Expert Category Engineer

Nestle; Solon (OH); On-site; USD 129,000 - 169,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k with company match

Healthcare coverage

Performance-based incentives

Job summary

Nestlé seeks an Expert Category Engineer to act as the technical anchor and execution lead for an assigned NUSA category. You will translate category strategy into actionable engineering solutions across multiple Solon-area factories, aligning with Innovation & Renovation, compliance, and sustainability objectives.

You will guide cross-functional teams, deploy engineering standards, and drive safety, quality, and cost improvements across the category while developing factory capabilities and

Qualifications

• Minimum 5+ years of engineering project experience.
• Corporate Engineering experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the category technical expert and process master across category manufacturing technologies and standards.
• Translate business and engineering strategies into executable technical plans for multiple factories.
• Lead evaluation and development of engineering solutions with technical direction and cost estimates.
• Drive process optimization, reliability, and safety improvements across the category.
• Support compliance programs, risk assessments, and commissioning of new technology deployments.
• Coach and develop factory engineering capabilities to spread best practices across sites.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment of technology roadmaps and investments.
• Coordinate internal and external resources to meet program milestones.

Skills

Technical leadership

Project management

Plant design

Regulatory knowledge

Financial understanding

Education

Engineering degree

Tools

MS Office

MS Project

MS Excel

AutoCAD

Visio

Job description

The Expert Category Engineer serves as the technical anchor and execution integrator for an assigned NUSA category. The role supports the Category Director of Engineering in translating category strategy into executable engineering solutions across multiple factories while ensuring alignment with Innovation & Renovation initiatives, engineering compliance requirements, process mastership, sustainability objectives, factory capability development, and technology roadmaps.

The Expert Category Engineer provides category-wide technical leadership, process expertise, and coordination across manufacturing sites, ensuring best practices, standards, and engineering solutions are effectively deployed and sustained across the network. The position serves as a key interface between Factory Engineering, Product Development, Marketing, Operations Strategy, Engineering Hub, TCU/PTC resources, and Corporate Engineering.

Job Duties / Responsibilities

Management Responsibilities:

• Serve as the Category technical expert and process master, providing technical leadership and guidance for assigned manufacturing technologies, process systems, engineering standards, and manufacturing capabilities across the category.

• Translate category business and engineering strategies into executable technical plans, ensuring alignment of capital investments, Innovation & Renovation initiatives, operational priorities, and long-term technology roadmaps across all factories in the category.

• Lead the evaluation, prioritization, and development of engineering solutions by providing technical direction, feasibility assessments, manufacturing strategies, cost estimates, and implementation recommendations to support business objectives and category growth plans.

• Drive process optimization, reliability improvement, operational excellence, hygienic design, Spotless/Fabrik initiatives, and manufacturing performance improvements to enhance safety, quality, capacity, efficiency, and cost performance across the category.

• Support the deployment and sustainment of engineering standards, including EFCA, engineering compliance programs, risk assessments, HAZOP reviews, and best practices to ensure safe, compliant, and efficient operations.

• Build technical capability across the factory engineering network through coaching, mentoring, knowledge sharing, and development of engineering competencies, process expertise, and manufacturing best practices.

• Serve as the primary technical liaison between factories, Category Engineering, Engineering Hub resources, Corporate Engineering, PTCs, TCUs, TAG, and other technical networks to ensure alignment, standardization, and effective deployment of solutions across the category.

• Partner with Factory Engineering, Operations, Product Development, Marketing, Supply Chain, Procurement, and Operations Strategy teams to support Innovation & Renovation projects, technology deployment, process capability development, and network optimization initiatives.

• Coordinate and leverage internal and external engineering resources, including project engineers, SMEs, contractors, consultants, and equipment suppliers, to ensure successful delivery of engineering objectives, category priorities, and project outcomes.

• Establish and implement engineering processes, routines, and governance practices that support compliance with Nestlé Engineering Policies, Capital Investment Guidelines, Engineering Excellence standards, and Category Engineering operating principles.

• Monitor and influence key engineering performance indicators, including process capability, reliability, project readiness, compliance, cost performance, sustainability performance, and operational efficiency while driving continuous improvement across the category.

• Demonstrate and promote Nestlé Corporate Business Principles and Management & Leadership Principles while fostering a culture of safety, technical excellence, collaboration, accountability, capability development, and continuous improvement.

Functional Responsibilities:

• Champions a culture of safety, quality, and environmental stewardship by ensuring all engineering activities, technical decisions, and process changes are evaluated for their impact on product quality, food safety, personnel safety, regulatory compliance, and environmental performance.

• Conduct all business activities with the highest standards of professional integrity, ethical conduct, and compliance with Nestlé policies, engineering standards, and corporate principles.

• Serve as the category engineering liaison across commercial, operational, technical, and corporate functions to ensure engineering solutions support business objectives and manufacturing strategies.

• Foster open communication and effective collaboration among factory teams, category leadership, Product Development, Marketing, Engineering Hub resources, PTCs, TCUs, TAG, Corporate Engineering, and other key stakeholders.

• Protect and promote Nestlé's technological knowledge, intellectual property, engineering standards, and best practices while ensuring consistent deployment across the factory network.

• Translate business requirements into practical engineering solutions that support category growth, operational performance, and long-term competitiveness.

• Support category master planning, technology roadmap development, and strategic investment planning to ensure alignment between future business needs and manufacturing capabilities.

