Process Engineer - Food Processing & Continuous Improvement

Sterling Engineering; Elgin (IL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Professional growth support

Paid time off

Retirement benefits

Financial wellness programs

Job summary

Sterling Engineering in Elgin, IL is seeking a Process Engineer to design, develop, and implement improvements to food processing and packaging equipment across facilities.

You will manage capital projects, installations, FATs, and startups while ensuring safety, quality, and efficiency. Strong CAD skills and 5+ years in manufacturing are required, with opportunities for performance-based incentives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related field preferred.
• 5+ years of engineering and manufacturing experience.
• Food or nutritional industry experience highly preferred.
• Hands-on experience with continuous improvement initiatives.
• Project management experience.
• Working knowledge of AutoCAD and SolidWorks.
• Understanding of manufacturing operations and materials handling.

Responsibilities

• Design, modify, and improve production equipment and systems to enhance safety, efficiency, reliability, and product quality.
• Evaluate processing and packaging equipment for optimization and continuous improvement.
• Provide technical support to Operations, Maintenance, and Quality teams.
• Partner with R&D to support new product development and trials.
• Manage equipment purchases and vendor relationships.
• Oversee FATs, installations, commissioning, and startup activities.
• Lead capital and expense projects with budgeting and scheduling.
• Support equipment upgrades and retrofits with cross-functional teams.
• Collaborate to improve productivity, quality, and efficiency across facilities.
• Troubleshoot and improve manufacturing equipment and processes.

Skills

Manufacturing engineering

Process improvement

Capital project management

Equipment installation/startup

Continuous improvement

AutoCAD

SolidWorks

Manufacturing operations

Education

Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering

Bachelor's in Chemical Engineering

Related field

Tools

AutoCAD

SolidWorks

Job description

Sterling Engineering in Elgin, IL is seeking a Process Engineer to design, develop, and implement improvements to food processing and packaging equipment across facilities.

You will manage capital projects, installations, FATs, and startups while ensuring safety, quality, and efficiency. Strong CAD skills and 5+ years in manufacturing are required, with opportunities for performance-based incentives.