Engineering Project Manager

Who We Are
At JonnyPops, our team is empowered to make an impact every day — from producing high-quality, innovative frozen novelties to spreading kindness one pop at a time. We look for bright and ambitious individuals who seek out challenges, thrive in fast-paced and high-growth environments, align with our core values, and get fulfillment from seeing their work transform the world around them.

Based in Elk River, MN, JonnyPops develops, manufactures, distributes, and markets frozen novelties. Growing from a dorm-room start-up in 2012, our mission is to make “A Better Pop for a Better World!” — and we lead the frozen novelties space in innovation, using simple ingredients with no artificial dyes. Every pop stick includes a kind deed, spreading kindness every day.

Why This Role Exists
JonnyPops is executing an aggressive capital and operational improvement agenda at its Elk River manufacturing facility. From major equipment installations and facility buildouts to utility upgrades and line expansions, our engineering and operations project load has grown substantially. Managing this work — across general contractors, trade partners, equipment vendors, and internal teams — requires someone who knows how to run construction and engineering projects the right way: on scope, on budget, and on time.

This role is the connective tissue between what leadership decides to build and what actually gets built. We need someone who can write a scope, build an estimate, run a bid process, manage a contractor, track time and materials against budget, and hold everyone — internal and external — accountable to the plan. Commercial construction and industrial project experience is essential; this is not a residential background role.

Job Summary
TheEngineering Project Manager owns the planning, execution, and financial control of capital projects and engineering initiatives at JonnyPops’ Elk River facility. You will manage projects from initial scoping and estimation through contractor selection, construction, commissioning, and close-out — maintaining full visibility into time, materials, labor, and budget at every stage. You will work directly with Operations & Engineering leadership and serve as the primary interface between JonnyPops and its contractors, vendors, and trade partners. You are the person on the floor when work is happening, and the person in the room when decisions need to be made.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Project Planning, Scoping & Estimation

• Develop detailed project scopes, schedules, and cost estimates for capital construction and engineering projects — from facility modifications and equipment installations to utility upgrades and infrastructure improvements.
• Produce and maintain accurate time-and-materials (T&M) estimates, lump-sum bids, and budget forecasts; track actuals against estimates throughout the project lifecycle.
• Develop and manage project schedules using industry-standard tools; identify critical path dependencies, float, and risk areas before they become problems.
• Coordinate and lead pre-construction planning — including site walks, constructability reviews, permit requirements, and phasing plans that minimize production disruption.

Contractor & Vendor Management

• Manage the full bid and procurement process — developing RFPs, evaluating contractor submissions, conducting bid leveling, and making award recommendations to leadership.
• Serve as the primary day-to-day owner of contractor and subcontractor relationships — setting clear expectations, managing performance, reviewing daily logs, and resolving field issues promptly.
• Review, validate, and approve contractor invoices, T&M tickets, and change order requests — challenging scope creep and cost overruns with documented justification before any approval.
• Maintain and grow a qualified contractor and vendor base for the trades and services JonnyPops uses most — ensuring competitive pricing, reliability, and alignment with facility and food-safety standards.

Budget & Financial Control

• Own the project budget from initial appropriation request through final close-out — maintaining a real-time view of committed costs, actuals, and forecast-to-complete at all times.
• Produce regular budget status reports for the VP of Operations / Engineering and finance leadership — with clear variance explanations and corrective actions when needed.
• Develop capital appropriation requests (CARs) and business cases for new projects, including cost-benefit analysis, ROI projections, and risk assessments.
• Track and reconcile time-and-materials billing across all active contractors; identify billing errors, duplicate charges, and unapproved work before they hit the ledger.

Construction Execution & Field Oversight

• Provide active field presence during construction and installation activities — monitoring work quality, safety compliance, and adherence to scope and schedule in real time.
• Coordinate project activities with production scheduling to minimize disruption to manufacturing operations — sequencing work, managing access, and communicating impacts proactively.
• Manage permit coordination, inspection scheduling, and AHJ relationships for all permitted construction and mechanical work at the facility.
• Lead project close-out activities — punch lists, as-built documentation, equipment commissioning sign-offs, warranty management, and lessons learned capture.

Program Management & Cross-Functional Coordination

• Maintain a master project portfolio tracker with status, budget, schedule, and risk visibility across all active capital and engineering initiatives — updated and distributed to leadership on a regular cadence.
• Coordinate with operations, maintenance, quality, and supply chain teams to align project timelines with production needs, equipment delivery schedules, and organizational priorities.
• Identify, escalate, and manage project risks proactively — with mitigation plans in place before issues become schedule or budget impacts.
• Support the development of the annual capital plan and multi-year facility roadmap in partnership with the VP of Operations / Engineering and finance leadership.

Minimum Qualifications

• 7+ years of project management experience in commercial construction, industrial construction, or heavy manufacturing — with a clear track record of delivering complex projects on scope, on schedule, and on budget.
• Deep, demonstrated expertise in time-and-materials management, cost estimating, and budget control — you can build an estimate from scratch and defend every line item.
• Extensive experience managing general contractors, subcontractors, and trade partners across multiple simultaneous projects — including bid management, contract administration, and change order control.
• Strong working knowledge of commercial and industrial construction processes — including MEP systems, structural work, permitting, and inspections. Residential-only background is not a fit for this role.
• Proficiency with project scheduling tools ( ASANA, MS Project, Smartsheet, Procore, or equivalent) and financial tracking tools.
• Ability to read and interpret construction drawings, specifications, P&IDs, and engineering documents.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills — able to produce clear project status reports, budget summaries, and executive updates that don’t require translation.
• Comfortable operating in a fast-moving, high-growth company where priorities shift and ambiguity is part of the job — you build the process, you don’t wait for it.

Preferred Qualifications

• PMP, CCM, or equivalent project management certification.
• Experience in food & beverage, CPG, or other regulated manufacturing environments — understanding the unique constraints of working in an active production facility.
• Familiarity with capital appropriation processes, owner’s representative responsibilities, and design-build delivery models.
• Experience managing equipment procurement and installation projects — from vendor selection and FAT through site installation, commissioning, and startup.
• Working knowledge of OSHA construction safety standards (29 CFR 1926) and general industry safety (29 CFR 1910).
• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field — or equivalent experience.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

• Primarily on-site at the Elk River manufacturing facility; role requires regular field presence during active construction and installation phases.
• Regularly required to walk construction sites, climb ladders, and access elevated areas; must be comfortable in active manufacturing and construction environments.
• Works in variable temperature environments; exposure to industrial noise, machinery, and construction activity.
• Occasional travel to vendor facilities, equipment suppliers, or the Plymouth office as project needs require.
• PPE required in all production and active construction areas per JonnyPops and contractor safety standards.

Benefits
JonnyPops offers a competitive benefits package, including:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• HSA, FSA, and DCFSA
• Life & AD&D Insurance | Short & Long Term Disability
• Flexible Time Off (FTO) / PTO + Paid Holidays + Sick & Safe Leave
• 401(k) | EAP Programs | Employee Referral Program

Expected Pay:
$135,000-165,000

JonnyPops offers a competitive benefits package which includes the following:

• Medical/Health Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• HSA
• FSA
• DCFSA
• Life & AD&D Insurance
• Short & Long Term Disability
• FTO/PTO
• EAP Programs
• Paid Holidays
• Employee Referral Program
• Sick & Safe Leave
• 401k
• Company Sponsored Meal Plan

* Hired candidates may be eligible to receive additional compensation in the form of bonuses and/or commissions.