Director, Engineering

Role Overview

Winland Foods is hiring a Director of Engineering (Manufacturing Engineering Director) to lead the development and execution of its manufacturing engineering strategy across a network of 11 pasta/dry dinners manufacturing facilities. This is a remote role requiring travel up to 75% and residency in a state where facilities are located.

Location & Work Style

• Remote (Work from Home) with travel up to 75%
• Must reside in: AZ, MO, KY, TX, IL, NY, SC, WI, PA, ND

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Define and execute the engineering strategy aligned to business objectives
• Build continuous improvement to improve cost per pound and productivity while enhancing quality and service
• Drive standardization of processes and best practices across sites

Capital Management & Innovation (CAPEX)

• Lead capital planning and execution: capacity optimization, technology upgrades, cost savings, and facility expansions
• Develop and manage the 3-year CAPEX plan for the pasta plant network
• Support project development and deliver capital authorization documents with thorough due diligence
• Evaluate emerging technologies to enhance automation, sustainability, and throughput
• Partner with procurement and vendors for equipment selection, installation, commissioning, and training
• Lead capital supplier negotiations to optimize cost-benefits
• Lead/support projects through ideation and stage-gating: scoping, approvals, engineering/design, procurement, construction, commissioning, qualification, and validation
• Create business case screening scopes and cost estimates to inform business decisions

Team & People Development

• Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing, diverse engineering team
• Foster a culture of curiosity, collaboration, and accountability
• Coach plant teams and support capability-building

Operations & Process Excellence

• Lead engineering for processing, packaging, and automation to improve efficiency and reliability
• Partner with Operations, Quality, and Maintenance to reduce downtime and improve equipment lifecycle
• Ensure employee and food safety remains a non-negotiable priority
• Provide leadership and on-site troubleshooting to resolve technical issues

Requirements

• Demonstrated leadership experience building and developing engineering teams
• Strong focus on technical rigor and data-driven problem solving
• Experience leading manufacturing/process engineering and continuous improvement initiatives
• Ability to manage multi-site capital projects and CAPEX planning
• Willingness/ability to travel up to 75%
• Must reside in one of the listed facility states (AZ, MO, KY, TX, IL, NY, SC, WI, PA, ND)

Nice-to-Haves

• Experience with automation, sustainability, and throughput improvement initiatives
• Experience with stage-gated project processes and business-case screening

Compensation & Benefits

• $136k to $238k annually (based on experience) plus bonus potential
• Benefits include: medical/dental/vision, 401(k) with match, STD/LTD/AD&D/Life, HSA/FSA, EAP, accident/critical illness coverage, and other plans