Process Engineer - Food Manufacturing & Equipment Upgrades

Sterling Engineering; Elgin (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Paid time off

Retirement benefits

Professional development support

Financial wellness programs

Job summary

Sterling Engineering in Elgin, IL is seeking an experienced Process Engineer to join a growing manufacturing operation. The role focuses on improving food processing and packaging equipment, leading capital projects, and enhancing reliability and quality across production lines.

The candidate will collaborate with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, and R&D teams, manage vendor relationships, and drive continuous improvement initiatives.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of engineering experience within a manufacturing environment.
• Experience with manufacturing equipment, process optimization, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Capital project management experience, including equipment installation and startup.
• Working knowledge of AutoCAD and SolidWorks.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing operations, equipment, automation, and production processes.
• Food or nutritional manufacturing experience is highly preferred.
• Experience with bulk material handling, processing systems, and PLC ladder logic is a plus.
• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related field preferred.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and implement improvements to food processing and packaging equipment.
• Lead capital and expense projects from budgeting and planning through installation and startup.
• Identify opportunities to improve equipment reliability, production efficiency, safety, and product quality.
• Oversee equipment purchases, vendor relationships, FATs, and commissioning activities.
• Partner with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, and R&D teams on equipment upgrades, troubleshooting, and process improvements.
• Serve as a technical resource for manufacturing equipment and production systems.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or related field

Tools

AutoCAD

SolidWorks

Job description

Sterling Engineering in Elgin, IL is seeking an experienced Process Engineer to join a growing manufacturing operation. The role focuses on improving food processing and packaging equipment, leading capital projects, and enhancing reliability and quality across production lines.

The candidate will collaborate with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, and R&D teams, manage vendor relationships, and drive continuous improvement initiatives.