Mechanical Engineering Manager

Foodera Technologies; Caldwell (ID); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision insurance

Life insurance

Paid holidays

Tiered paid vacation

401k with a great company match

Flexible benefits plan (HSA)

Anniversary Rewards

Job summary

Foodera Technologies in Idaho is seeking an Engineering Manager to lead our mechanical engineering, design and drafting teams from concept through production.

You will mentor engineers, manage project timelines and budgets, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver reliable, cost-effective equipment for our food-processing customers. The role emphasizes leadership with hands-on design involvement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• 7+ years of engineering/design experience, incl. 3+ years leading engineers.
• Experience designing industrial equipment, ideally in food processing, manufacturing or automation.
• Advanced skills in AutoCAD and Autodesk Inventor.
• Strong project management, budgeting and time management skills.
• Excellent problem-solving, decision-making and communication skills.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office and project management tools.
• A PE license or a Master's degree in Engineering or Business is a plus.
• Willing to travel occasionally to customer sites and industry events. Able to work in a shop setting, wear PPE, and lift up to 50 lbs.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct people in leadership for the mechanical engineering and design team, including workload allocation, coaching, development plans, performance management, hiring, onboarding, and succession planning.
• Manage the team's daily workflow, schedules and priorities so projects are well coordinated and delivered on time.
• Maintain clear visibility of engineering capacity, priorities, drawing releases, and critical deliverables so Project Engineering and Production teams can plan work effectively and address schedule risks early.
• Set the department's engineering direction in line with company goals, customer needs and market demands.
• Manage engineering project timelines, budgets and resources, and keep costs under control and on budget through Project Management coordination.
• Review drawings, designs and engineering documentation (specifications, design records, compliance reports) for quality and accuracy.
• Make sure designs meet industry standards, safety regulations and customer requirements, and that quality assurance processes are in place.
• Provide technical direction and design influence for individual products and projects, ensuring engineering solutions meet sales commitments, customer requirements, performance expectations, manufacturability, cost targets, and company standards.
• Make sure the team has the tools, equipment, training and support it needs to succeed.
• Build strong relationships with customers, vendors and colleagues, and represent engineering in customer discussions and leadership meetings.
• Keep up with industry trends, new technologies and regulatory changes, and bring relevant insights to the team and leadership.
• Follow and promote shop safety policies and practices.
• Own and control the Mechanical Engineering department budget, including labor, tools, software, outside engineering support, and other departmental expenses; monitor actual spending against budget and take corrective action as needed.
• Track Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) through implementation and maintain strong communication with Project Engineering, Project Management, Production, Purchasing, and other affected teams so scope, schedule, material, labor, and cost impacts are understood and acted upon.
• Partner closely with Production and Manufacturing Engineering to improve designs for manufacturability, assembly, quality, cost, and repeatability, incorporating shop-floor feedback into current and future designs.
• Support Project Engineering teams on individual customer projects that require management-level technical input, design decisions, prioritization, resource alignment, or escalation support.
• Participate in project reviews and customer or sales discussions when management-level engineering guidance is needed, helping translate customer and commercial requirements into practical, cost-effective technical solutions.
• Establish and reinforce engineering standards, design-review practices, change-control discipline, and lessons learned to improve consistency, reduce rework, and strengthen first-time-right performance.

Skills

Leadership

Mechanical design

Project management

Budgeting

Communication

Travel willingness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field

Tools

AutoCAD

Autodesk Inventor

Job description

About the Company

Foodera Technologies is a global leader in food-processing technology, designing, manufacturing, and supporting innovative equipment and integrated processing solutions for food manufacturers around the world. Our technologies help customers produce high-quality potato products, fruits, vegetables, snacks, and other prepared foods with greater efficiency, reliability, and sustainability.

Built on decades of engineering expertise, innovation, and trusted customer partnerships, we combine global knowledge with local support to deliver solutions that help our customers succeed.

Our people are at the center of everything we do. We foster a collaborative culture where innovation, craftsmanship, and continuous improvement drive our work. Whether you're building world-class equipment, supporting customers, advancing new technologies, or helping our teams succeed behind the scenes, you'll have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact while growing your career alongside talented colleagues around the world.

