Project Engineer - Automation & Site Start-up

Rehrig Pacific Company; Petersburg (VA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Rehrig Pacific Company is seeking an RSO Project Engineer to plan and execute capital improvement projects across RADs, on-site locations, and Torus hubs. You will lead installation, commissioning, and startup activities while coordinating with site leadership to minimize downtime and ensure safe, on-schedule execution.

You will develop scopes, schedules, and budgets; manage contractors; monitor risks and milestones; and drive readiness for new site startups and steady-state operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related field.
• Proven project management experience with tools and software.
• Experience in Lean Manufacturing and/or Six Sigma.
• Working knowledge of equipment installation, facility infrastructure, and safe tool use in project environments.
• Ability to communicate project scope, risks, timelines, and decisions clearly to cross-functional stakeholders (Operations, Safety, Quality, Management).
• Excellent problem-solving skills and familiarity with problem solving terms and tools.
• Highly proficient with MS Office tools; ability to leverage data to drive decisions.

Responsibilities

• Develop project scopes, schedules, budgets, and resource plans for material-handling automation and equipment installations.
• Lead installation, commissioning, and start-up of new equipment across RADs, on-sites, and Torus hubs.
• Plan and phase installations to keep live site operations running — sequencing work, minimizing downtime, and coordinating cutover with site leadership.
• Coordinate site readiness (power, network, structural, and operational requirements) for safe, on-schedule execution.
• Solicit and evaluate contractor and vendor proposals, and manage their site access, schedules, and activity through the project.
• Monitor timelines, budgets, risks, and deliverables, and keep stakeholders current on status.
• Complete commissioning and start-up verification — confirming equipment, controls, and integration meet throughput and readiness targets — before handoff to local maintenance and operations.
• Lead the site-readiness work to prepare and launch new sites — facilities, utilities, permitting, and regulatory compliance.
• Assess facility needs and develop scopes of work aligned to operational requirements and business priorities.
• Coordinate facility, equipment, and workflow readiness with site leadership; ensure post-launch stabilization plan with the site operations team.
• Deliver and verify projects against scope, budget, safety, readiness, and throughput targets before closeout and handoff to the steady-state operations team.
• Apply company, customer, and site safety requirements, and enforce contractor and vendor compliance, on all installation and facility-improvement projects.
• Coordinate project risk assessments and mitigation plans with site leadership, contractors, and safety resources.
• Develop and maintain project documentation, start-up checklists, and turnover materials required for safe and effective operation.

Skills

Project management

Lean Manufacturing / Six Sigma

Communication

Problem-solving

MS Office

Data-driven decisions

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or related field

Job description

Rehrig Pacific Company is seeking an RSO Project Engineer to plan and execute capital improvement projects across RADs, on-site locations, and Torus hubs. You will lead installation, commissioning, and startup activities while coordinating with site leadership to minimize downtime and ensure safe, on-schedule execution.

You will develop scopes, schedules, and budgets; manage contractors; monitor risks and milestones; and drive readiness for new site startups and steady-state operations.