Project Engineer

Samuel, Son & Co.; Riverside (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 122,000; Full time

Job summary

Samuel, Son & Co. in Riverside, CA is seeking an Engineering Lead to drive capital projects from concept to completion, defining scope, schedules, and budgets while coordinating cross-functional teams.

You will develop technical specifications, review designs and vendor proposals, support FAT/SAT, commissioning, and ensure safety, reliability, and long-term equipment performance. A Bachelor's in engineering is required and PE/EIT and PMP encouraged.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical, electrical, industrial, civil, or related engineering discipline.
• 1-3 years of project engineering experience in a manufacturing or heavy industrial environment.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, P&IDs, electrical schematics and technical documentation.
• Proficiency with project scheduling and project management tools.
• Working knowledge of AutoCAD or similar CAD software.
• Strong analytical, organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead capital, infrastructure, equipment, and process improvement projects from concept through completion.
• Define project scope, objectives, deliverables, schedules, and budgets in collaboration with stakeholders.
• Develop detailed project plans and monitor performance against key milestones, budget targets, and project objectives.
• Manage project risks, identify mitigation strategies, and proactively resolve project issues.
• Coordinate project resources, contractors, and vendors to ensure successful execution.
• Lead project status meetings and communicate progress, risks, and recommendations to management.
• Manage project documentation, change control processes, and project closeout activities.
• Conduct post-project reviews and capture lessons learned to improve future project execution.

Skills

Project management

Analytical skills

Communication

Problem solving

Reading engineering drawings

CAD (AutoCAD)

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

AutoCAD

MS Office

Job description

Responsibilities

• Lead capital, infrastructure, equipment, and process improvement projects from concept through completion.
• Define project scope, objectives, deliverables, schedules, and budgets in collaboration with stakeholders.
• Develop detailed project plans and monitor performance against key milestones, budget targets, and project objectives.
• Manage project risks, identify mitigation strategies, and proactively resolve project issues.
• Coordinate project resources, contractors, and vendors to ensure successful execution.
• Lead project status meetings and communicate progress, risks, and recommendations to management.
• Manage project documentation, change control processes, and project closeout activities.
• Conduct post-project reviews and capture lessons learned to improve future project execution.

Engineering & Technical Leadership

• Develop engineering specifications, technical requirements, scopes of work, and equipment standards.
• Evaluate and review engineering designs, calculations, drawings, and vendor proposals for technical accuracy and compliance.
• Support facility layouts, equipment upgrades, process modifications, and automation initiatives.
• Lead factory acceptance testing (FAT), site acceptance testing (SAT), commissioning, startup, and performance validation activities.
• Analyze operational challenges and implement effective engineering solutions to improve safety, reliability, quality, and productivity.
• Ensure designs and installations support maintainability, operational efficiency, and long‑term reliability.

Manufacturing & Process Improvement

• Identify opportunities to improve manufacturing efficiency, throughput, yield, and equipment reliability.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives utilizing Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Root Cause Analysis, and other structured problem‑solving methodologies.
• Collaborate with operations and maintenance teams to reduce downtime and improve overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
• Develop business cases that support operational improvement and capital investment opportunities.

Vendor & Contractor Management

• Prepare requests for quotation (RFQs), evaluate proposals, and support vendor selection processes.
• Manage relationships with engineering firms, equipment suppliers, contractors, and service providers.
• Oversee contractor performance to ensure compliance with safety, quality, schedule, and project requirements.
• Review contractor invoices, change orders, and project costs.

Safety, Quality & Compliance

• Ensure all projects are executed in accordance with company safety standards and regulatory requirements.
• Participate in risk assessments, Management of Change (MOC), hazard reviews, and safety audits.
• Support permitting, environmental compliance, and regulatory inspections as required.
• Promote a culture of safety through active leadership and engagement throughout project execution.

Financial Management

• Develop project cost estimates, capital requests, and budget forecasts.
• Track expenditures and maintain project spending within approved budgets.
• Evaluate project returns, cost savings, and financial performance metrics.
• Support annual capital planning and project prioritization activities.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Civil Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or related engineering discipline.

Qualifications

• 1-3 years of project engineering experience in a manufacturing, industrial, processing, or heavy industrial environment.
• Demonstrated success managing engineering projects from concept through implementation.
• Experience with equipment installation, facility modifications, process improvements, and capital project execution.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, specifications, P&IDs, electrical schematics, and technical documentation.
• Proficiency with project scheduling and project management tools.
• Working knowledge of AutoCAD or similar CAD software.
• Strong analytical, organizational, communication, and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities in a fast‑paced manufacturing environment.

Preferred

• Professional Engineer (PE) license or Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certification.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Black Belt, or equivalent continuous improvement certification.
• Experience in aluminum extrusion, metals manufacturing, or industrial processing environments.
• Experience with automation, controls systems, robotics, or Industry 4.0 technologies.
• Experience managing capital projects exceeding $100K

The annual base salary range for this position is $110,000 - $122,000. If you are hired, your annual base pay will be determined based on factors such as geographic location, skills, education, and/or experience. In addition to those factors, we believe in the importance of pay equity and consider internal equity of our current team members as part of any final offer. Please keep in mind that the range mentioned above is the full base pay range for the role.