Project Engineer - Construction

First Quality; Salt Lake City (UT); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive base salary and bonus opportunities

Paid time off (three-week minimum)

Medical, dental and vision starting day one

401(k) with employer match

Tuition assistance

Wellness program with savings on insurance premiums

Job summary

First Quality in Salt Lake City, UT is seeking a Project Engineer to manage small capital and continuous improvement projects within their manufacturing facility. The role requires oversight of contractors, ensuring safety and compliance, and support for larger engineering initiatives.

The ideal candidate will possess a Bachelor’s degree in engineering and 2–5 years of relevant experience. The position offers competitive salary, benefits, and a supportive work environment.

Qualifications

• 2–5 years of experience in a manufacturing, plant engineering, facilities, or construction-related role.
• Strong understanding of plant safety procedures and contractor compliance.
• Experience managing multiple small projects simultaneously.

Responsibilities

• Manage vendors and contractors to ensure compliance with safety training.
• Oversee project execution ensuring safety documentation is in place.
• Coordinate project schedules and monitor costs for adherence to budget.

Skills

Vendor management

Safety compliance

Communication skills

Budget control

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, industrial, or related Engineering

Equivalent combination of technical education and experience

Job description

Founded over 35 years ago, First Quality is a family‑owned company that has grown from a small business in McElhattan, Pennsylvania into a group of companies, employing over 5,000 team members, while maintaining our family values and entrepreneurial spirit. With corporate offices in New York and Pennsylvania and 8 manufacturing campuses across the U.S. and Canada, the companies within the First Quality group produce high‑quality personal care and household products for large retailers and healthcare organizations. Our personal care and household product portfolio includes baby diapers, wipes, feminine pads, paper towels, bath tissue, adult incontinence products, laundry detergents, fabric finishers, and dishwash solutions. In addition, we manufacture certain raw materials and components used in the manufacturing of these products, including flexible print and packaging solutions.

Guided by our values of humility, unity, and integrity, we leverage advanced technology and innovation to drive growth and create new opportunities. At First Quality, you’ll find a collaborative environment focused on continuous learning, professional development, and our mission to Make Things Better®.

We are seeking a Project Engineer – Construction for our First Quality Home Care Products, LLC company located in Salt Lake City, UT. This position will be responsible for managing small capital and continuous improvement (CI) projects within the manufacturing facility. This role provides hands‑on oversight of contractors and vendors, ensures safety and permit compliance, and supports larger engineering initiatives.

This position serves as a visible engineering presence on the plant floor, ensuring projects are executed safely, efficiently, and in alignment with company standards.

Primary responsibilities include:

• Onboard and manage vendors and contractors, ensuring required safety training and plant qualifications are completed
• Ensure work permits and safety documentation are in place prior to project execution
• Provide on‑site contractor oversight to ensure compliance with safety, quality, and performance expectations
• Manage and execute small capital and CI projects (up to approximately $25,000)
• Support facility upgrades, including fire protection and warehouse/blending area improvements
• Assist senior engineering staff with larger capital projects to balance workload
• Develop basic equipment specifications and project scopes
• Coordinate project schedules, materials, and contractor activities
• Strong communication and teamwork skills
• Comfortable working extensively on the plant floor
• Monitor project costs to ensure adherence to budget
• Act as liaison between Engineering, Facilities, Operations, and external vendors

The ideal candidate should possess the following:

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, industrial, or related Engineering field preferred
• OR equivalent combination of technical education and experience
• 2–5 years of experience in a manufacturing, plant engineering, facilities, or construction‑related role
• Experience managing contractors or vendors preferred
• Construction background beneficial but not required
• Strong understanding of plant safety procedures and contractor compliance
• Ability to manage multiple small projects simultaneously
• Experience with work permit systems and safety documentation
• Basic knowledge of equipment specification and project scoping
• Strong communication and coordination skills
• Budget awareness and cost control experience
• Comfortable working extensively on the manufacturing floor
• Primarily manufacturing/plant floor environment
• Frequent interaction with contractors and cross‑functional teams
• May require schedule flexibility based on project needs

What We Offer You

We believe that by continuously improving the quality of our benefits, we can help to raise the quality of life for our team members and their families. At First Quality you will receive:

• Competitive base salary and bonus opportunities
• Paid time off (three-week minimum)
• Medical, dental and vision starting day one
• 401(k) with employer match
• Paid parental leave
• Child and family care assistance (dependent care FSA with employer match up to $2500)
• Bundle of joy benefit (year's worth of free diapers to all team members with a new baby)
• Tuition assistance
• Wellness program with savings of up to $4,000 per year on insurance premiums
• ...and more!

First Quality is committed to protecting information under the care of First Quality Enterprises commensurate with leading industry standards and applicable regulations. As such, First Quality provides at least annual training regarding data privacy and security to employees who, as a result of their role specifications, may come in to contact with sensitive data.

First Quality is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identification, or protected Veteran status.