Capital Projects Engineer - Food Manufacturing

Vaco; Minnesota; On-site; USD 108,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid time off

Paid holidays

Job summary

Vaco by Highspring seeks an Engineering Project Manager to lead capital improvement projects in its food manufacturing network. This role drives projects from concept through commissioning and partners with plant leadership to improve reliability and overall plant performance.

Location is Chaska, MN onsite with up to 50% travel. Compensation is $108,000–$145,000 base plus a 15% annual bonus and a full benefits package.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of engineering or capital project management experience within food manufacturing.
• Experience managing capital projects of $250K+ in multi-line manufacturing environments.
• Proven ability to independently manage projects from concept through commissioning.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing equipment, production processes, and plant operations.
• Collaborative, solutions-oriented approach with strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Willingness to travel up to 50% and provide occasional off-shift or weekend support during project execution.

Responsibilities

• Lead capital engineering projects from initial planning and budgeting through installation, commissioning, and startup.
• Manage project scope, timelines, budgets, contractors, and vendor relationships.
• Identify opportunities to improve equipment reliability, production efficiency, and overall plant performance.
• Develop capital expenditure proposals and provide project updates to leadership.
• Partner with Operations, Maintenance, and Engineering teams to execute projects with minimal disruption to production.
• Ensure projects meet safety, quality, regulatory, and operational standards.
• Support engineering initiatives across multiple manufacturing locations.

Skills

Project management

Engineering background

Communication

Stakeholder management

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or Chemical Engineering

Tools

SAP

AutoCAD

Job description

Vaco by Highspring seeks an Engineering Project Manager to lead capital improvement projects in its food manufacturing network. This role drives projects from concept through commissioning and partners with plant leadership to improve reliability and overall plant performance.

Location is Chaska, MN onsite with up to 50% travel. Compensation is $108,000–$145,000 base plus a 15% annual bonus and a full benefits package.