Project Engineer

Headquartered in Lakeville, Minn., Post Consumer Brands, a business unit of Post Holdings, Inc., is dedicated to providing people and their pets with delicious food choices for every taste and budget. The company’s portfolio includes beloved brands such as Honey Bunches of Oats®, PEBBLES®, Grape-Nuts® and Malt-O-Meal® cereal, and Peter Pan® peanut butter, as well as Nutrish®, Kibbles ‘n Bits® and 9Lives® dog and cat food. As a company committed to high standards of quality and to our values, we are driven by one idea: To make lives better by making delicious food accessible for all. For more information about our brands, visit www.postconsumerbrands.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook for the latest news.

At Post Consumer Brands, we’ve spent generations showing up for families, starting with breakfast, the most important meal of the day. Our cereals have become a trusted part of daily routines, helping spark conversations, fuel busy mornings, and create everyday moments that bring families closer together, including their furry four-legged family members, who have recently become a part of our story. As families have evolved, so have we. What began at the breakfast table has expanded into snacks, peanut butter, and pet food, because caring for a family means feeding every part of it. With the addition of several iconic pet brands, we’ve extended our purpose: to make high-quality, accessible food for everyone under the same roof.

This phase is still new, and that’s what makes it exciting. As we continue to grow across grocery and pet, we’re looking for people who care about good food, thoughtful work, and the kind of impact that stretches from store shelves to kitchen tables, and food bowls, across the country.

Visalia, CA is home to 360,000 square feet of manufacturing, packaging, warehouse, and office space. Approximately 250 employees work here, utilizing the latest technologies and systems, capable of producing extensive, diverse, and innovative pet food products. Visalia is in California’s San Joaquin Valley and the gateway to Sequoia National Park, part of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. It also has a minor league baseball team, the Visalia California Oaks, and several colleges and universities.

Basic Function: 

The position of Project Engineer is responsible for managing of all phases of multiple capital projects.  Ideal candidate for this position will have experience scoping, budgeting, and ensuring all compliance to all regulations and design standards (detailed below).  This is a collaborative position that works extremely closely with the production, maintenance, QA and safety departments.  

Essential duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to: 

• Strong Project Management experience (e.g. management of multimillion dollar capital improvement projects, developing and maintaining timeline and budget).  

• Prepare, schedule, coordinate and monitor the assigned engineering projects, complying with applicable codes, practices, QA policies, performance standards and specifications 

• Develop all drawings and layouts.  

• Size all new equipment and processes to meet all current and planned growth.  

• Determine and spec materials, hardware, and equipment needed for project work 

• Monitor compliance to applicable codes, practices, QA/QC policies, performance standards and specifications 

• Perform overall quality control of the work (budget, schedule, plans, contractor performance) and report regularly on project status 

• Review and deliver engineering deliverables  

• Review engineering deliverables and initiate appropriate corrective actions 

• Conduct regular meetings with key personnel representing all affected departments to ensure clarification and meet specific requirements in a timely  matter 

• Follow Good Manufacturing Practices ( GMPs) and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) programs 

• Maintain a safe and food-safe project work environment during construction phases to ensure people and food safety 

• Strive for vertical startup on all projects 

• Cooperate and communicate effectively with project manager and other project participants to provide assistance and technical support 

• Develop SOP and training for all new equipment and processes from assigned projects.  

• Ability to construct project budgets and timelines 

• Work with outside vendors to assist with project work completion  

• Know and understand city, county, state and federal regulations relating to maintenance and plant equipment; works in a manner to ensure that these regulations are met.  

• Participates in safety, health, and environmental programs. 

• Report any food safety issue observed to Manager or Supervisor. 

• Report any security breaches, attempts at product tampering or contamination, or other suspicious behavior observed to Manager or Supervisor. 

• Maintain a positive attitude and contribute to a quality environment 

• Complete records/quality checks with accuracy and attention to detail. 

• Escalate any non-conforming product/equipment/material to the appropriate manager/supervisor immediately.  

• Follow Company’s quality assurance procedures and protocols at all times while on duty  

• Promote a positive proactive environment where input from team members is valued and encouraged. 

• Ability to oversee and manage projects during weekends and holidays 

• Partner with internal customers and suppliers, colleagues and support services to ensure achievement of targets. 

• Complete understanding and enforcement of safety and food safety initiatives (e.g. OSHA, GMP, HACCP, RMP, and PHA). 

• Provide back-up support for other roles, as necessary.  

• Other duties as assigned by the manager/supervisor. 

Qualifications and Competencies: 

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill or ability necessary to perform this job successfully: 

• Education/Experience:  

• Bachelors Degree in Engineering 

• Five to seven (5-7)  years of project engineering and management experience at manufacturing site 

• Experience in a beverage, food or other clean manufacturing environment with familiarity with quality, GMP, and hygiene regulations. 

• Experience with pneumatics, hydraulics, electric systems, PLC control systems and communication systems. 

• Skills:  

• Strong organization skills and detail oriented 

• Excellent knowledge and ability to use design and drawing software such as AutoCAD 

• Ability to use software for collaboration, schedule and budget management such as Microsoft Office and Microsoft Project 

• Proven success in areas of project management 

• Proven success in providing drawings, layouts, equipment sizing, schedules and budgets.  

• Manage projects to completion to meet time and budget constraints.  

• Spatial planning; drawings and layouts development  

• Must be self-motivated, proactive and able to work independently and as a team 

• Systematic Troubleshooting Skills 

• Excellent Communication Skills –  provide continuous updates on project status including timing and spend 

• Ability to manage multiple projects at once 

• Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. 

• Understand production processes, technical troubleshooting, and root cause analysis skills. 

• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups. 

• Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form. 

• Time management, delegation, and organization skills with strong problem solving ability. 

• Physical Requirements:  

• Frequently climb ladders, and occasionally work at heights of 100 feet. 

• Frequently work in elevated temperatures while following acceptable safety restrictions 

Environment: 

• Regularly exposed to work near moving parts/equipment.  

• Regularly exposed to major amounts of dust. 

• Regularly exposed to moderate to severe noise levels. 

• Frequently exposed to outdoor/uncontrolled weather conditions 

• Occasionally exposed to chemicals used in the manufacturing process.