Project Manager

PROBAT; United States; On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

PROBAT is seeking a Project Manager to lead complex machinery projects for the food manufacturing sector from pre-sales through to customer handover.

The role requires strong PM skills combined with technical understanding to deliver turnkey systems, ensuring quality, safety, and regulatory compliance across all stages.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical, industrial, electrical engineering, or a related field.
• 5+ years of project management experience in food processing or industrial machinery.
• Experience managing complex multi-disciplinary projects from concept to customer handover.
• Strong knowledge of engineering drawings, technical specifications, and layouts.
• Proficiency with MS Office and project management software such as MS Project.

Responsibilities

• Lead machinery projects from pre-sales through installation and handover.
• Define project scope, milestones, deliverables, schedules, resources, and budgets.
• Develop and maintain detailed project schedules, Gantt charts, resource plans, and budget reports.
• Monitor project progress and proactively identify and resolve risks, issues, and bottlenecks.
• Coordinate and manage changes and change orders; ensure on-time delivery.
• Travel to customer sites for installation, commissioning, FAT/SAT and reviews.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Budget management

Scheduling

Cross-functional teamwork

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

AutoCAD

Autodesk Inventor

Microsoft Project

Job description

For more than 155 years, PROBAT has stood for pioneering spirit and innovative strength in the coffee industry. Through targeted acquisitions in the food processing sector, intensive technology transfer within the group and the expansion of a global service network, PROBAT has developed into a leading full-service provider for the food industry. The company plans, develops and manufactures machines, turnkey production plants, environmental technologies and intelligent control systems with integrated smart data management. With around 1,200 employees at locations in Germany, Brazil, Canada, India, Italy, Scotland, the Netherlands and the United States, as well as a presence in over 40 countries, PROBAT offers its customers comprehensive solutions, excellent service and in-depth industry knowledge – worldwide and from a single source.

The Opportunity

We are looking for a Project Manager to lead complex machinery projects for the food manufacturing industry—from the pre-sales phase through engineering, manufacturing, testing, installation, commissioning, and final customer handover.

This is a highly collaborative, customer-facing role for someone who combines strong project management skills with the technical understanding needed to successfully deliver industrial equipment and turnkey systems.

You will be responsible for keeping projects on track, within budget and scope, while ensuring that technical, quality, safety, and regulatory requirements are met at every stage.

What You’ll Do

Lead Projects from Start to Finish

• Manage machinery projects throughout the entire lifecycle, from pre-sales and design through manufacturing, shipment, installation, commissioning, and customer handover.
• Define project scope, milestones, deliverables, schedules, resources, and budgets.
• Develop and maintain detailed project schedules, Gantt charts, resource plans, and budget reports.
• Monitor project progress and proactively identify and resolve risks, issues, and bottlenecks.
• Manage project changes and coordinate the preparation and processing of change orders.

Coordinate Teams & Stakeholders

• Serve as the primary point of contact for customers throughout the project lifecycle.
• Lead regular project status meetings and maintain clear, timely communication with all stakeholders.
• Coordinate closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Sales, and Service teams to achieve project milestones and ensure on-time delivery.
• Manage relationships with external vendors, contractors, and other project partners.
• Work closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain leadership to resolve issues and maintain project schedules.

Own the Technical Details

• Maintain a strong understanding of project requirements, including mechanical and electrical drawings, specifications, functional requirements, layouts, and system configurations.
• Review approval drawings for accuracy and completeness and reconcile discrepancies between proposals and approved designs.
• Coordinate and maintain project documentation, including installation drawings, product manuals, electrical schematics, line layouts, stack-ups, correspondence, and other technical documentation.
• Prepare RFQs and coordinate supporting documentation throughout the project.
• Coordinate machinery receipt with customers and confirm that all site requirements are satisfied before shipment.
• Oversee machinery run-offs and internal verification testing prior to release to logistics.
• Support and coordinate Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) and Site Acceptance Testing (SAT) activities.
• Coordinate installation and commissioning schedules between customers and field service teams.
• Provide quotes for installation support services and coordinate execution as required.
• Travel to customer sites to support installation, commissioning, project reviews, FAT/SAT, and other key project activities.

Ensure Quality & Compliance

• Ensure machinery and installations meet applicable food safety, hygiene, quality, and industry regulatory requirements.
• Maintain accurate project records, including approvals, changes, milestones, schedules, and project status.
• Ensure customer expectations and project requirements are clearly understood and consistently delivered.

What You Bring

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 5+ years of project management experience, preferably within food processing, industrial machinery, equipment manufacturing, or system integration.
• Experience managing complex, multi-disciplinary projects from concept or pre-sales through commissioning and customer handover.
• Strong understanding of engineering designs, technical specifications, and mechanical/electrical drawings.
• Experience working with cross-functional teams including Sales, Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Service.
• Strong organizational, problem-solving, leadership, and communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, budgets, and deadlines simultaneously.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and project management software such as Microsoft Project or equivalent.
• Working knowledge of AutoCAD and Autodesk Inventor.
• Experience with ECI M1 Project Management is a plus.
• PMP certification or another formal project management certification is preferred.
• Previous experience with turnkey equipment, industrial machinery, or system integration projects is highly desirable.
• Willingness to travel up to 25%, including customer-site visits for installation, commissioning, FAT/SAT, and project reviews.