Engineering Standards Manager - Altavista, VA

Abbott Laboratories; Altavista (VA); On-site; USD 99,000 - 199,000; Full time

Job summary

Abbott Nutrition's Altavista, VA site seeks an Engineering Standards Manager to establish and sustain engineering standards, asset lifecycle practices, and capital planning frameworks. You will align site execution with division strategies and enterprise expectations while guiding governance, risk-based decisions, and regulatory readiness across manufacturing operations. This role emphasizes leadership and cross-functional collaboration to sustain performance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, Industrial etc.)
• Progressive experience in manufacturing or industrial environments (min 5 years)
• Experience in leadership, asset management, capital planning or operational excellence in regulated industries
• Knowledge of manufacturing systems, utilities, infrastructure and process equipment
• Experience with capital portfolio governance, lifecycle planning and risk-based decisions
• Familiarity with regulated quality and validation environments

Responsibilities

• Support development of the site’s long-range capital plan, asset condition assessment and capital prioritization
• Establish, own and improve engineering standards, specifications and governance processes
• Provide capital portfolio governance with Finance and site leadership
• Oversee engineering-related validation and compliance practices
• Drive operational excellence and change management through standard work and metrics
• Lead and develop engineering staff through coaching and performance management
• Collaborate with division and enterprise networks to deploy strategies at the site level
• Meet compliance standards including FDA, OSHA and Abbott policies

Skills

Engineering leadership

Asset management

Capital planning

Operational excellence

Regulated industries knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering

Master’s Degree in Engineering or related field

Job description

Engineering Standards Manager

Working at Abbott

At Abbott, you can do work that matters, grow, and learn, care for yourself and your family, be your true self, and live a full life. You’ll also have access to:

• Career development with an international company where you can grow the career you dream of.
• Employees can qualify forfree medical coverage in ourHealth Investment Plan (HIP) PPOmedical plan in the next calendar year.
• An excellent retirement savings plan with a high employer contribution
• Tuition reimbursement, the Freedom 2 Save student debt program, and FreeU education benefit - an affordable and convenient path to getting a bachelor’s degree.
• A company recognized as a great place to work in dozens of countries worldwide and named one of the most admired companies in the world by Fortune.
• A company that is recognized as one of the best big companies to work for as well as the best place to work for diversity, working mothers, female executives, and scientists.

The Opportunity

This position works out of our Altavista, VA location in the Abbott Nutrition division. Our Nutrition business develops science-based nutrition products for people of all ages, from helping babies and children grow to keeping adult bodies strong and active. Millions of people around the world count on our leading brands – including Similac®, PediaSure®, Pedialyte®, Ensure®, and Glucerna® – to help them get the nutrients they need to live their healthiest lives.

Altavista, Va., is one of Abbott’s largest nutrition manufacturing plants equipped with advanced technology to ensure efficient production. Working here will make you feel like you’re part of a family that works together to make a difference and help nourish millions of families around the world.

The Engineering Standards Manager is accountable for establishing and sustaining engineering standards, asset management practices, and long-range capital planning frameworks that enable safe, compliant, and cost-effective manufacturing operations. The role ensures alignment between site execution, division strategies, and enterprise engineering expectations by translating business needs into standardized, risk-based, and value-driven engineering practices. This position exists to strengthen capital governance, asset lifecycle management, and technical consistency while supporting long-term site performance and regulatory readiness.

What You’ll Work On

• Support development of the site’s long-range capital plan, including asset condition assessment, lifecycle strategies, and capital prioritization aligned to business objectives.
• Establish, own, and continuously improve engineering standards, specifications, and governance processes to ensure technical consistency, compliance, and scalability.
• Provide capital portfolio governance, partnering with Finance and site leadership to monitor scope, cost, schedule, risk, and benefit realization.
• Provide strategic oversight of engineering-related validation and compliance practices, ensuring alignment with quality systems and regulatory expectations.
• Drive operational excellence and change management through standard work, performance metrics, structured problem-solving, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Lead and develop engineering staff through coaching, performance management, and talent development.
• Collaborate with division and enterprise engineering networks to deploy enterprise strategies at the site level.

You’ll be accountable for meeting our compliance standards including FDA, OSHA and Abbott policies and procedures.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, Industrial,, or related discipline)
• Minimum 5 years Progressive experience in manufacturing or industrial environments.
• Experience in engineering leadership, asset management, capital planning, or operational excellence roles within regulated industries.
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing systems, utilities, infrastructure, and process equipment.
• Experience with capital portfolio governance, lifecycle planning, and risk-based investment decision making.
• Familiarity with regulated quality and validation environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Engineering (MBA) or related field preferred.
• Lean, Six Sigma, Operational Excellence, or Project Management (PMP) training preferred.

Learn more about our health and wellness benefits, which provide the security to help you and your family live full lives:

www.abbottbenefits.com

Follow your career aspirations to Abbott for diverse opportunities with a company that can help you build your future and live your best life. Abbott is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a Military/Veteran friendly Employer, committed to employee diversity.

Connect with us at www.abbott.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Abbott, and on Twitter @AbbottNews.

The base pay for this position is $99,300.00 – $198,700.00. In specific locations, the pay range may vary from the range posted.