Engineering Manager

Juanita's Foods has been delivering authentic Mexican food to families across the country for over 78 years. Based in Wilmington, CA, we are a trusted manufacturer of shelf-stable sauces, beans, canned foods, and ready-to-eat products rooted in heritage, quality, and flavor. We are growing our team and looking for passionate brand storytellers who can help us reach the next generation of fans.


The Engineering Manager is responsible for managing and coordinating all activities of the Engineering Department. Reporting to the Director of Engineering, the Engineering Manager will be developing and managing related Capital and Continuous Improvement Projects in the aspects of quality, safety, performance, schedule, and budget. This position is also responsible for supervising a team of Engineers and Project Managers and will include assigning tasks/projects, monitoring performance, and taking on high level engineering projects. Additional responsibilities include OEM, Vendor and Contractor Management.


The Engineering Manager will work closely with the Maintenance Manager, Operations Manager and QA Manager on all capital and continuous improvement projects, design, testing, creating innovative solutions, and problem solving. Additionally, this role involves collaborating with management and floor-level employees to drive continuous improvements.


Requirements

• Manages and leads all engineering activities during the proposal, design, construction, and commissioning stages.
• Provide daily/ weekly updates to the Director of Engineering on all projects and activities.
• Drive and lead the creation and execution of the yearly Capital Plan.
• Work with the Senior Management Team to collaboratively develop the Capital Plan.
• Direct and work with Project Managers and Engineers on creating the CER's for all Capital Projects in the organization.
• Develop cost data for the CER's to include ROI's and Cost Avoidances, and Acquisition Justifications.
• Evaluation of capital equipment and related cost justifications.
• Assess cost effectiveness and feasibility of manufacturing processes; make and implement recommendations to reduce costs and improve efficiency.
• Provides guidance and oversight in the development and execution of plant and site renovations and repairs.
• Coordinate all modifications, additions and repair projects in the plant, including those performed by or scheduled by outside contractors.
• Responsible for reviewing project drawings, calculations & specifications.
• Responsible for the maintenance and organization of the plant drawing library.
• Establish priorities, schedule teams, and provide guidance and leadership to the Engineering team.
• Ensure strict accountability for the performance of Engineering direct reports and indirect reports.
• Responsible for regular 1:1 meetings, career development discussions, performance reviews, individual promotions, and team retention. Maintain and grow positive team culture.
• Oversee the daily workflow of the department. Recruits, interviews, hires, and trains new staff in the department.
• Prepares and implements the departmental budget.
• Periodically review the RCA Action Lists and execute the upgrades that are related to the Engineering group.
• Provide technical leadership of diverse engineering disciplines, project planning.
• Maintain high levels of quality and responsiveness to meet internal requirements in alignment with company expectations.
• Effectively manage multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring on-time and on-budget delivery.
• Assist the Maintenance Manager in preparing the maintenance operating budget.
• Understand the operation of all equipment and machinery within the manufacturing plant.
• Continuously seek out new technologies and methods to improve efficiency and quality.
• Communicate effectively with Maintenance, Production, and QA teams to ensure project alignment.
• Proactively contributes to cross-functional team efforts.
• Identify potential risks and develop mitigation strategies.
• Work closely and provide engineering support to the Environmental Manager on all items related to Environmental Compliance.
• Ensures compliance with health and safety laws, regulations, guidelines, including OSHA requirements, food Safety, sanitation, personal safety and environmental.
• Compliance with all company policies and procedures, including safety rules and Good Manufacturing Practices.
• Other duties as assigned.
• Excellent verbal and written English communication skills.
• Strong organizational, prioritization, analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong MS Office skills, especially in Excel.
• Proficient in AutoCAD.
• Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines.
• Strong supervisory and leadership skills.
• Strong Mechanical and Electrical Knowledge.
• Basic Electrical Controls Knowledge.
• Project Management experience.
• Experience working with Cross-Functional teams
• Experience with financial rules, financial reporting and analysis.
• Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines.
• Experience with Production Equipment, especially for Food Processing is a plus.
• Ability to function well in a fast-paced environment.
• Fluent in Spanish is a plus.
• Bachelor's Degree in an Engineering Field (Mechanical, Electrical, Mechatronics, Industrial).
• Minimum of 5 years' experience in a food manufacturing plant.
• Prior experience as an Engineering or Maintenance Manager in manufacturing environment.