Senior Capital Projects Engineer: Manufacturing Leader

The Kraft Heinz Company; Champaign (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 112,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare coverage

Wellbeing programs

401k

Job summary

The Kraft Heinz Company is seeking an on-site Engineering Project Leader in Champaign, IL to drive capital projects from design through startup. You will manage scope, schedule, and budget while coordinating with operations, maintenance, quality, safety, and procurement teams.

You will lead engineering design activities, oversee equipment selection, and provide on-site support during construction, commissioning, and startup. Strong cross-functional leadership and problem-solving are required.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of engineering and capital project experience in manufacturing, industrial, or consumer packaged goods environments.
• Experience leading multiple capital projects simultaneously.
• Experience in project planning, design engineering, construction support, installation, commissioning, and startup.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong problem-solving, organizational, and project leadership skills.
• Ability to work effectively across cross-functional teams in a plant environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead multiple approved capital projects simultaneously, including large and complex manufacturing projects
• Develop and manage project scope, schedules, budgets, milestones, and execution plans
• Drive project execution from approved design through installation, commissioning, startup, and final handoff
• Monitor project performance and resolve barriers that impact safety, quality, cost, or timing
• Ensure project deliverables are completed with strong execution discipline and clear accountability
• Lead preliminary and final design engineering activities for capital projects
• Oversee technical specifications, equipment selection, contractor coordination, and installation planning
• Provide on-site engineering support during construction, installation, testing, and startup
• Ensure assets are implemented in accordance with engineering, safety, quality, and operational standards
• Support troubleshooting and technical problem-solving during project execution
• Partner with operations, maintenance, quality, safety, finance, procurement, and plant leadership to support project success
• Lead cross-functional communication, stakeholder alignment, and decision-making throughout the project lifecycle
• Establish and maintain project governance routines, status reporting, and escalation processes
• Coordinate project dependencies to ensure efficient implementation and readiness for startup
• Develop and maintain project estimates, forecasts, schedules, and status reporting
• Identify project risks and lead mitigation planning to protect project delivery
• Track project costs, timelines, and implementation progress against approved plans
• Ensure project documentation, reporting, and closeout activities are complete and accurate
• Support trial runs, commissioning, startup readiness, and early operational stabilization
• Ensure action items and final action items are completed prior to project closeout
• Partner with plant teams to transition assets into operation successfully
• Capture lessons learned and applied them to future project execution

Skills

Capital project execution

Engineering leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Project planning

Risk management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering

Job description

The Kraft Heinz Company is seeking an on-site Engineering Project Leader in Champaign, IL to drive capital projects from design through startup. You will manage scope, schedule, and budget while coordinating with operations, maintenance, quality, safety, and procurement teams.

You will lead engineering design activities, oversee equipment selection, and provide on-site support during construction, commissioning, and startup. Strong cross-functional leadership and problem-solving are required.