Plant Engineer

MDS Staffing; Wilson (NC); On-site; USD 140,000 - 172,000; Full time

Job summary

MDS Staffing in Wilson, NC seeks a Plant Engineer to lead the maintenance and engineering department in a fast-paced food manufacturing plant. You will drive efficiency by reducing downtime, ensuring top equipment performance, and overseeing capital projects from concept to completion.

Responsibilities include implementing preventive and predictive maintenance, TPM, leading a maintenance team, solving daily operational challenges, and tracking KPIs to sustain peak plant performance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field with 8+ years of experience.
• 2+ years of team management or project leadership experience.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of capital projects from concept to completion, delivering on time and within budget while maintaining safety, food safety, and environmental standards.
• Lead maintenance systems development, including Preventive and Predictive Maintenance and TPM to maximize uptime.
• Manage maintenance team, delegating tasks and guiding work assignments to ensure safe, efficient operations.
• Provide short- and long-term solutions to operational challenges and minimize recurring issues.
• Develop and track KPIs to measure maintenance performance and drive continuous improvement.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Analytical reasoning

Communication

Team management

Maintenance planning

Problem solving

Oral and written communication

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering

Tools

PLCs

Instrumentation

Maintenance systems (TPM/CMMS)

Excel

Word

Job description

Job Title: Plant Engineer

Location: Wilson, North Carolina

Salary: $140-172K plus bonus

Job Summary of the Plant Engineer:

As the leader of the maintenance and engineering department in a fast-paced plant, you'll be at the foreground of maintaining top-tier building and equipment performance. By reducing mechanical downtime and ensuring seamless product flow, you’ll keep our production lines running at peak efficiency. You'll lead the charge in developing and implementing cutting-edge maintenance systems, including Preventive and Predictive Maintenance, TPM, and more, driving our plant to new heights as part of a High-Performing Manufacturing Organization. As the leader of engineering activities, you will ensure our facilities remain a state-of-the-art food manufacturing process, developing and executing highly innovative technology projects

Job Duties & Responsibilities of the Plant Engineer:

• Take ownership of capital projects from concept to completion! You’ll manage and schedule all project elements to ensure minimal disruption to plant operations, delivering projects on time, on budget, and without compromising safety, food safety, or environmental standards.
• Lead the charge in developing and implementing cutting-edge maintenance systems that keep our plant operating at peak performance. You'll be the driving force behind Preventive and Predictive Maintenance, TPM, and other high-impact strategies, ensuring optimal scheduling that maximizes task completion with minimal downtime.
• Manage the maintenance team by delegating tasks, enforcing policies, and guiding work assignments. Your ability to organize, plan, and follow through ensures work is completed efficiently and safely.
• Provide both short-term fixes and long-term solutions to everyday operational challenges. Whether troubleshooting, conducting problem analysis, or addressing equipment failures, you’ll ensure the smooth daily operation of the plant with minimal recurring issues.
• Drive continuous improvement by developing and tracking Key Performance Indicators that measure the success of the maintenance function. From equipment reliability to supplier performance and overall equipment effectiveness, your insights will be crucial for maintaining peak performance across all areas of the plant.

Education & Experience Requirements of the Plant Engineer:

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited four-year college or university in Engineering or related field and 8+ years’ relevant experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience, required.
• 2+ years of demonstrated experience in team management/development or project leadership is required
• High level of leadership skills, organizational planning, teamwork, analytical reasoning, and adaptability.
• Possess advanced technical skills in the mechanical/electrical fields (e.g. PLCs, instrumentation, mechanical engineering, etc.) and is able to lead resource planning efforts in a large manufacturing environment.
• Thorough knowledge of maintenance systems, work order process, preventive/predictive maintenance, TPM, etc.
• Ability to use exposure monitoring equipment, interpret and communicate results.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, especially Excel and Word.
• Capable of communicating and expressing ideas clearly and concisely, in both written and oral formats.
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Strong interpersonal, technical and presentation skills required.