Food Manufacturing Engineering Project Lead (Onsite)

Vaco; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 108,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

401(k) matching

Paid time off

Job summary

Vaco, partnering with a national food manufacturer, seeks an Engineering Project Manager to lead capital improvement projects across manufacturing operations. You will own projects from concept through commissioning and collaborate with plant leadership to deliver results with minimal disruption.

Requirements include 5+ years in engineering or capital project management in food manufacturing, experience managing $250K+ projects, and willingness to travel up to 50%.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of engineering or capital project management 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.
• 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

Engineering Project Management

Capital Project Management

Stakeholder Communication

Travel Readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or Chemical Engineering

Tools

SAP

AutoCAD

Job description

Vaco, partnering with a national food manufacturer, seeks an Engineering Project Manager to lead capital improvement projects across manufacturing operations. You will own projects from concept through commissioning and collaborate with plant leadership to deliver results with minimal disruption.

Requirements include 5+ years in engineering or capital project management in food manufacturing, experience managing $250K+ projects, and willingness to travel up to 50%.