Director, Engineering

PURPOSE STATEMENT

Rich Products is looking for a Director of Engineering who is passionate about discovering, developing, and implementing complex technical solutions across different product categories, exceeding our customers’ expectations.
In this role you will lead Rich’s engineering strategies for multiple product categories, successfully identifying, developing, and implementing business growth and productivity projects as well as technology programs across the Enterprise.
You will own and lead a portfolio of business-critical projects following a disciplined engineering approach from concept definition to vertical start up, including technology identification, validation, machine reliability analysis, new line design, modifications of existing assets, and developing robust technical solutions to address a range of complex manufacturing issues. You will also identify new breakthrough technologies and operational solutions that will bring our business categories to the future.
You will also analyze ways to maximize efficiency and yields, optimize manufacturing costs, own capital expenditure, project management, equipment evaluation, operation performance improvement, start-up and new process validation.

The role will directly interface with Manufacturing Directors, Engineering Directors, VP of Engineering, Information Systems, Research & Development, Business leaders and other technical functions.
The Director of Engineering will lead corporate engineering activities across our network of plants. 

This is a remote position for candidates within continental U.S., requiring domestic and occasional international travel.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES/OUTCOMES

•    Lead the discovery, development, qualification, and successful operational implementation of manufacturing technologies and breakthrough technical solutions to drive business growth and gross margin improvement across multiple product categories.
•    Lead the justification, establishment, and implementation of capital projects from inception through completion. Initiate technical concepts, develop designs incorporating the optimal technical solutions, estimate and manage costs, formulate justifications, coordinate project/program executions, support line startups, and establish systems to train required personnel on new technologies. 
•    Lead standard engineering work processes and champion the best engineering practices for improved performance. Analyze with manufacturing teams and other functions the operational performance impacts of new equipment or equipment modifications across current operations.
•    Effectively lead, develop, and allocate resources across a team of talented engineers to identify viable project opportunities, and properly validate and implement breakthrough technical in-plant solutions.
•    Closely collaborate with R&D Process & Packaging, Quality Assurance, Safety, Information Systems, Manufacturing and Business Unit Teams among other functions on the definition of technology solutions and standardization opportunities across our product categories.

•    Participate in business category, operational, R&D and Engineering project and business reviews as required. Communicate and inform operational and business leaders of related work through scheduling, plant and business meetings and required project status reviews.
•    Search and reapply: Lead technology discovery efforts across the industry and develop viable technology solutions adapted to our manufacturing processes. Represent the company's position and interests effectively in dealing with outside contractors, vendors, engineering consultants and professional associations, with a positive attitude across the organization and working teams. 
•    Demonstrate thorough knowledge of capital project administration procedures and follow Rich’s capital management processes and guidelines.
•    Assists other department’s efforts to provide technical training and guidance to improve operations.

All other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/EXPERIENCE

Required:
•    A BSc degree Chemical / Mechanical / Electrical Engineering with 20+ years of experience in the Food, Beverage, Fast Consumer Packaged Goods and/or similar industries.
•    Proven engineering leadership experience with baked goods, desserts, confectionary, protein frying, freezing, packaging and related food processes across diverse product categories. 
•    Demonstrated experience in leading the selection, design, specification, and implementation of new product manufacturing technologies and packaging platforms, including modification of existing operational assets. 
•    Demonstrated experience in leading front-end engineering and design activities, concurrently with multiple project executions across a complex network of plants.
•    Strong analytical and communication skills. Ability to draw sound technical conclusions based on limited data, including ability to write concise technical reports of findings and compelling recommendations of innovative designs that improve operational margins and throughput.
•    Demonstrated experience in leading a diverse team of talented engineers across a remote network in achieving breakthrough results while continuing developing their leadership skills and technical capabilities. 
•    Demonstrated sound business acumen to drive comprehensive and compelling business propositions, showing strong communication skills across all organizational levels and diverse cultural environments. 
•    Proven capital investment strategic leadership experience with clear impact on the company’s top & bottom-line business metrics. 
•    Demonstrated ability to follow advanced technical validation and reliability engineering tools to assess technical risks, predictive analytics (FMEA, Statistical Process Analysis, etc.) and project readiness processes and tools to deliver Vertical Start Ups on complex technologies at plant level.
•    Understanding of machine and line process controls and vision systems integration to drive a fully automated operation. 
•    Experience in Total Productive Manufacturing (TPM) environments and EEM Pillar systems, continuous improvement methodologies through equipment design, driving process optimization.
•    Experience leading the design and construction of brownfield expansions / greenfield manufacturing plants.  

Preferred:
•    Master of Business Administration or similar advanced business degree will be preferred. 
•    Knowledge of Reliability Engineering (RE) tools & process improvement methodologies.
•    Experience in Industry 4.0 solutions definition and implementation. 
•    Experience in developing new process / packing technologies and standard equipment platforms in close partnership with leading edge equipment manufacturers and/or technology innovation groups.  
•    Experience working in international / global markets.

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