Senior Project Design Engineer - Hilmar, CA

Sr. Project Design Engineer

Location: Hilmar, CA Compensation: 120,000-160,000 Bonus: Up to 14% target annual bonus Relocation: Up to $15,000 Schedule: On-site, Monday–Friday (full-time) Travel: 0–15%

About the Role

Join a nationwide industry leader producing high-quality dairy and nutrition ingredients for retail and foodservice brands across the globe. We’re seeking a Sr. Project Design Engineer to lead capital projects at the Hilmar, CA site. The Senior Design Project Engineer is simultaneously a design engineer and a technical project management responsible for managing capital projects that execute the strategic plan of the Corporation driven through their Strategic Asset Management Plan (SAMP) and the Portfolio Management Office (PMO) to accomplish the goals of the organization. At the direction of the site engineering manager, the Senior Project Design Engineer is the supervising engineer on short and long-term asset management, reliability, and engineering projects.

Job Responsibilities

Manage large scale projects end to end simultaneously leveraging internal and external resources to ensure projects deliver business outcomes, and our asset decisions and investments deliver value. Responsible for project scheduling, communication, costing, procurement, and budget creation, justification, and management for an average of 4-5 projects at one time and commissioning 10-15 projects annually with a total investment of up to $20 million. Mentor and develop less experienced engineers by providing guidance and technical support. Management of capital projects to include concept/solution development, communication and stakeholder plans, process and design optimization, technical and economic evaluation of alternatives, scope definition and control, budgeting, scheduling, detailed engineering and design, regulatory compliance (environmental, safety, USDA, TXDHS, CDFA, KDA, and FDA), project FAT/SAT, and commissioning for optimization Design, develop, and engineer process and infrastructure systems and solutions, performing design calculations, equipment and component sizing and selections, ensuring systems are designed within code and compliance standards. Specify, calculate, and/or design utility consumptions. Develop and maintain Process and Instrumentation Diagrams, Process Flow Diagrams, Equipment Models, Layouts, technical drawings, Bill of Materials, and engineering documentation. Review and track field changes, lead the execution of design and construction implementation as well as any changes. Establish and maintain strong relationships with project teams, collaborating across departments to ensure business outcomes are delivered. Coordinated delivery through technical interfaces between mechanical, process, automation, and electrical disciplines Interface with cheese and ingredients business units to address and resolve reliability, asset and engineering risks and issues through vendor engagement, design review against current state, performance guarantees, reliability-focused design recommendations, and asset integrity reviews. Manage budget spend and forecasting within +/- 10% accuracy monthly; continually manage project schedule, risks and quality to meet project schedule, risks and quality to meet project business outcomes needed. Accountable to ensure internal good engineering and project management practices are followed, including installation, operational, and performance qualification documentation, ensuring product and project quality by design. Understand and apply to designs: Engineering principles (thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and process controls), theories, concepts, practices, and techniques, applying statistical analysis as necessary. Engage in and develop mathematical models, mass balances, and risk matrices for engineering designs and asset investment decisions, including whole-life asset costing to support strategic investment decisions. Build and maintain strong vendor relationships, representing the company during vendor engagements, managing the RFP process, including obtaining pricing and defining equipment needs. Review and analyze vendor agreements, including terms and conditions and master service agreements, and provide recommendations for revisions to leadership. Facilitate effective written communication and decision making and risk management meetings across the business to achieve project outcomes; lead, develop, and deliver presentations to leadership at all levels for project design and risk reviews as part of strategic asset management decisions and processes.

What You Will Need

Bachelor's degree in engineering plus 5 years’ related experience OR Master’s degree in Engineering plus 3 years’ related experience. Demonstrates integrity in relationships and decision-making as well as in the handling of intellectual property or sensitive information. Be a self-starter that builds strong relationships, leads and collaborates effectively in teams, and consistently seeks excellence and improvement. Strong communication skills with the ability to clearly convey complex technical and business concepts. Applies engineering principles, good judgement and reasoning in technical decision making and problem solving. Ability to envision imaginative and practical solutions to complex problems Experience developing technical solutions and engineering system designs that deliver innovative and economical solutions in response to business needs. Tactical knowledge of production operations management for quality, yield, and cost. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite

What Will Put You Ahead

Bachelor's degree in engineering from ABET accredited university plus 7 years of related experience OR Master's degree in Engineering from ABET accredited university plus 4 years of related experience Experience and knowledge in Dairy, Biotech, Pharmaceutical, Food or Manufacturing in process or project engineering, preferably infant formula, high-hygienic, sanitary facility experience and familiarity with 3A/EHEDG sanitary standards, USDA, FDA, PMO, and state dairy manufacturing regulations. Certifications and practical experience in Project, Asset or Risk Management: PMP, PMI-RMP, IAM. Utilization of risk management, retrospectives, and lessons learned to drive actionable improvement. Experience with sequential or agile project management tools such as Planview or MS Project.