Engineering Project Leader

Conagra Brands; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 82,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Bonus potential

401(k) with company match

Stock purchase plan

Job summary

Conagra Brands seeks an engineering project leader to oversee initiatives from conception to completion. You will drive safety, scope, cost estimation, forecasting, and scheduling while guiding cross-functional teams to deliver on time and budget across multiple sites.

You will coordinate with manufacturing, QA, and external vendors, provide technical leadership, and ensure compliance with USDA/FDA standards. A bachelor’s in engineering and 3+ years in relevant manufacturing sectors are required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in an Engineering discipline.
• 3+ years of experience in food manufacturing, pharmaceutical manufacturing, or consumer packaged goods manufacturing.
• Experience delivering complex engineering projects valued at one million dollars or greater.
• Strong understanding of engineering principles and manufacturing processes.
• Experience managing multiple concurrent projects across multiple locations.
• Excellent project management, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams in a matrixed organization.
• Willingness to travel approx. 50% based on project requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage engineering projects while ensuring alignment on objectives and deliverables.
• Develop detailed project plans with timelines, budgets, resource allocation, and risk management.
• Coordinate with manufacturing, quality assurance, and cross-functional partners to ensure success.
• Provide technical guidance and leadership throughout project lifecycles.
• Partner with vendors, contractors, and service providers to support objectives.
• Monitor progress, identify risks, and implement corrective actions.
• Communicate status, milestones, and budget updates to stakeholders.
• Ensure compliance with USDA and FDA regulations and company requirements.
• Drive continuous improvement and innovation across projects and teams.
• Manage multiple projects across locations and support capital initiatives above $1M.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

Project management

Stakeholder management

Communication

Risk management

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Job description

Reporting to the Director of Engineering, you will oversee engineering projects of varying complexity from conception through completion. You will manage all aspects of project safety, scope development, cost estimating, forecasting, and scheduling while leading cross-functional teams to deliver projects on time, within scope, and within budget. Your technical expertise in food manufacturing, pharmaceutical manufacturing, or consumer packaged goods manufacturing will help drive successful project execution across multiple locations.

A Taste of Your Responsibilities

Lead and manage engineering projects while ensuring alignment on project objectives and deliverables. Develop detailed project plans including timelines, budgets, resource allocation, and risk management strategies. Coordinate and collaborate with manufacturing, quality assurance, and other cross-functional partners to ensure successful project execution. Provide technical guidance and leadership throughout project lifecycles. Partner with equipment vendors, construction contractors, and engineering service providers to support project objectives. Monitor project progress, identify risks and issues, and implement corrective actions as needed. Communicate project status, milestones, budget updates, and key decisions to stakeholders. Ensure compliance with applicable industry standards, United States Department of Agriculture regulations, Food and Drug Administration regulations, and company requirements. Drive continuous improvement and innovation across engineering projects and project teams. Manage multiple projects simultaneously across multiple manufacturing locations. Support capital projects with values exceeding one million dollars from planning through implementation.

Ingredients Required for Your Success

• Bachelor's degree in an Engineering discipline.
• 3+ years of experience in food manufacturing, pharmaceutical manufacturing, or consumer packaged goods manufacturing.
• Experience delivering complex engineering projects valued at one million dollars or greater.
• Strong technical understanding of engineering principles and manufacturing processes.
• Experience managing multiple concurrent projects across multiple locations.
• Strong project management, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams and influencing outcomes across a matrixed organization.
• Willingness to travel approximately fifty percent based on project requirements, primarily Monday through Friday.

Located in Omaha, Nebraska; Chicago, Illinois Number of Days in Office: 2 #LI-Hybrid #LI-PM2 #LI-MSL Compensation Pay Range:$82,000-$120,000 The annual salary listed above is the expected offering for this position. An employee’s actual annual salary will be based on but not limited to: location, relevant experience/level and skillset, while balancing internal Conagra employees’ equity. Conagra Brands will comply with applicable law regarding minimum salaries for exempt employees.

Our Benefits

We care about your total well-being and will support you with the following, subject to your location and role:

• Health: Comprehensive healthcare plans, wellness incentive program, mental wellbeing support and fitness reimbursement
• Wealth: Great pay, bonus incentive opportunity, matching 401(k) and stock purchase plan
• Growth: Career development opportunities, employee resource groups, on-demand learning and tuition reimbursement
• Balance: Paid-time off, parental leave, flexible work-schedules (subject to your location and role) and volunteer opportunities

Our Company

At Conagra Brands, we have a rich heritage of making great food. We aspire to have the most impactful, energized and inclusive culture in food. As a member of our 18,000+ person team across 40+ locations, you are empowered to reach your potential, make an impact and own your career. We're in the business of building champions – within our people and our iconic brands like Birds Eye®, Slim Jim® and Reddi-Wip®. Our focus on innovation extends beyond making great food, it also reflects our commitment to embracing new solutions that positively impact our team, the communities we serve and the health of our planet. Foodies Welcome.

Conagra Brands is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to sex, race, color, religion, ethnic or national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, pregnancy, leave status, disability, veteran status, genetic information and/or any other characteristic or status protected by national, federal, state or local law. Reasonable accommodation may be made upon request.

At Conagra Brands, we have a rich heritage of making great food. We aspire to have the most impactful, energized and inclusive culture in food. As a member of our 18,000+ person team across 40+ locations, you are empowered to reach your potential, make an impact and own your career. We're in the business of building champions – within our people and our iconic brands like Birds Eye ®, Slim Jim® and Reddi-Wip®. Our focus on innovation extends beyond making great food, it also reflects our commitment to embracing new solutions that positively impact our team, the communities we serve and the health of our planet. Foodies Welcome.

Conagra Brands is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to sex, race, color, religion, ethnic or national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, pregnancy, leave status, disability, veteran status, genetic information and/or any other characteristic or status protected by national, federal, state or local law. Reasonable accommodation may be made upon request.