatory requirements.
• Partner with FSQA to ensure designs meet sanitation, hygienic zoning, allergen control, and biosecurity expectations.
• Integrate GMPs and sanitary design principles into equipment, layouts, and construction methods.
• Support audit readiness and implement response actions tied to engineering systems or controls.
• Provide technical oversight on process flow, utilities (steam, refrigeration, compressed air, wastewater), material handling, and automation systems.
• Troubleshoot and lead root-cause analysis for equipment or process failures affecting yield, uptime, or food safety.
• Recommend and implement engineered solutions that reduce downtime and improve reliability.
• Evaluate, standardize, and deploy equipment and technologies across multiple facilities when beneficial.
• Apply project-management best practices to achieve optimal project outcomes.
• Collaborate with Operations, Maintenance, FSQA, EHS, Procurement, and Finance throughout the project lifecycle, and drive engagement with external OEMs, engineering partners, and contractor team members from project initiation through closeout.
• Ensure all documentation, training, and equipment handover steps are properly completed for seamless transition to plant teams.
• Serve as a technical mentor to Project Engineers and plant engineering teams, building capability across the organization.
• Promote and model consistent project-management, documentation, and change-management standards.
• Partner with plant and complex leadership as a trusted engineering advisor on capital planning and long-term infrastructure strategy.

This position is remote with 40-60% travel to support projects across the enterprise.

Minimum Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, or Industrial Engineering, or a related discipline; equivalent large-scale capital project experience may be accepted in lieu of a degree.
• 20+ years of engineering and project-management experience in food, poultry, meat, or other regulated manufacturing environments.
• Demonstrated success leading large capital projects within active production facilities.
• Strong understanding of food safety systems, sanitary design, and plant utilities.
• Excellent communication, problem-solving, teamwork, and organizational skills.

Preferred Education and Experience

• Professional Engineer (PE) license or PMP certification.
• Experience within USDA-inspected poultry or meat-processing facilities.
• Familiarity with refrigeration systems, wastewater treatment, automation/controls, and packaging systems.
• Previous leadership experience adhering to structured engineering work practices that align with internal capital-execution governance.

Physical Requirements and Environmental Factors

• Ability to work in cold, wet, and high-noise production areas.
• Frequent time on the plant floor; occasional off-shift, weekend, or emergency work as needed.
• 40–60% travel to support projects across the enterprise, with increased onsite presence during critical project and startup phases.

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Perdue Farms Inc. is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.