Engineering Director - Food Manufacturing & Automation

Dessert Holdings Inc.; Saint Paul (MN); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Dessert Holdings is seeking a Director of Engineering based in St. Paul, MN, with the option to work near a production facility. You will lead engineering across ten plants, manage capital projects, and drive standardization, asset care, and advanced manufacturing initiatives.

Occasional travel to sites is required. The role requires a Bachelor's in engineering, 10–15 years of leadership in food manufacturing, and strong collaboration with management teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or equivalent technical degree.
• 10–15 years of engineering leadership with project management and extensive food manufacturing experience.
• Ability to travel up to 75% across US and Canada.
• Hands-on problem solving with creative solutions and comfort with ambiguity.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Understand business implications of decisions and align with strategic goals.
• Ability to prioritize and plan work activities, set goals, timelines, and objectives.
• Demonstrated leadership to manage engineers, construction personnel, project managers, clients and executives.
• Experience with controls, packaging, electrical, mechanical, refrigeration systems; Lean Six Sigma knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Provide engineering leadership for multiple facilities and project engineers.
• Manage capital projects including expansions and capacity upgrades.
• Identify cost-reduction projects through process or equipment improvements and automation.
• Define technology and manufacturing capabilities to support new business and line extensions.
• Develop 3/5-year capital plans with budgets and schedules.
• Prepare studies, proposals, and capital justifications in standard formats.
• Develop and implement facility planning and construction packages and specs.
• Manage bid documents and vendor/architect/engineer contracts.
• Maintain engineering records and regulatory compliance.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Travel readiness

Strong communication

Project management

Problem solving

Process optimization

Automation/robotics

Education

Engineering degree

Tools

AutoCAD

Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Gantt

Project planners

Job description

Dessert Holdings is seeking a Director of Engineering based in St. Paul, MN, with the option to work near a production facility. You will lead engineering across ten plants, manage capital projects, and drive standardization, asset care, and advanced manufacturing initiatives.

Occasional travel to sites is required. The role requires a Bachelor's in engineering, 10–15 years of leadership in food manufacturing, and strong collaboration with management teams.