CPSNA Engineering Strategic Project Director

About the role

The CPSNA Engineering Strategic Project Director will lead high‑impact, multi‑year engineering initiatives at the Puerto Rico and/or Atlanta plant. This senior position is responsible for delivering projects from equipment arrival through construction, commissioning, and vertical start‑up, while ensuring safety, quality, and schedule compliance.

Key responsibilities

• Lead planning, execution, and delivery of strategic engineering projects, acting as the single point of accountability for scope, schedule, cost, quality, and safety.
• Support capital project concept definition, detailed engineering, commissioning, and handover, adhering to CPS Engineering standards and CAPEX governance.
• Conduct feasibility studies, option analysis, business case development, risk assessment, and ROI evaluation.
• Manage cross‑functional collaboration with Manufacturing, Maintenance, PQA, QSE, Supply Chain, Finance, IT, and Automation teams.
• Serve as primary interface with external engineering firms, OEMs, system integrators, and contractors to ensure contractual compliance and quality execution.
• Drive deployment of new technologies, automation, and digitalization initiatives to improve safety, capacity, quality, and cost.
• Oversee final commissioning, qualification, and operational readiness, ensuring stable start‑ups and performance targets.
• Mentor and develop project managers and engineers, fostering a culture of safety, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Industrial, Production, Chemistry, Food Science or related field; specialization in Production Engineering; MBA desirable.
• 15+ years of manufacturing, engineering, and maintenance experience in advanced processing environments.
• Experience in senior leadership roles such as Operations Director, Engineering & Maintenance Director, or OE & Digitalization Director.
• Proven ability to manage large‑scale capital projects, financial controls, and change management.

Required skills

• Operations knowledge and financial management
• SAP‑S4
• Lean Manufacturing (Operational Excellence)
• Quality assurance and GMP
• Production process optimization
• New technologies and automation
• Food safety compliance
• Warehouse management