As we continue to shape the future of food processing, we're looking for individuals who are passionate about quality, teamwork, and solving complex challenges. If you're ready to be part of a stable, forward-thinking organization that's advancing the future of food technology, we'd love to hear from you.

What We Are Looking For

We're looking for a hands-on Engineering Manager to lead our mechanical engineering, design and drafting teams. You'll guide projects from first project concept through to production. You'll also build and develop the team and keep projects on time, on budget and to a high standard. This role suits a strong technical leader who still enjoys working on the design itself. You'll mentor engineers, improve how the team works and partner across the business to deliver reliable, cost-effective equipment to our customers. If you have a strong work ethic, integrity and a drive for continuous improvement, and you like working in a collaborative team, we want to meet you.

Job Responsibilities

• Provide direct people in leadership for the mechanical engineering and design team, including workload allocation, coaching, development plans, performance management, hiring, onboarding, and succession planning.
• Manage the team's daily workflow, schedules and priorities so projects are well coordinated and delivered on time.
• Maintain clear visibility of engineering capacity, priorities, drawing releases, and critical deliverables so Project Engineering and Production teams can plan work effectively and address schedule risks early.
• Set the department's engineering direction in line with company goals, customer needs and market demands.
• Manage engineering project timelines, budgets and resources, and keep costs under control and on budget through Project Management coordination.
• Review drawings, designs and engineering documentation (specifications, design records, compliance reports) for quality and accuracy.
• Make sure designs meet industry standards, safety regulations and customer requirements, and that quality assurance processes are in place.
• Provide technical direction and design influence for individual products and projects, ensuring engineering solutions meet sales commitments, customer requirements, performance expectations, manufacturability, cost targets, and company standards.
• Make sure the team has the tools, equipment, training and support it needs to succeed.
• Build strong relationships with customers, vendors and colleagues, and represent engineering in customer discussions and leadership meetings.
• Keep up with industry trends, new technologies and regulatory changes, and bring relevant insights to the team and leadership.
• Follow and promote shop safety policies and practices.
• Own and control the Mechanical Engineering department budget, including labor, tools, software, outside engineering support, and other departmental expenses; monitor actual spending against budget and take corrective action as needed.
• Track Engineering Change Orders (ECOs) through implementation and maintain strong communication with Project Engineering, Project Management, Production, Purchasing, and other affected teams so scope, schedule, material, labor, and cost impacts are understood and acted upon.
• Partner closely with Production and Manufacturing Engineering to improve designs for manufacturability, assembly, quality, cost, and repeatability, incorporating shop-floor feedback into current and future designs.
• Support Project Engineering teams on individual customer projects that require management-level technical input, design decisions, prioritization, resource alignment, or escalation support.
• Participate in project reviews and customer or sales discussions when management-level engineering guidance is needed, helping translate customer and commercial requirements into practical, cost-effective technical solutions.
• Establish and reinforce engineering standards, design-review practices, change-control discipline, and lessons learned to improve consistency, reduce rework, and strengthen first-time-right performance.

Desired Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related field.
• 7+ years of engineering or design experience, including at least 3 years leading or supervising engineers.
• Experience designing industrial equipment, ideally in food processing, manufacturing or automation.
• Advanced skills in AutoCAD and Autodesk Inventor, and confidence in your own designs.
• Strong project management, budgeting and time management skills, with the ability to manage several projects at once.
• Excellent problem-solving, decision-making and communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office and project management tools.
• A PE license or a Master's degree in Engineering or Business is a plus.
• Willing to travel occasionally to customer sites and industry events. Able to work in a shop setting, wear PPE, and lift up to 50 lbs.

Incentives

We are a growing company with a lot of opportunity and a great culture. You will work on challenging projects and initiatives with the opportunity to continue to shape our team as well as get the support, training, and experience that will help further your career and potential.

• Medical, Dental, Vision insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid holidays
• Tiered paid vacation
• 401k with a great company match
• Flexible benefits plan (HSA)
• Anniversary Rewards