Project Engineer

Position Summary

The Project Engineer is responsible for creation, coordination, and realization of new equipment and equipment upgrade projects within manufacturing. The Project Engineer professionally executes projects per an agreed-upon timeline and budget, provides solutions of the highest quality, and delivers the agreed upon results to achieve business goals and return on investment. The Project engineer has direct responsibility for major assets and operations as related to management of capital funds and developing solutions to production issues that achieve savings in waste, raw materials, etc. Projects may involve aspects of both mechanical and electrical engineering and typically fall within the following manufacturing processes - extrusion, coating and laminating, drying/curing, compounding, converting, material handling, and general facilities. The successful performance of these duties can impact waste reduction, quality improvement, productivity improvement, capability for new product development, customer satisfaction, employee safety, and overall plant and company profitability.

Key Responsibilities

• Effectively leads all aspects of assigned projects from initial concept through realization
• Transforms high-level strategic goals related to capacity, safety, reliability, and machine capability into detailed project plans.
• Engages with operations teams to establish new and/or upgraded equipment / process requirements, identify key deliverables, create specifications, and develop validation methods.
• Engages with operations teams to identify existing and potential sources of variability and then integrates solutions for improved process control as part of equipment upgrades or in implementation of new equipment.
• Develops anticipated productivity metrics (uptime, waste, throughput), staffing requirements, and expected capacity for new and/or upgraded equipment.
• Creates capital appropriation requests, including an overall project scope, ROI / justification, EHS plan, timeline, and quoted cost summaries
• Prepares quote packages and solicits multiple quotes for each project
• Issues project purchase orders and tracks overall project spending to budget
• Maintains project schedules by monitoring progress, coordinating activities, and resolving potential roadblocks
• Delivers project updates to management, including formal weekly / monthly project updates and one-on-one project walk-throughs, and utilizes technologies such as Microsoft Teams, graphics, videos, etc. for clear communication
• Manages the installation, startup, validation, and EHS sign-off of new and/or upgraded equipment
• Follows Management of Change (MOC) processes
• Develops process flows and procedures for new and/or upgraded equipment
• Utilizes problem solving tools to quickly resolve issues in launch/implementation (RPS)
• Collaborates with plant maintenance, engineering, and operation resources to identify opportunities for and implementation of solutions for improved system integration, data collection, and general automation.
• Collaborates with plant process engineering, R&D, and the OEM to establish startup operating conditions, setpoints, and recipes.
• Ensures applicable training materials are provided and key plant personnel are provided thorough training on new and/or upgraded equipment and process.
• Ensures predictive and preventative maintenance tasks related to new equipment are added to the CMMS
• Collaborates with plant departments to ensure calibration tasks related to new equipment are integrated into existing QC systems and maintenance CMMS
• Ensures recommended spare parts are purchased and added/inventoried in maintenance stores
• Investigates new coating, drying, converting, handling, inspection, and/or other appliable manufacturing technologies and processing methods and provides cost vs benefit analysis for potential consideration as future projects
• Identifies, plans, and coordinates with R&D and plant engineering resources to conduct trials on existing equipment to understand current equipment capabilities and/or validate process assumptions. yield, runtime, equipment reliability, equipment capability, and first-pass product quality
• Ensures new manufacturing equipment and processes meet safety and regulatory requirements.
• Engages with site operations and corporate team to establish and oversee the capital budget for assigned site(s)
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Scope:

• Decision Impact: Plant
• Department Responsibility: Engineering (1)
• Budgetary (P&L) Responsibility: No
• Direct Reports: No
• Indirect Reports: No
• Physical Requirements: The role requires the associate to stand, walk and sit; carry moderate loads and work at a computer for extended periods of time The associate can expect to spend around 40% of the time in an office environment planning and coordinating projects and 60% in the manufacturing area engaging with teams, supervising contractors, and completing hands-on project tasks. The associate will be subjected to noise, odor, and environmental conditions that are common in the manufacturing environment. Appropriate Personal Protective Equipment is required and provided.
• Management Responsibilities Level: Individual Contributor
• Reports to: Plant Manager (with dotted line to Director of Engineering)
• Location: Minneapolis, MN
• Travel: up to 25%, including periodic multi-week travel for equipment validations / runoffs

Selection Criteria:

• Education:
  • Minimum Bachelor's degree in either Mechanical, Industrial, Electrical or Chemical Engineering required.
  • PMI certification preferred, not required.
  • Lean manufacturing or Six Sigma certification and/or trainings preferred, not required.
  • EIT preferred, not required.
• Experience:
  • Minimum 3 years of experience in a manufacturing environment.
  • Minimum 1 year of experience leading projects in equipment modification and new equipment industrialization.
  • Experience in coating, printing, or converting industry is preferred, but not required.
  • Experience working with manufacturing enterprise systems is required.
  • Demonstratable skill in AutoCAD for 2D drawing/layout is preferred.
  • Demonstratable skill in Microsoft Office, Project, and Teams is required.
  • DOE and SPC experience preferred.
  • Working knowledge basic controls/PLCs is preferred.
  • Exceptional verbal and written communication skills are required.
  • Exceptional problem solving and analytical skills are required.
  • Demonstrated ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
  • Demonstrated ability to engage and productively collaborate with manufacturing and non-manufacturing personnel at various levels within and external to the organization.
• Other:
  • Legal authorization to work in the US is required. We will not sponsor individuals for employment visas, now or in the future, for this job opening.
  • Relocation Eligible: Eligible Relocation.

Disclaimers:

• The above information in this description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.
• It is the policy of Mactac that all employees are employed at the will of Mactac for an indefinite period and are subject to termination at any time, for any reason, with or without cause or notice. At the same time, employees may terminate their employment at any time and for any reason.
• Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identify, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, age, pregnancy, genetic information, creed, citizenship status, marital status or any other consideration prohibited by law or contract.