Director of Engineering

Nexus Search; North Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Nexus Search in the United States is partnering with a high-growth, private equity-backed food & nutrition manufacturing business to appoint a Director of Engineering. This hands-on engineering leader will deliver capital projects across a multi-site network, driving engineering excellence.

The role emphasizes leading end-to-end capital projects, process improvements, and ROI-driven initiatives while coordinating with operations, finance, and leadership teams to prioritize and execute strategic

Qualifications

• Strong engineering foundation in mechanical, chemical, or industrial fields.
• Proven experience delivering capital projects within a manufacturing environment.
• Hands-on understanding of processing equipment and plant operations.
• Experience in food, ingredients, dairy, or adjacent processing environments preferred.
• Background in equipment-intensive manufacturing.
• Track record managing CapEx budgets, procurement, and vendor relationships.
• Comfortable in a fast-paced, evolving environment with high autonomy.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end capital projects from scoping through commissioning.
• Drive process improvements and operational efficiency across sites.
• Manage equipment selection, vendor relationships, and external contractors.
• Partner with operations, finance, and leadership to deliver ROI-driven initiatives.
• Establish and enhance project management frameworks and best practices.
• Monitor and report on project timelines, budgets, and performance metrics.
• Support site expansions, upgrades, and integration of new facilities.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Capital project delivery

Project management

Stakeholder management

Operational efficiency

Equipment/plant operations

Job description

We are partnering with a high-growth, private equity-backed food & nutrition manufacturing business to appoint a Director of Engineering.

This is a key leadership role focused on driving capital investment projects and engineering excellence across a multi-site manufacturing network. The company is in an active growth phase, with ongoing investments in operations, infrastructure, and expansion.

The Role

This position operates as a hands-on engineering leader, responsible for delivering capital projects from concept through execution across multiple production facilities.

Key responsibilities include:

• Lead end-to-end capital projects (scoping, design, budgeting, execution, commissioning)
• Drive process improvements and operational efficiency across sites
• Manage equipment selection, vendor relationships, and external contractors
• Partner with operations, finance, and leadership teams to prioritize and deliver ROI-driven initiatives
• Establish and enhance project management frameworks and best practices
• Monitor and report on project timelines, budgets, and performance metrics
• Support site expansions, upgrades, and integration of new facilities

What We’re Looking For

• Strong engineering foundation (Mechanical, Chemical, Industrial, or similar)
• Proven experience delivering capital projects within a manufacturing environment
• Hands-on understanding of processing equipment and plant operations
• Experience within food, ingredients, dairy, or adjacent processing environments preferred
• Background in equipment-intensive manufacturing (e.g., thermal processing, drying, liquid or powder handling systems) is highly valuable
• Track record of managing CapEx budgets, procurement, and vendor relationships
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, evolving environment with high autonomy
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills