Director of Engineering

Food Manufacturing              

Greater Chicago

Major Talent is partnering with a global food ingredients manufacturer that offers a range of speciality ingredients to industrial and foodservice customers globally. We are looking to speak with engineering professionals for a Director of Engineering opening.

As a Director of Engineering, you will lead the engineering function, capital project delivery and multi-site maintenance strategy across all operations. You will be responsible for developing and executing both annual and long-term capital expenditure (CAPEX) plans, ensuring projects are delivered safely, on time and within budget.

Responsibilities of a Director of Engineering

• Lead the development and delivery of annual and long-range Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) plans across multiple facilities, identifying, prioritising, and justifying investments that support safety, food safety, quality, operational efficiency, capacity growth, and business objectives.
• Oversee the full lifecycle of capital projects, from concept and design through procurement, execution, commissioning, and handover, ensuring projects are delivered safely, on time, within budget and to the highest standards.
• Drive robust CAPEX governance by managing budgets, forecasts, risk mitigation, change control, and performance reporting, providing clear visibility and recommendations to senior leadership.
• Provide strategic leadership and support to site Maintenance Managers, establishing performance expectations and driving improvements in equipment reliability, uptime, preventive maintenance compliance, responsiveness, and contractor effectiveness.
• Develop and standardise best-in-class maintenance and reliability programmes across all sites, leveraging CMMS systems, predictive maintenance techniques, reliability-centred maintenance practices, and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Lead the development of a multi-site spare parts strategy that balances inventory optimisation with operational resilience, ensuring critical equipment availability and minimising downtime risks.
• Serve as the senior technical resource for Operations and Maintenance teams, supporting complex troubleshooting, root cause investigations, and the implementation of sustainable corrective actions.
• Drive the implementation of future automation and digitalisation initiatives, providing expertise in electrical, controls, and process automation systems while partnering with external integrators and contractors.
• Champion a culture of safety, food safety, environmental stewardship, and regulatory compliance across all engineering and maintenance activities.
• Manage relationships with key engineering suppliers, OEMs, contractors, utilities, and service providers, ensuring strong technical performance, cost effectiveness, and service reliability.
• Travel regularly to manufacturing sites to support project delivery, maintenance performance reviews, technical problem-solving, audits, and critical operational activities.

Skills required to be a Director of Engineering

• A Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial, Chemical, or a related discipline).
• A minimum of 10 years' experience in engineering, maintenance and/or capital project leadership within food manufacturing or another highly regulated process manufacturing environment. Experience supporting multiple sites is highly desirable.
• A proven track record of developing CAPEX strategies and successfully delivering capital projects from concept through commissioning, with strong control of budgets, timelines and project outcomes.
• Strong expertise in maintenance and reliability best practices, including preventative and predictive maintenance programmes, asset performance optimisation, and KPI-driven continuous improvement.
• Proficiency with engineering and project management tools, including AutoCAD, Bluebeam Revu (or equivalent), Microsoft Office applications, project scheduling software, and CMMS platforms.
• The flexibility and willingness to travel regularly across US operations to support project delivery, site performance improvement initiatives, and key business priorities.