Capital Projects Engineer – Manufacturing Operations

Kent Consumer Brands Americas, LLC in; Muscatine (IA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Kent Consumer Brands Americas, LLC is seeking a Project Engineer to drive capital investment, operational excellence, and continuous improvement across the manufacturing network in Muscatine, Iowa. You will lead engineering projects from concept through startup, partnering with cross-functional teams to deliver solutions that enhance safety, quality, productivity, and growth.

This role involves collaboration with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, and Finance among others, and includes travel to

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or related technical discipline.
• Minimum 3 years of experience in manufacturing, food production, or continuous process environment.
• Minimum 3 years of experience managing capital projects (planning, budgeting, scheduling, installation, commissioning, startup).
• Minimum 3 years of experience leading cross-functional projects with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, Safety, Engineering, and external vendors.
• Experience managing construction activities, contractors, and equipment installations in manufacturing.
• Proficiency with AutoCAD or a comparable CAD platform.
• Knowledge of manufacturing automation, packaging systems, processing equipment, and plant operations.
• Understanding of food manufacturing regulations, GMPs, food safety, OSHA, and environmental compliance.

Responsibilities

• Lead capital and operational projects from concept through startup, including scope, budgeting, scheduling, procurement, installation, commissioning, and closeout.
• Develop and implement technical solutions meeting objectives while ensuring safety, quality, environmental, and regulatory compliance.
• Collaborate with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, Environmental, Safety, R&D, Finance, Sales, Marketing, and external partners to achieve objectives.
• Manage contractors, vendors, and construction activities, coordinating field execution to ensure timely, on-budget completion.
• Ensure compliance with corporate standards and applicable codes while promoting a safe, quality-focused environment.
• Drive innovation and continuous improvement by applying best practices and lessons learned to productivity and performance.
• Provide technical support to Engineering, Operations, and Maintenance to improve equipment reliability.
• Communicate project status, risks, scope changes, and milestones to stakeholders with actionable recommendations.
• Maintain accurate project documentation and records for transparency and long-term needs.

Skills

Cross-functional teamwork

Project management

Engineering analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering

Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering

Tools

AutoCAD

Job description

Kent Consumer Brands Americas, LLC is seeking a Project Engineer to drive capital investment, operational excellence, and continuous improvement across the manufacturing network in Muscatine, Iowa. You will lead engineering projects from concept through startup, partnering with cross-functional teams to deliver solutions that enhance safety, quality, productivity, and growth.

This role involves collaboration with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, and Finance among others, and includes travel to