Senior Staff Mechanical Engineer - Travel-Heavy, High-Impact

Packaging Corporation; Lake Forest (IL); On-site; USD 109,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus program

Paid vacation

Paid holidays

401k with company match

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Job summary

Packaging Corporation of America seeks a Senior Staff Mechanical Engineer to lead project engineering, construction management, and technical support across our plants and papermills. This hands-on role drives innovative solutions, coordinates cross-functional teams, and ensures projects meet scope, budget, and timelines.

You will oversee capital and maintenance initiatives, develop scopes, and write vendor specifications while maintaining high quality and safety standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or related field.
• 10+ years in industrial paper, corrugating, or design engineering environments.
• Strong communication and leadership skills.
• Ability to travel extensively (80%).

Responsibilities

• Project Engineering – develop, evaluate, and propose solutions, create project scopes and budgets, write vendor/contractor scopes and specifications, evaluate proposals and make recommendations.
• Construction Management – create project schedule, coordinate with plant personnel, and supervise contractors.
• Technical Support – troubleshoot and solve equipment downtime and production issues.
• Project Management – lead capital and maintenance projects from concept to completion.
• AutoCAD – creating drawings, general arrangements, concept layout, piping schematic/iso.
• Develop actionable recommendations using sound engineering judgment.
• Coordinate and supervise contractors and engineering teams on diverse projects.
• Deliver projects on time and within budget while maintaining high-quality standards.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Microsoft Office

AutoCAD

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering

Tools

AutoCAD

Job description

Packaging Corporation of America seeks a Senior Staff Mechanical Engineer to lead project engineering, construction management, and technical support across our plants and papermills. This hands-on role drives innovative solutions, coordinates cross-functional teams, and ensures projects meet scope, budget, and timelines.

You will oversee capital and maintenance initiatives, develop scopes, and write vendor specifications while maintaining high quality and safety standards.