Engineering Standards Manager - Altavista, VA

Thornton Tomasetti; United States; On-site; USD 99,000 - 199,000; Full time

Job summary

Abbott is seeking an Engineering Standards Manager to establish and sustain engineering standards, asset management practices, and long-range capital planning frameworks that enable safe, compliant, and cost-effective manufacturing operations at the Altavista Nutrition site.

The role ensures alignment between site execution, division strategies, and enterprise engineering expectations by translating business needs into standardized, risk-based engineering practices and robust governance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, Industrial, or related)
• 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

Responsibilities

• 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.

Skills

Engineering degree

5+ years experience

Engineering leadership

Manufacturing systems

Capital governance

Quality & validation

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Engineering

Job description

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 122,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

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 for free medical coverage in our Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO medical 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

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.

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.

Job Information

JOB FAMILY: Project Management DIVISION: ANSC Nutrition Supply Chain LOCATION: United States > Altavista : Building 1 ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS: WORK SHIFT: Standard TRAVEL: No MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE: No SIGNIFICANT WORK ACTIVITIES: Continuous sitting for prolonged periods (more than 2 consecutive hours in an 8 hour day), Continuous standing for prolonged periods (more than 2 consecutive hours in an 8 hour day)

Abbott is an Equal Opportunity Employer of Minorities/Women/Individuals with Disabilities/Protected Veterans.

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.

Abbott is about the power of health. For more than 135 years, Abbott has been helping people reach their potential — because better health allows people and communities to achieve more. With a diverse, global network serving customers in more than 160 countries, we create new solutions — across the spectrum of health, around the world, for all stages of life. Whether it’s next‑generation diagnostics, life‑changing devices, science‑based nutrition, or novel reformulations, we are advancing some of the most innovative and revolutionary technologies in healthcare, helping people live their best lives through better health.

The people of Abbott come to work each day with relentless energy, enthusiasm and a promise to enhance the health and well‑being of millions of people. They push the boundaries to help manage and treat some of life’s greatest health challenges. We invite you to explore opportunities at Abbott, to see if your talents and career aspirations may fit with our openings. An equal opportunity employer, Abbott welcomes and encourages diversity in our workforce.

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