Manufacturing Engineer

Summary:

This position is primarily responsible for leading capital investment projects that expand manufacturing capacity, improve operational efficiency, increase automation, and support the company's long-term growth strategy. The role manages projects from concept through business case development, equipment selection, procurement, installation, commissioning, qualification, and operational handoff.

Working closely with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, Purchasing, Supply Chain, Finance, and external equipment suppliers, the Manufacturing Capital Projects Engineer will ensure projects are delivered safely, on schedule, within budget, and achieve expected operational and financial results. In addition to capital project leadership, this position supports continuous improvement, process optimization, and smart manufacturing initiatives that leverage automation and data-driven decision making.

Essential Duties and Key Responsibilities

Capital Project Leadership

• Lead capital investment projects from concept through implementation, including project scoping, business case development, budgeting, scheduling, vendor selection, procurement, installation, commissioning, qualification, and project closeout.
• Develop and manage project scopes, CapEx justifications, ROI analyses, budgets, schedules, resource plans, risks, and change controls.
• Manage multiple concurrent capital projects while ensuring adherence to safety, quality, schedule, and budget objectives
• Evaluate and specify equipment and automation; manage suppliers, contractors, integrators, and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Plan site preparation, utilities, FAT/SAT, and, where applicable, IQ/OQ/PQ; coordinate installation, commissioning, startup, contractor safety, and punch-list closure.
• Manage multiple concurrent projects and communicate status, risks, budget variances, and schedule impacts to leadership.
• Define acceptance criteria and verify sustained safety, quality, throughput, waste, labor, reliability, and financial results before final closeout.

Manufacturing Engineering & Process Improvement

• Partner with Production, Quality, Maintenance, EHS, and other functions to optimize processes, equipment layout, facility utilization, and safe equipment integration.
• Develop technical documentation, standard work, and training; coordinate preventive maintenance, critical spare parts, and reliability requirements with Maintenance.
• Present project updates, technical recommendations, and performance metrics to senior leadership.
• Use operational data to implement targeted improvements in safety, quality, throughput, waste, and cost.
• Lead new process development and continuous improvement initiatives for existing and new products.
• Support ISO, FSC, environmental, and other quality or regulatory requirements.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, or related field.
• Exposure to flexographic printing or process engineering.
• Exposure with ERP/MRP systems (e.g., Radius, Oracle), automation technologies, and lean manufacturing.
• Preferred: Lean Six Sigma certification.
• Experience with data analytics tools (Power BI, Python, Minitab) and CAD is preferred.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and presentation abilities across all levels of the organization.
• Proficiency in databases, spreadsheets, and technical documentation tools.

CRITICAL COMPETENCIES:

• Project management and training leadership.
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Action-oriented and hands-on approach to problem-solving.
• Highly self-directed with a strong sense of ownership, capable of independently leading complex capital projects while effectively collaborating with cross-functional teams