Project Engineer

Socket.dev; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 92,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Day‑one health coverage

401(k) with 6% match

Paid time off

Job summary

James Hardie Building Products is seeking a Project Engineer, Advanced Manufacturing to lead technical projects across the manufacturing network, from front-end development through startup and handoff. You will partner with SMEs, plant teams, and vendors to improve processes and achieve measurable improvements in rate, hours, and RTY.

This role requires regular travel to multiple sites; the successful candidate will manage scope, schedule, budget, and safety with disciplined project controls.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or closely related technical discipline preferred.
• Five or more years in industrial manufacturing or process engineering preferred.
• Experience leading technical projects through design, procurement, installation, startup, and handoff.

Responsibilities

• Own pilot, rollout, improvement, and capital projects from development through operation and handoff.
• Evaluate opportunities using data, observations, risk, and impact on KPI like Rate and RTY.
• Develop scope, design criteria, schedules, risks, and acceptance criteria; manage FEL and commissioning.
• Lead or coordinate design across process, mechanical, electrical, controls, and safety disciplines.
• Coordinate technology selection with SMEs, plants, vendors, and engineering partners.
• Create and control specs, drawings, and handover documents.
• Ensure safety, codes, contracts compliance; manage field questions and changes.
• Drive MOC process and verify benefits before handoff.
• Develop and execute commissioning, testing, startup, and acceptance plans.
• Coordinate SOPs, training, maintenance strategies, and sustainment docs.

Skills

Project management

Industrial manufacturing

Cross-functional collaboration

Troubleshooting

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Tools

PLCs

Automation

MES

Data systems

Job description

James Hardie is the industry leader in exterior home and outdoor living solutions, with a portfolio that includes fiber cement, fiber gypsum, composite and PVC decking and railing products. Our family of trusted brands includes Hardie®, TimberTech®, AZEK® Exteriors, Versatex®, fermacell®, and StruXure®.

With over 8,000 employees and our U.S. operating entities headquartered in Chicago, we boast 31 operating sites, 6 recycling facilities, and 6 research and development centers globally. Powered by a dynamic workforce, we’re united by our purpose of Building a Better Future for All™ through sustainable innovation, a Zero Harm culture, and a commitment to empowering our people and communities.

For more information, visit www.jameshardie.com.

Summary

The Project Engineer, Advanced Manufacturing is a hands‑on technical project leader responsible for commissioning and executing projects across the manufacturing network. Reporting to the Engineering Manager, Advanced Manufacturing, this role owns assigned projects from opportunity evaluation and front‑end development through design, procurement, construction, startup, handoff, and benefits realization. This role is the key integrator of technical projects into the plant and sustainment through end‑to‑end HMOS integration and standardization.

The role partners with SMEs, plant teams, and functional teams to improve existing systems and operations through technical process control advancements, with measurable impact on Rate, Net Hours, and RTY. This individual works independently, maintains disciplined project controls, and escalates promptly when safety, quality, cost, schedule, scope, technical performance, or business value is at risk. This role requires regular travel to sites across the network, vendors for FATs, including multiple weeks on site in a row during commissioning.

What You’ll Do:

Project Engineering and Execution (80%)

• Own pilot, rollout, improvement, and capital projects from conceptual development through stable operation and formal handoff to support the broader Break Through Objectives (BTOs) for the company.
• Evaluate opportunities using plant observations, data, stakeholder input, risk, constructability, maintainability, and expected impact to Rate, Net Hours, and RTY.
• Develop and manage scope, requirements, design criteria, commissioning schedule, risks, deliverables including Front End Loading (FEL), commissioning approach, acceptance criteria, and hypercare.
• Lead or coordinate process, mechanical, structural, electrical, controls, automation, utilities, safety, and construction design as required by the project.
• Coordinate technology and equipment selection with subject matter experts, plants, vendors, and engineering partners, emphasizing operability, reliability, maintainability, and integration.
• Create, review, and control specifications, scopes of work, drawings, P&IDs, equipment lists, test plans, punch lists, and handover documents.
• Ensure construction and installation conform to approved documents, codes, contracts, and safety requirements; manage field questions and changes through controlled processes.
• Drive the management‑of‑change (MOC) process ensuring accuracy and commitment to the process.
• Develop and execute commissioning, testing, startup, and acceptance plans; verify technical and business requirements before handoff.
• Coordinate SOPs, standard work, training, maintenance strategies, spare parts, lockout procedures, drawings, and other sustainment documentation.
• Collaborate with the key stakeholders within the site and project team to coach and develop understanding of troubleshooting, both physically and via data (trends), to a high level on handover.
• Monitor scope, budget, schedule, quality, safety, and KPI performance; communicate status, decisions, risks, and recovery plans.
• Resolve issues within delegated authority and elevate promptly when risks or changes exceed authority or threaten project outcomes.
• Validate benefits, capture lessons learned, and complete formal handoff and closeout.

