Engineering Project Manager

kochfoods; Fairfield (OH); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Koch Foods is seeking a Project Manager for the Engineering Department to lead planning, tracking, and execution of capital and process improvement projects. You will develop timelines, coordinate vendor deliveries, and ensure closeout with proper handoff of documents to Operations, Maintenance, and other stakeholders.

The ideal candidate is highly organized, experienced in coordinating across internal teams and external vendors, and able to manage multiple projects on schedule and within scope.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Business, or related field.
• 3–7 years of project management experience in manufacturing/industrial environments.
• Experience managing multiple concurrent projects and vendor relationships.
• Knowledge of capital project lifecycles: planning, procurement, installation, commissioning, closeout.

Responsibilities

• Maintain up-to-date project status reports, schedules, budgets, and action logs.
• Build and maintain detailed project timelines from scope to completion.
• Coordinate with equipment vendors, suppliers, and contractors for deliveries and startup activities.
• Serve as the primary point of contact between Engineering, Operations, Maintenance, Quality, and Safety.
• Lead project closeout activities including punch list, vendor sign-off, and lessons learned.

Skills

Project coordination

Vendor management

Cross-functional communication

Documentation

Risk management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Construction Management/Business or related

Tools

Microsoft Project

Smartsheet

Excel

Job description

The Project Manager for the Engineering Department will lead the planning, tracking, and execution of capital and process improvement projects. This role is responsible for developing and maintaining project timelines, coordinating vendor deliveries and installation schedules, driving projects through to formal closeout, and organizing and transferring project documentation to Operations, Maintenance, and other stakeholder departments. The ideal candidate is highly organized, comfortable coordinating across internal teams and outside vendors/contractors, and able to keep multiple concurrent projects on schedule and within scope.

Job Responsibilities:

• Project Tracking: Maintain up-to-date project status reports, schedules, budgets, and action logs for all active engineering projects.
• Timeline Development: Build and maintain detailed project timelines and schedules from initial scope through completion, identifying critical path items, dependencies, and potential schedule risks.
• Vendor & Delivery Coordination: Coordinate with equipment vendors, suppliers, and contractors to schedule and confirm deliveries, installations, and startup activities; track lead times and proactively resolve delays.
• Cross-Functional Coordination: Serve as the primary point of contact between Engineering, Operations, Maintenance, Quality, and Safety to ensure project activities are communicated and aligned with plant operations.
• Project Closeout: Lead formal project closeout activities, including punch list resolution, final vendor sign-off, budget reconciliation, and lessons-learned documentation.
• Documentation & Handoff: Organize, compile, and quality-check project documentation (drawings, equipment manuals, warranties, as-builts, commissioning records, etc.) and manage formal handoff of completed project files to Operations, Maintenance, and other relevant departments.
• Risk & Issue Management: Identify project risks and roadblocks early, and work with engineering and plant leadership to develop mitigation plans.
• Meetings & Reporting: Plan and facilitate project kickoff, progress, and closeout meetings; prepare clear written and verbal status updates for plant and corporate leadership as needed.
• Compliance: Ensure project execution aligns with applicable safety, quality, and regulatory requirements throughout the project lifecycle.

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Business, or related field, or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• 3--7 years of project management experience, preferably in a manufacturing, industrial, or plant engineering environment.
• Demonstrated experience managing multiple concurrent projects, timelines, and vendor relationships.
• Working knowledge of capital project lifecycles, including planning, procurement, installation, commissioning, and closeout.
• Strong organizational and documentation skills, with experience managing technical files and handoff processes.
• Proficiency with project management and scheduling tools (e.g., Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, or similar) and Microsoft Office / Excel.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to coordinate effectively across internal departments and external vendors.
• PMP certification a plus, but not required.
• Familiarity with manufacturing plant equipment, utilities, or facility systems is a plus.