Senior Project Manager, Engineering

Hawaiianhost; Honolulu (HI); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

401(k) with match

Paid Time Off

Holiday Pay

Sick Leave

Flexible Spending Accounts

Employee product discounts

Job summary

Hawaiian Host Group in Hawaii seeks a Senior Project Manager, Engineering to lead capital projects for food-grade CPG and nut processing facilities. You will oversee project scope, timelines, budgets, vendor relations, and equipment upgrades, driving OEE, yield, and safety targets.

This role partners with Operations, Quality, Safety, and Finance to optimize throughput and cost in a dynamic manufacturing environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial, Manufacturing, or related Engineering field; advanced degree or PE license preferred but not required.
• 5+ years of project management in manufacturing/operations; food, CPG, or nut/agribusiness processing experience strongly preferred.
• Project Management certification preferred but not required.
• Strong knowledge of lean/continuous improvement tools and reliability‑centered maintenance practices.
• Familiarity with food safety and quality systems (HACCP, GMPs, FSMA, SQF/BRC or similar) and designing sanitary/hygienic equipment installations.
• Experience managing capital projects from concept through commissioning, including vendor management and contractor oversight.
• Strong leadership, communication, and change management skills, with the ability to influence cross‑functional teams and work effectively in a multicultural Hawaii workforce.
• Possession of a valid driver’s license and access to a reliable vehicle.
• Strong problem‑solving and decision‑making abilities.
• Capacity to work with and relate to employees at all levels of the organization.
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Competency in computer systems and software applications.

Responsibilities

• Manage the annual capital plan from plan approvals, oversight of all projects, and leading larger capital engineering projects.
• Deliver projects on time, at or below cost, and ensure successful deliverables.
• Collaborate with Contractors and OEMs on new technologies and equipment performance improvements.
• Coach Operations, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Agricultural Operations as a technical resource.
• Implement and optimize processing and packaging lines for husking, drying, cracking, sorting, roasting, seasoning, enrobing, etc., ensuring OEE and yield targets.
• Oversee plant utilities and infrastructure with focus on energy efficiency and Hawaii cost constraints.
• Lead capital planning and execution for new equipment, expansions, and upgrades.
• Track cash flow on capital projects with Accounting and Finance.
• Apply Value Engineering, Lean, 5S, SMED, line balancing to reduce cost per pound and improve throughput.
• Ensure compliance with OSHA, FDA/FSMA, USDA (if applicable), and Hawaii codes and permitting.
• Partner with Quality and Food Safety to ensure hygienic equipment and allergen control.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Change management

Lean manufacturing

Project management

Vendor management

Cross-functional collaboration

Problem solving

Software proficiency

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical/Electrical/Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering

PE license preferred

Tools

ERP software

MS Office

Job description

POSITION SUMMARY

Senior Project Manager, Engineering leads the Engineering function for the company’s food‑grade CPG and nut harvesting/processing facilities, with responsibility for all capital projects, capital project management, managing contractors, and supporting facility packaging and processing equipment and facility utility infrastructure. This dynamic role works cross‑functionally across the organization and indirectly supports maintenance reliability programs, maintenance strategy, and ensuring projects support human safety, production efficiency, quality, and regulatory compliance. The role partners closely with Operations, Quality, Safety, Supply Chain, and other functions to deliver throughput, cost, and continuous improvement objectives in large‑scale agricultural operations and a high‑speed manufacturing environment. The role reports directly to the Senior Director Manufacturing.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Full responsibility to manage the annual capital plan from plan approvals, oversight of all projects, and leading larger capital engineering projects.
• Ensures project management is run effectively delivering projects on time, at or below cost, and succeeding in project deliverables while meeting overall organizational expectations.
• Works closely with contractors and OEMs on new technologies, improved equipment performance, and drives overall equipment and manufacturing/processing engineering improvements.
• Supports and coaches functions as a technical resource for Operations, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and all Agricultural Operations.
• Implements and optimizes processing and packaging lines for husking, drying, cracking, sorting, roasting, seasoning, enrobing, panning, packing, and other associated CPG operations, ensuring OEE and yield targets.
• Supports efficient use of plant utilities and infrastructure (steam, compressed air, refrigeration, water/wastewater, power) with focus on energy efficiency and Hawaii‑specific cost/availability constraints in collaboration with Plant Manager and EHS.
• Leads capital planning and execution (scoping, justification, vendor selection, installation, commissioning) for new equipment, expansions, and facility upgrades.
• Tracks and manages cash flow on capital projects working with Accounting and Finance along with other key stakeholders.
• Leads with both a Value Engineering mindset and leverages lean manufacturing and continuous improvement principles (5S, value stream mapping, SMED, line balancing, waste reduction) to improve line design throughput and reduce cost per pound.
• Ensures engineering projects comply with OSHA, FDA/FSMA, USDA (if applicable), environmental regulations, and local/state of Hawaii codes and permitting.
• Partners with Quality and Food Safety to ensure hygienic equipment, allergen control, sanitation‑friendly layouts, and supports root‑cause analysis for customer or regulatory issues.
• Maintains plant layouts, drawings, and documentation; standardizes work instructions and change control for process and equipment changes.
• Possesses a range of analytical and mechanical skills with a high tolerance for uncertainty in dynamic conditions.
• Develops and manages departmental budget (labor, MRO, capital) and reports performance via KPIs (downtime, OEE, MTBF, maintenance cost, energy use).
• Prepares monthly reports for the business, including productivity metrics and budget costs, partnering with finance and accounting.
• Fulfills any additional duties or projects assigned, demonstrating flexibility and an initiative‑taking approach to meeting organizational needs.
• Adheres to Company policies and procedures in all duties, reflecting Company values in behavioral conduct both on‑site and off.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial, Manufacturing, or related Engineering field; advanced degree or PE license preferred but not required.
• 5+ years of project management in manufacturing/operations; food, CPG, or nut/agribusiness processing experience strongly preferred.
• Project Management certification preferred but not required.
• Strong knowledge of lean/continuous improvement tools and reliability‑centered maintenance practices.
• Familiarity with food safety and quality systems (HACCP, GMPs, FSMA, SQF/BRC or similar) and designing sanitary/hygienic equipment installations.
• Experience managing capital projects from concept through commissioning, including vendor management and contractor oversight.
• Strong leadership, communication, and change management skills, with the ability to influence cross‑functional teams and work effectively in a multicultural Hawaii workforce.
• Possession of a valid driver’s license and access to a reliable vehicle.
• Strong problem‑solving and decision‑making abilities.
• Capacity to work with and relate to employees at all levels of the organization.
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Competency in computer systems and software applications.

BENEFITS

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Paid Time Off
• Holiday Pay
• Sick Leave
• Floating Holiday
• Company‑paid life & disability
• 401(k) with company match
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employee product discounts

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by the employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

Occasional interisland travel between Oahu and the Big Island is required to support multi‑site operations and capital project execution.

This job description is not intended to cover or contain a complete listing of all activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time, with or without notice.

Hawaiian Host Group is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

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