Chief Engineer

Nexus Search; Wisconsin; On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Nexus Search is recruiting on behalf of a well-established Wisconsin-based food manufacturing organization for a hands-on Plant Engineer. The role focuses on improving equipment reliability, supporting production, and driving plant improvements.

The engineer will be on the plant floor, working directly with equipment and people to solve problems and see measurable results. Strong mechanical and collaboration skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience in food manufacturing or consumer products.
• Strong mechanical troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to read and understand mechanical drawings, equipment specifications, and technical documentation.
• Experience managing capital projects and equipment installations.

Responsibilities

• Provide hands-on engineering support to plant operations, production, and maintenance teams.
• Troubleshoot mechanical problems and identify root causes.
• Lead initiatives to reduce downtime and improve equipment reliability.
• Develop and implement preventive maintenance strategies and reliability initiatives.
• Support the installation, commissioning, and optimization of new production equipment.
• Lead capital projects and plant improvement initiatives from concept through completion.

Skills

Hands-on

Analytical

Proactive

Practical

Collaborative

Organized

Technical

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related

Job description

Our client is a well-established food manufacturing organization with 40+ years of growth through strategic acquisitions. Today, the company operates multiple production facilities and a 5,000+ person organization, with a strong reputation for quality, innovation, and operational excellence within the food manufacturing industry.

We are seeking a hands-on Plant Engineer to join the team and play a key role in improving equipment reliability, supporting production, and driving plant improvements.

This is an opportunity for an engineer who enjoys being on the plant floor, working directly with equipment and people, solving problems, and seeing the results of their work.

The Opportunity

The Plant Engineer will provide technical leadership across plant engineering, equipment reliability, maintenance support, and capital projects.

This individual will work closely with Production, Maintenance, Operations, and Engineering to identify opportunities, resolve equipment issues, reduce downtime, and improve overall plant performance.

The role will also work closely with an Assistant Engineer and help establish greater structure, organization, and technical capability within the engineering function.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide hands-on engineering support to plant operations, production, and maintenance teams.
• Troubleshoot mechanical and equipment-related problems and identify root causes of recurring failures.
• Drive initiatives to reduce unplanned downtime and improve equipment reliability.
• Develop and implement equipment improvements, preventive maintenance strategies, and reliability initiatives.
• Support the installation, commissioning, and optimization of new production equipment.
• Lead and manage capital projects and plant improvement initiatives from concept through completion.
• Work with equipment vendors, contractors, and outside engineering resources.
• Evaluate equipment performance and recommend repairs, upgrades, replacements, or modifications.
• Assist with plant utilities, production equipment, material handling systems, and facility improvements.
• Develop project scopes, budgets, schedules, specifications, and implementation plans.
• Partner closely with Maintenance and Production to prioritize the plant's most critical engineering and reliability issues.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to the Assistant Engineer.
• Establish engineering processes, documentation, standards, and organizational structure.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, quality, productivity, reliability, and cost reduction.
• Ensure engineering projects and equipment modifications meet applicable safety, food-safety, and regulatory requirements.

What We're Looking For

The ideal candidate is a strong mechanical or plant engineering professional with manufacturing experience who enjoys working close to the equipment and solving real-world operational problems.

You should be comfortable moving between the plant floor, maintenance shop, production environment, and engineering/project work.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or a related engineering discipline preferred.
• Experience in food manufacturing or consumer products
• Strong mechanical troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
• Experience with manufacturing equipment, machinery, conveyors, motors, gearboxes, pumps, pneumatics, hydraulics, or similar systems.
• Experience with equipment reliability, preventive maintenance, root-cause analysis, or continuous improvement.
• Experience managing capital projects and equipment installations.
• Ability to read and understand mechanical drawings, equipment specifications, and technical documentation.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work effectively with maintenance technicians, operators, production leaders, vendors, and contractors.
• A practical, hands-on approach to engineering and problem solving.

The Right Person Will Be

• Hands-on – You want to be on the floor, not behind a desk all day.
• Analytical – You can get to the root cause of equipment problems.
• Proactive – You identify problems before they become production failures.
• Practical – You understand that engineering solutions have to work in the real world.
• Collaborative – You enjoy working alongside maintenance and production teams.
• Organized – You can manage multiple projects and competing plant priorities.
• Technical – You can earn the respect of experienced maintenance and operations professionals.
• A builder – You want to develop processes, people, and an engineering function—not simply maintain the status quo.