GENERAL DESCRIPTION / PRIMARY PURPOSE:

Reporting to the VP of VA Operations, the Director of Engineering is responsible for ensuring the technical integrity, operational efficiency, and overall reliability of manufacturing systems and equipment. This role leads a multidisciplinary engineering team focused on optimizing equipment performance, reducing downtime, and delivering strategic capital and maintenance projects. This role will enhance plant operations through continuous improvement efforts that promote safety, food quality, environmental sustainability, and cost-effective operations. The role requires strong leadership, technical acumen, and a proactive approach to asset reliability and performance.

 

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS/DUTIES OF THE POSITION:

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of engineers and technical professionals in delivering effective maintenance and engineering solutions. • Oversee the planning and execution of capital projects to improve operational reliability and plant infrastructure. • Drive performance improvements in safety, food safety, and equipment reliability metrics. • Collaborate with cross-functional departments (Maintenance, Quality, Sanitation, FSQA, Production, Procurement, Cooler, Ag Operations) to ensure alignment with company goals. • Champion and implement reliability-centered maintenance practices, predictive maintenance, and failure analysis programs.  • Identify and address systemic equipment and infrastructure issues to improve operational performance. • Monitor equipment condition, lifecycle, and performance data to make data-driven investment and repair decisions. • Ensure engineering compliance with internal standards, Hygienic Design principles, GMP, SQF, OSHA, and environmental regulations. • Prepare and manage engineering and reliability budgets, with an emphasis on ROI and long-term cost control. • Develop three-year capital and master facility plans aligned with operational strategy. • Review project designs, cost estimates, and oversee vendor/contractor work to ensure technical and regulatory compliance. • Lead initiatives for process optimization and continuous improvement across the facility. • Support training programs for maintenance and operations teams to enhance equipment knowledge and reliability practices. • Perform inspections and evaluations of systems to identify improvement opportunities or risks. • Promote and enforce safety policies, practices, and audits as part of job site responsibility. • Serve as a technical liaison with auditors, vendors, and corporate engineering partners. • Other duties as assigned.