Utilities Unit Manager

Ingredion Incorporated; Bedford Park (IL); On-site; USD 124,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Total rewards package

Benefits & wellness support

Flexible work arrangements

Career growth & training

Employee recognition program

Employee discount program

Job summary

Ingredion Incorporated—Bedford Park, IL—seeks a Utilities Manager to oversee day-to-day operations of the plant's utilities unit. You will lead a team, manage steam, water, gas, and electrical systems, and drive reliability, efficiency, and cost effectiveness.

You will develop and execute short- and long-term utility strategies, monitor KPIs, and collaborate with plant and corporate teams to support sustainability and capital plans.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or equivalent experience.
• Experience with utility systems (gas boilers, steam, water, RO, turbines) preferred.
• Proven leadership of cross-functional teams and capital projects.
• Strong asset/utilities reliability and improvement strategies.
• Experience managing constrained capital and driving cultural change.

Responsibilities

• Lead a matrixed team to deliver results and improve plant utilities.
• Monitor energy and water consumption metrics and drive improvements.
• Provide insights to plant and unit managers on performance.
• Develop short and long-term utility operation strategies.
• Manage budget performance and forecast utility consumption.
• Collaborate across functions to deliver initiatives and troubleshoot outages.

Skills

Leadership

Cross-functional teams

Asset & utility reliability

Strategic planning

Communication & influence

People development

Education

Bachelor’s degree in manufacturing/Mechanical/Electrical/Chemical/Industrial Engineering

Tools

Power BI

SAP

Excel

Job description

About Ingredion:

Join Ingredion, where innovation impacts lives worldwide! Without even realizing it, you’ve experienced our work in your favorite chocolate, your pet’s food, the paper you write on, and your everyday snacks. As a global powerhouse across more than 60 industries, we harness the potential of natural ingredients to transform lives. Whether you’re just starting your career or bringing years of experience, there’s a place for you here to make a real difference. Be part of our team that values a wide range of perspectives and is committed to shaping a better world with every product we create.

TITLE: Utilities Manager

LOCATION:Bedford Park, IL (Argo Plant)

REPORTS TO:Maintenance, Reliability, & Utilities Manager

Workplace type: Onsite

Ingredion is hiring a Utilities Manager who will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Utilities Unit, ensuring the availability and efficiency of utilities assets for the plant. This role involves managing steam generation and distribution, power generation and distribution, air generation and distribution, and water systems. The manager will lead a team of professionals, both direct and dotted line, to achieve key performance indicators related to asset and utility availability, efficiency, and cost management.

What you will do:

• Lead a team of professionals and associates to deliver results and drive performance improvements in plant utilities.
• Monitor and improve specific energy and water consumption metrics.
• Provide insights to other unit managers on the performance of their units.
• Develop and execute short and long-term strategies for utility operations.
• Implement the Ingredion Performance System and support corporate sustainability initiatives.
• Develop, monitor, and project budget performance for the Utilities Unit.
• Forecast utilities consumption and identify opportunities for improvement across the utility’s footprint.
• Collaborate with plant and corporate functions to deliver utilities initiatives.
• Drive the completion of root cause problem elimination within the team when there are failures or utility interruptions.
• Monitor the performance and accountability of the maintenance team within the unit.
• Contribute to a plant capital strategy for asset replacement and process improvement.
• Interact daily with other operating units to communicate utilities performance and impacts, collaborate on needs-based interruptions, and coordinate troubleshooting efforts.
• Report on daily, weekly, and monthly key performance indicators.
• Prepare and maintain weekly and monthly performance metrics, deviation treatment and action completion, safety and people performance records, and development plans for team members.
• Utilize tools and systems such as Power BI reports, logged data for asset performance, SAP, workbooks, and production data from other operating units to monitor and manage utilities performance and operations.

Who you are:

• Bachelor’s degree in manufacturing, Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, or Industrial Engineering desired. Work experience and alternative education will also be considered.
• Experience with natural gas boilers, steam distribution, feed water treatment, ion exchange, and reverse osmosis systems, steam turbine generators, electrical distribution, compressed air, and water systems is preferred.
• Significant experience in progressive skills leading cross-functional teams.
• Strong understanding of asset and utility reliability, with the ability to develop strategies for improvement.
• Experience managing constrained capital and driving culture change to meet organizational demands.

What you will bring:

• Leadership skills in managing a matrixed team of cross-functional professionals, leading, and managing change, implementing management systems, and focusing on people and development.
• Proven track record of driving results through team performance.
• Proven ability to influence others towards positive change both inside and outside the direct chain of command. Must be a decisive, goals-oriented individual, capable of independent decision making with the ability to successfully meet targeted goals, on time and within budgetary constraints.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to prepare effective presentations, present tests and results, and write concise reports. Ability to train and work effectively with all experience levels.
• Strong interpersonal skills suited to task force and consulting assignments and to directing or influencing others (both inside and outside the direct chain of command) with the ability to interface effectively with team members, management, customers, and vendors.

Why Join Ingredion?

Discover why Ingredion is the ideal place to advance your career with our exceptional rewards and benefits package designed to help you thrive. Create the future with us and enjoy:

• Total Rewards Package – Competitive salary and performance-based pay recognizing your contributions to our success.
• Comprehensive Benefits & Wellness Support – Health, long-term savings, and resources for your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
• Flexible Work Arrangements – We value flexibility to support you both professionally and personally.
• Career Growth – Learning, training, and development opportunities, including tuition reimbursement.
• Employee Recognition Program – A culture of real-time appreciation, with personalized recognition rewards globally.
• Employee Discount Program – Provides exclusive discounts on everyday products, services, and travel.

#LI-JV1 #LI-ONSITE #INDAG

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. Ingredion seeks to provide a work environment that is free from harassment and discrimination. We will not tolerate any form of discrimination based on race, color, religion, age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, handicap or disability—mental or physical—marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status, disability resulting from military service, or any other classification protected by law (“protected classifications”). We are committed to establishing and maintaining a work environment where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.

Ingredion provides accommodations to job applicants with disabilities throughout the hiring process. If a job applicant requires an accommodation during the application process or through the selection process, we will work with the applicant to meet the job applicant’s accommodation needs.

Ingredion uses AI-enabled tools to support parts of the recruitment process, including resume screening and interview scheduling. These tools help match candidate skills to job requirements and streamline communication. All AI-assisted decisions are reviewed by our Talent Acquisition team to ensure fairness and compliance with applicable laws. By applying, you acknowledge that AI may be used to support your application journey.

Relocation Available:

Yes, Within Region

Pay Range:

$123,500.00-$164,700.00 Annual

This pay range is not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Final base salary will be determined based on several factors which may include but are not limited to responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data and applicable bargaining agreement (if any).

Incentive Compensation:

As a part of the total compensation package, this role may be eligible for the Ingredion Annual Incentive Plan or a role-specific commission/bonus.

Benefits:

Full-time roles are eligible for our comprehensive benefits package which includes medical, dental and vision coverage as well as a 401(k) plan with an competitive company match.