Engineering Project Manager – Food Manufacturing (Onsite)

Vaco; Austin (MN); On-site; USD 108,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus 15%

Medical, dental, vision

401(k) with company match

Paid time off

Job summary

Vaco is seeking an Engineering Project Manager for its food manufacturing operations in Minnesota. Based in Chaska onsite, you will lead capital improvement projects from planning through commissioning, coordinating cross-functional teams and external vendors to ensure on-time delivery.

The role requires 5+ years of experience in food manufacturing, managing $250K+ capital projects, and travel up to 50%. It offers a base salary of $108k–$145k with a 15% annual bonus and a comprehensive benefits

Qualifications

• 5+ years of engineering or capital project management experience within food manufacturing.
• Experience managing capital projects of $250K+ in multi-line manufacturing environments.
• Proven ability to independently manage projects from concept through commissioning.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing equipment, production processes, and plant operations.
• Collaborative, solutions-oriented approach with strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Willingness to travel up to 50% and provide occasional off-shift or weekend support during project execution.

Responsibilities

• Lead capital engineering projects from initial planning and budgeting through installation, commissioning, and startup.
• Manage project scope, timelines, budgets, contractors, and vendor relationships.
• Identify opportunities to improve equipment reliability, production efficiency, and overall plant performance.
• Develop capital expenditure proposals and provide project updates to leadership.
• Partner with Operations, Maintenance, and Engineering teams to execute projects with minimal disruption to production.
• Ensure projects meet safety, quality, regulatory, and operational standards.
• Support engineering initiatives across multiple manufacturing locations.

Skills

Communication

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical Engineering

Tools

SAP

AutoCAD

Job description

Vaco is seeking an Engineering Project Manager for its food manufacturing operations in Minnesota. Based in Chaska onsite, you will lead capital improvement projects from planning through commissioning, coordinating cross-functional teams and external vendors to ensure on-time delivery.

The role requires 5+ years of experience in food manufacturing, managing $250K+ capital projects, and travel up to 50%. It offers a base salary of $108k–$145k with a 15% annual bonus and a comprehensive benefits