Project Development, Approval, and Network Rollout Planning (20%)

• Contribute to the Advanced Manufacturing technology roadmap by identifying, screening, and sequencing projects with measurable operational value.
• Use gembas, benchmarking, technical research, and stakeholder input to define gaps, future‑state requirements, and scalable solutions.
• Develop the front‑end project basis, including alternatives, process scale‑up, utilities, preliminary layouts, equipment requirements, implementation strategy, and business requirements.
• Coordinate budgetary quotations and estimates with Procurement, vendors, consultants, construction, IT/controls, and plant stakeholders.
• Prepare estimates, schedules, risk and resource plans, and Capital Expenditure Requests or other approval materials.
• Present recommendations, tradeoffs, expected KPI impact, risks, and required decisions to plant and senior leadership.
• Develop rollout plans based on business priorities, operational readiness, technical dependencies, resources, and demonstrated pilot performance.

What You’ll Bring:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or a closely related technical discipline is strongly preferred; equivalent relevant education and experience may be considered.
• Five or more years of relevant industrial manufacturing, plant engineering, project engineering, maintenance engineering, or process engineering experience is preferred.
• Demonstrated project management experience executing technical projects through design, specification, procurement, installation, commissioning, startup, and handoff.
• Experience working with plant operations and maintenance teams and improving throughput, equipment performance, reliability, process capability, and quality.
• Experience with industrial machinery, material handling, process equipment, piping, pumps, valves, hydraulics, pneumatics, compressed air, dust collection, storage, or utilities is preferred.
• Experience with controls, PLCs, automation, data or information systems, MES, or formal user acceptance testing is preferred.
• Experience with Front‑End Loading, stage‑gate capital processes, Agile methods, or formal project governance is beneficial; PMP or similar certification is preferred.

Travel and Work Environment

Location: Chicago, IL; Dallas‑Fort Worth, TX; Prattville, AL; Plant City, FL; or Pulaski, VA preferred. Remote candidates located near a major airport may be considered.

Travel: Approximately 50% travel. Travel may increase during installation, commissioning, startup, or recovery. Work includes office, manufacturing, construction, and commissioning environments and may require schedule flexibility during critical project phases. All site‑specific safety, PPE, and access requirements apply.

What You’ll Receive:

As of the date of this posting, a good faith estimate of the current pay scale for this position is $92,000 to $130,000. Placement in the range depends on several factors such as experience, skills, geography and internal equity and may change over time. This position qualifies for benefits and you will be eligible to participate in a bonus plan.

At James Hardie, we recognize that our success depends on our people. We've worked hard to build a generous and competitive benefits program that demonstrates our commitment to our employees.

• Compensation: competitive salary and bonus eligibility
• Insurance: day‑one health coverage medical, dental, vision, life insurance
• Paid Time Off: vacation and company holidays
• Retirement: 401(k) with 6% match
• Investments: Employee Stock Purchase plan (ESP)
• Work‑Life Balance: parental leave, wellness programs
• Purpose. Impact. Community: Sustainability Initiatives | James Hardie

James Hardie Building Products Inc. is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, gender, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, genetic information, veteran's status, marital status, pregnancy, disability, or any other basis protected by law.

James Hardie will comply with any applicable state and local laws regarding employee leave benefits, including, but not limited to providing time off pursuant to the Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, in accordance with its plans and policies.

The position responsibilities outlined above are in no way to be construed as all encompassing. Other duties, responsibilities, and qualifications may be required and/or assigned as necessary.