Project Engineer

LAPORTE USA; Modesto (CA); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

LAPORTE USA is seeking a Project Engineer to manage capital projects for Dairy, Food & Bev, biotech and pharmaceutical clients. You will act as a hands-on design engineer and technical project manager, guiding projects from concept through commissioning while aligning all disciplines on a single integrated plan.

Responsibilities include leading scope, schedule and budget; coordinating multidisciplinary teams; overseeing procurement, construction support, and commissioning; and maintaining client

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a chemical, mechanical, biochemical, food or process engineering field.
• 5–10 years of process or project engineering experience in a consulting or owner's engineering setting.
• Experience in hygienic or regulated environments (pharma, biotech, dairy, food or beverage).
• Experience coordinating multidisciplinary engineering teams on capital projects.
• Strong written and verbal communication; proficient with Microsoft Office.
• Ability to travel up to 20% to client sites in California and the West Coast.

Responsibilities

• Lead projects from kickoff through closeout with scope, deliverables, schedule and budget.
• Manage 3–5 concurrent projects; track progress, forecast costs, report risks to clients and management.
• Plan resources across process, mechanical, HVAC, electrical, automation, architectural, structural and validation disciplines; coordinate meetings.

Skills

Strong communication

Microsoft Office

Education

Chemical engineering degree

Mechanical engineering degree

Biochemical engineering degree

Process engineering degree

Job description

Location: Modesto, California (Hybrid), or within 60 miles

Employment type: Full-time

Join LAPORTE as a Project Engineer managing capital projects for Dairy, Food & Bev, biotech and pharmaceutical manufacturing clients. Act as both a hands‑on design engineer and technical project manager, steering projects from concept and basis of design through detailed engineering, construction support and commissioning, and keeping every discipline working from one integrated plan.

WHAT YOU WILL DELIVER

• Lead projects from kickoff through closeout, defining scope, deliverables, schedule and engineering budget with the client and the LAPORTE project team.
• Manage 3 to 5 concurrent projects, tracking progress and cost forecasts, and reporting status, risks and recommendations to clients and LAPORTE management.
• Plan and allocate resources across process, mechanical, HVAC, electrical, automation, architectural, structural and validation disciplines, and run coordination meetings so every discipline works from one integrated plan.
• Control scope changes, change orders and project risks using risk registers, mitigation plans and LAPORTE's project management standards or client’s process.
• Serve as the primary client contact, building trusted relationships, leading design reviews and keeping stakeholders aligned through every project phase.
• Communicate clearly and proactively with clients, contractors and internal teams, translating complex technical and business information into clear updates, decisions and action items that keep projects on track.
• Oversee procurement and vendor (OEM), contractor management, including RFQs, bid packages (including scope of work), technical and commercial bid evaluations and award recommendations.
• Lead construction-phase coordination, including submittal review, RFI responses, field walks, FAT/SAT and commissioning, through to project closeout.
• Partner closely with Operations, Finance, Environment, Health & Safety, and Research, Quality & Innovation teams to successfully deliver projects.
• Ensure compliance with local, state, federal, and international regulations.
• Ensure compliance with all Plant, State, and Federal OSHA, EPA, FDA, HACCP, and SQF regulations.
• Comply with cGMPs.
• Drive quality and continuous improvement through QA reviews, constructability reviews and lessons learned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical, Mechanical, Biochemical, Food or Process Engineering.
• 5 to 10 years of process or project engineering experience in a consulting engineering firm or an owner's engineering group.
• Experience designing, modifying or supporting facilities in hygienic or regulated process environments such as pharmaceutical, biotech, dairy, food or beverage.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating multidisciplinary engineering teams on capital projects.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; proficiency with Microsoft Office.
• Ability to travel up to 20% to client sites in California and across the West Coast.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

• Experience in dairy, food and beverage, infant formula, bio-industrial facilities, with familiarity with 3-A, EHEDG, ASME BPE, ISPE Baseline Guides, FDA and USDA requirements.
• Experience with California project requirements such as Title 24, Cal/OSHA and CDFA dairy regulations.
• Experience in packaging design and project implementation.
• Background in clean utilities (purified water, clean steam), CIP/SIP systems.
• Experience with MS Project, Primavera P6 and Bluebeam.
• PMP or other project management certification.

HYBRID WORK AND PROJECT TRAVEL

This is a hybrid role for candidates based in Modesto, California, or within a 60-mile radius, combining remote work and client-site assignments. Travel of up to 20% supports our West Coast and California clients for design reviews, site walkdowns, construction support, FAT/SAT and commissioning. Site work involves prolonged walking or standing, climbing ladders and stairs, and following client PPE, safety, gowning and GMP procedures.

COMPENSATION

The salary range for this position is $85,000 to $125,000 USD per year. The final offer will depend on education, experience, skills and internal equity. This position may be filled at different engineering levels based on the selected candidate's qualifications and experience.

ABOUT LAPORTE

Founded in 1999, LAPORTE is a consulting engineering firm serving pharmaceutical, biotech, food & beverage, and industrial manufacturing clients across North America and Europe. LAPORTE Consultants Corp., our U.S. subsidiary, delivers multidisciplinary engineering from offices in West Chester, Columbus, Raleigh and Rochester.

We offer a competitive salary, comprehensive benefits, compensatory paid time off (PTO), a flexible work environment, and opportunities for professional growth and collaboration.

LAPORTE Consultants Corp. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in LAPORTE USA’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

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