Plant Engineering Manager

Responsibilities

• Oversee all engineering, maintenance, utilities, and automation systems within a large, highly automated USDA food manufacturing plant.
• Set the technical vision for the plant, ensuring engineering strategies align with production goals and food safety requirements.
• Own the plant’s reliability strategy, including preventive, predictive, and condition-based maintenance programs (TPM).
• Lead automation and controls oversight, including PLCs, SCADA, and industrial robotics.
• Ensure all engineering and maintenance activities meet USDA, FDA, HACCP, and GMP standards.
• Lead multi-million-dollar capital projects from concept through commissioning and validation.
• Manage plant utilities including ammonia refrigeration, boilers, compressed air, and wastewater.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives such as Lean, Six Sigma, and Kaizen to optimize OEE and reduce waste.
• Manage engineering and maintenance budgets, including labor, spare parts, and capital expenditures.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial, or related field).
• 7–10+ years of engineering or maintenance leadership experience in food manufacturing, CPG, or high-automation environments.
• Strong knowledge of USDA, FDA, HACCP, and GMP regulatory requirements.
• Proven expertise in project management and managing complex timelines and budgets.
• Deep understanding of root cause analysis (RCA), FMEA, and reliability-centered maintenance.
• Experience managing large-scale capital projects and cross-functional teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional certifications such as PE, PMP, or Six Sigma.
• Experience in ready-to-eat (RTE) food manufacturing facilities.

Benefits

• Competitive annual salary range of $165,000 - $185,000.
• Relocation package available for qualified candidates.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits.
• Life and disability insurance.
• 401k participation.
• Paid holidays and paid time off.

About the Company

Link Snacks is a global leader in the meat snack industry, home to iconic brands like Jack Link’s®, Lorissa’s Kitchen®, and Golden Island®. We are a team of gritty, passionate people who thrive on challenges and drive innovation to deliver extraordinary results in the protein snack space.