• Provide process engineering leadership and category technology expertise to optimize manufacturing systems, improve process capability, and drive continuous improvement across the network.

• Partner with Factory Engineering teams to improve reliability, operational performance, efficiency, capacity utilization, and cost effectiveness while sharing and replicating best practices across factories.

• Coach and develop factory engineering capabilities through technical guidance, problem solving, mentoring, and knowledge sharing to strengthen engineering competency throughout the category.

• Collaborate with Engineering Hub, TCU, TAG, PTC, and Corporate Engineering SMEs to evaluate, standardize, and deploy technology solutions, engineering standards, and emerging best practices.

• Ensure alignment with engineering compliance requirements and programs, including EFCA, hygienic design, engineering risk management, HAZOP reviews, operational excellence standards, and other applicable engineering governance requirements.

• Support Innovation & Renovation initiatives by providing technical assessments, manufacturability reviews, process expertise, capital planning input, and implementation strategies that enable successful commercialization and sustainable operational performance.

Specific I&R Projects Responsibilities:

• Lead feasibility assessments, develop technical concepts, and evaluate manufacturing solutions to support category investment decisions, Innovation & Renovation initiatives, and process improvement opportunities.

• Develop preliminary project scope, cost estimates, business cases, and implementation strategies while ensuring alignment with category priorities, manufacturing capability requirements, and expected business benefits.

• Support capital investment prioritization, master planning, and technology roadmap development by identifying capability gaps, future manufacturing needs, and strategic improvement opportunities.

• Coordinate technical activities with factories, project teams, product development, and external partners to ensure solutions are technically sound, executable, and aligned with business requirements.

• Validate process design, equipment selection, plant layouts, and manufacturing strategies to ensure safe, efficient, flexible, and cost-effective operations.

• Support Value Engineering (VEA), Value Stream Engineering Design (VSED), product trials, manufacturing cost development, and technical risk assessments to optimize project value and implementation readiness.

• Ensure projects achieve approved scope, performance, cost, and schedule objectives, and support operations until required results are achieved.

Key Performance Indicators:

• Category Investment & Technology Pipeline.
• Delivery of prioritized investment opportunities, technology roadmap initiatives, and Innovation & Renovation projects that support category growth, capability expansion, and business objectives.
• Manufacturing Performance Improvement.
• Measurable improvements in process capability, throughput, OEE, capacity utilization, quality, and cost performance resulting from process optimization and technology deployment.
• Reliability & Operational Excellence.
• Reduction in technical losses and improvement in asset reliability, maintenance effectiveness, and operational excellence performance across the category.
• Engineering Compliance & Risk Management.
• Achievement of EFCA, hygienic design, engineering standards, process safety, and engineering risk management objectives across all supported factories.
• Capability and Competency Building & Best Practice Deployment.
• Successful development of factory engineering capabilities and implementation of standardized engineering solutions, best practices, and technology improvements across the factory network.

Supervision Received:

• Strategic and tactical direction from Category Chief Engineer.
• Review with Factory Management regarding interaction with operational facilities.

Supervision Given:

• Work closely with Operation Teams which could include representatives from Factory Operations, Factory Engineering, Marketing Department, Product Development Department, Chief Engineer, HUB Engineering, Other Project Engineers, Designers, Consultants, Vendors, Contractors, Government agencies, CTUs and PTCs.

Financial/Strategic Impact:

• Shape category investment strategy and technology deployment decisions by providing technical evaluations, feasibility assessments, and manufacturing recommendations that maximize return on investment, strengthen manufacturing capabilities, and support long-term business growth.
• Drive measurable improvements in operational performance and cost competitiveness through process optimization, technology deployment, reliability improvements, standardization, and replication of best practices across the factory network.
• Support development of future manufacturing capabilities by identifying capability gaps, informing category master plans and technology roadmaps, and ensuring strategic investments align with business priorities, capacity requirements, compliance expectations, and operational excellence objectives.

Education Requirements

• Degree/Diploma in Engineering Field (Mechanical Engineering, Process Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering).

Experience & Skills Requirements

Experience:

• Minimum 5+ years of significant experience and achievement in a technical field with a project engineering background.
• Corporate Engineering experience preferred.
• Supervisory experience in managing internal and external project team members or equivalent.

General and Professional Skills:

• Strong technical, managerial and leadership skills.
• Project Engineering/Management.
• Plant design & construction.
• Equipment and construction purchasing contracts.
• Permitting requirements.
• In-depth knowledge of food processing plants and technology, or similar industry.
• Hygienic engineering.
• Knowledge of food safety, regulatory requirements for food safety and equipment.
• Communication and Networking.
• Understanding of financial analysis and relevant business drivers.
• Nestlé Standard Costing.
• CAPEX budgeting and preparation.

Support Tools:

• MS Office.
• MS Project.
• MS Excel.
• Basic AutoCAD.
• Visio.

Travel:

• Up to 50% for offsite projects.

Salary: $128,858.90 to $169,261.00 per year

Bonus Eligibility: Yes

The pay range provided is a good faith estimate for the position at the time of posting. Final compensation may vary based on factors including but not limited to knowledge, skills and abilities as well as geographic location. It is not typical for an individual to be hired at top of range.

Nestlé offers performance-based incentives and a competitive total rewards package, which includes a 401k with company match, healthcare coverage and a broad range of other benefits. Incentives and/or benefit packages may vary depending on the position. Learn more at https://www.nestlejobs.com/nestle-in-the-us-benefits

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