Plant Engineer, Food Processing, Prosser, WA

The Engineer is directly responsible for the design and implementation of manufacturing methods and processes that support product quality and quantity goals and objectives within their assigned facility.  Responsible to plan for and assure the efficient maintenance of production machinery and equipment, physical plant, utilities, and grounds in accordance with state and federal regulations and company policies and procedures.  Develops capital projects for designated facilities, makes recommendation for approval, and upon approval ensures timely completion of projects within budgetary guidelines.  Also directly responsible for the preparation of accurate cost analyses of assigned engineering projects and accurate project completion dates.Duties:

• Directs and coordinates, through engineering, maintenance and operations personnel, activities concerned with manufacturing processes, engineering programs, and projects to ensure results within cost, schedule, and technical goals while maintaining safety, GMP's and high-quality standards. 

 

• Provides engineering direction and support in identifying problems and effecting timely solutions to maintain the processes and the continuity of production flow for assigned facilities.  Arranges and distributes work and coordinates activities with plant operations for maximum efficiency.

 

• Prepares and controls capital projects within budget constraints to meet facility development goals, assuring accurate cost analyses and project completion dates.  Prepares and controls the Engineering/Maintenance departmental budget for assigned facilities and projects.

 

• Monitors, trouble-shoots, and tests new methods and procedures and/or newly installed equipment to ensure fulfillment of contract specifications and system efficiencies.  Assists with programming changes required as plant requirements dictate.  Coordinates efforts with Engineering Systems Administrator.

 

• Prepares design concept drawings with cost and completion date estimates.

 

• Conducts a continuous search of new materials, processes, and procedures to enhance and improve the product line.  Interfaces with internal resources and external vendors to evaluate, cost estimate, and select purchase parts.

 

• Oversees the preventive maintenance program within assigned facilities to maintain production machinery and equipment in proper working condition.

 

• Directs the operations and maintenance of steam generating, electrical, compressed gases, water, and refrigeration systems to provide uninterrupted service.

 

• Inspects jobs in process and at completion to ensure that standards of quality, workmanship, and safety are maintained. 

 

• Oversees inventories of maintenance materials, supplies, and repair parts assuring that required inventory levels are maintained for the facility.

 

• Ensures that quality production is attained through assigned personnel through fulfillment of workmanship standards and quality-program requirements.

 

• Maintains solid working knowledge of all regulatory requirements relating to waste water, air quality (emissions), diesel conversion and other applicable regulations.  Monitors compliance, submits all proper documentation and schedules maintenance and repair for all companies and facilities.

 

• Identifies and reports quality problems or trends in the assigned area based on data from a variety of sources.

 

• Recommends or implements the appropriate corrective action to quality problems in the assigned area, with the aid of manufacturing and maintenance personnel.

 

• Assures that effective communication between departments and key personnel are maintained within areas of responsibility.  Provides ongoing input to the Vice President Operations and the Senior Plant Engineer, especially regarding unusual or serious situations.

Requirements:• B.S. degree in engineering or equivalent from an accredited college or university.
• Two - five years’ minimum experience in increasingly responsible positions.
• Sound knowledge and demonstrated ability in engineering principles and disciplines, employed manufacturing processes, technical report preparation, and meeting deadlines.  Aseptic packaging experience in a high or low acid environment preferred.
• Knowledge of PLC programming to the extent needed to successfully select equipment for capital projects, work with vendors on installation and trouble shoot start up challenges.
• Considerable skill in arriving at cost estimates on complex projects.
• Technical and administrative aspects of all phases of building inspections, building codes and city ordinances; contractor licenses; regulations and guidelines prepared by state and federal agencies relative to plant inspection requirements; and general construction techniques.
• Sound knowledge and experience with principles and practices of business administration including personnel practices, employment laws and fiscal management practices; and the appropriate methods and means of dealing with human behavior situations in a variety of circumstances.  
• Leadership skills
• Demonstrated initiative and ability to think creatively to identify business opportunities
• Proven ability to recruit, train, and motivate personnel in order to balance staffing strength with profitability and growth.
• PC-based computing experience (word processing-Word, spreadsheet-Excel, email-Outlook).  Proficiency in CAD software (AutoCAD) and PLC programming.
• An equivalent combination of experience and training that provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities.
• Professional writing skills to compose memos, letters and other business correspondence observing all rules of grammar, spelling and punctuation.
• Ability to apply mathematical operations to such tasks as frequency distribution, determination of test reliability and validity, analysis of variance, correlation techniques, sampling theory, and factor analysis.
 
 
Send Replies to 
Connie Dorigan      Condor1@dorigan.com
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