Principal Project Engineer

Saint-Gobain Group

Fairfax (KS)

On-site

USD 102,000 - 158,000

Full time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

Health and Wellbeing

401(k) with Company Match

Paid Time Off and Paid Parental Leave

Retirement and Protection

Job summary

Saint-Gobain seeks a Principal Project Engineer to lead engineering governance, set technical standards, and guide large-scale capital projects from design to execution. You will influence strategy, drive innovation, and ensure high-quality engineering solutions across multiple sites in the US and Canada.

The role requires 8–12+ years in mechanical/electrical/industrial engineering, a bachelor’s degree (master’s preferred), and credentials such as PE/EIT or PMP.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, Industrial Engineering or equivalent.
Master’s degree in a relevant engineering discipline preferred.
8–12+ years of applied engineering experience in mechanical systems design and automation in manufacturing.
Professional credentials such as PE/EIT, PMP or equivalent preferred.

Responsibilities

Serve as design authority for complex engineering systems and projects.
Provide technical oversight across multi-site capital projects.
Intervene on critical issues impacting multiple projects.
Define and govern engineering standards and documentation practices.
Ensure consistency and quality across project teams.
Act as technical authority across teams/sites and guide key decisions.
Partner with operations, PMO, safety, quality, R&D and leadership to deliver solutions.
Drive technology direction and enterprise-level improvements.

Skills

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

8–12+ years exp

Engineering standards

Modeling tools

Constructability knowledge

PE/EIT/PMP

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering

Master’s degree

Tools

Modeling tools

Job description

The Principal Project Engineer will serve as a technical leader within the TIP NA Engineering organization and an assigned business unit. This role is responsible for providing engineering governance, defining technical standards, and guiding complex capital projects from design through execution. The successful candidate will influence strategy, drive innovation, and ensure consistent, high-quality engineering solutions that support long-term manufacturing capability and business objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Serve as the design authority for complex engineering systems and projects, including approving designs, defining technical standards, and resolving high-risk technical challenges.
Provide technical oversight across complex or multi-site capital projects, including validating scope, risk, lifecycle cost, and execution strategy.
Intervene on critical issues that impact multiple projects and provide guidance to support successful execution.
Define and govern engineering standards, specifications, documentation practices, and technical governance processes.
Ensure consistency, technical rigor, and quality across engineering projects and project teams.
Act as a technical authority across teams and sites, influencing technical direction and key project decisions.
Partner cross-functionally with operations, PMO, safety, quality, R&D, contractors, and leadership to deliver effective engineering solutions.
Drive technology direction, innovation, and enterprise-level improvements that strengthen manufacturing capability.

Scope and Complexity

This role supports an assigned business unit within TIP NA, including Canada. Work at this level is highly complex and includes large-scale or technically challenging projects with multiple dependencies, significant risk, and cross-functional impact. The Principal Project Engineer must exercise advanced judgment, prioritize effectively, and make sound decisions in less structured environments.

Is this job for you ?

Travel

This position requires approximately 50% travel to plants within the United States and Canada.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, Industrial Engineering, or an equivalent engineering discipline required.
Master’s degree in a relevant engineering discipline preferred.
8–12+ years of applied engineering experience in mechanical systems design, equipment specification, sizing and selection, and automation integration within manufacturing equipment or processes.
Strong knowledge of engineering standards and codes, structured risk assessment, and hazard analysis.
Advanced technical reading, writing, engineering analysis, and problem-solving skills.
Proficiency with modeling, drafting, and engineering tools.
Strong constructability knowledge and field execution support experience, including RFQs, FAT/SAT participation, and contractor oversight.
Professional or technical credentials such as PE/EIT, PMP or equivalent, and/or WCM / Continuous Improvement certifications preferred, as appropriate to career level.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Leads through influence with strong technical credibility.
Mentors others and helps raise organizational engineering capability.
Communicates complex technical tradeoffs clearly to operations, PMO, safety, quality, R&D, and leadership.
Demonstrates rigorous decision-making, attention to detail, and a strong safety and compliance mindset.

A little more about us

At Saint-Gobain, our employees have pride in belonging to an organization whose culture is made up of these core values: Trust, Empowerment, & Collaboration. Our company encourages diversity and inclusion in all its forms while our products make the world a more beautiful, safer, and sustainable home.

To make sure nothing is forgotten

Saint-Gobain aims to deliver a comprehensive Total Rewards package to support our employees’ wellbeing and help improve daily life for themselves and their families. We believe in the importance of pay transparency in what we offer potential candidates. Provided is the national pay range for this position which is $102,000 to $158,000 per year. However, the base pay offered may vary depending on geographic region, internal equity, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors.

In addition to base salary, this position is eligible for an annual bonus. The targeted bonus amount is 13% of base salary based on company and individual performance measures. The Total Target Cash range (base pay and annual bonus) for this position, is $115,260 to $178,540. Bonus payments are part of variable compensation and by nature can vary based on company and individual performance and is not a guarantee.

Legal Statement

Saint-Gobain provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. Saint-Gobain is an equal opportunity employer of individuals with disabilities and supports the hiring of veterans.

Applicants for roles based in Washington state or remote roles that would be worked from Washington state are encouraged to direct any concerns regarding the state’s Pay Transparency laws to the SGNA HR Compliance team at [emailprotected] .

Benefits in joining us

Employees have the flexibility to choose the benefits that best fit their individual needs:

Health and Wellbeing – Supporting your wellbeing, to thrive in life and work.
Medical, Prescription Drug, Vision, and Dental Insurance
Healthcare Saving Account and Flexible Spending Account options
LiveWell Wellness Program
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Paid Time Off and Paid Parental Leave
Retirement and Protection - Helping to make the future life you want a reality.
401(k) with Company Match, Retirement Accumulation Plan (RAP), Cash Balance Pension Plan
Company-provided Life Insurance, AD&D, Short-Term Disability
Voluntary employee and dependent life insurance, Long-Term Disability, Critical Illness, and Accident Insurance

Additional Benefits – Helping shape the experience and impact you want