Regional Capital Project Engineer

About SunOpta

SunOpta delivers customized supply chain solutions and innovation for top brands, retailers, and foodservice providers across a broad portfolio of beverages, broths, and better-for-you snacks. With over 50 years of expertise, SunOpta fuels customers' growth with high-quality, sustainability-forward solutions distributed through retail, club, foodservice, and e-commerce channels across North America.

Job Summary:

The Regional Capital Project Engineer will lead engineering responsibilities for large corporate projects, own development and delivery of scope, budget, and timeline from concept to design, construction, and project start-up. Part of a multi-disciplined CAPEX (Capital Expenditure) project team and leads teams of both internal and external engineering resources within the process engineering discipline. This role will require traveling to the plant partners to support the projects and partners on the ground.

Essential Functions of the Job:

• Lead Engineer for process engineering discipline on capital projects - project management, budget, schedule management, construction management, start-up, and project close-out
• Develops scope, cost estimation, system design, procurement, installation, and check-out
• Delivers projects that meet all regulatory and insurance requirements. Works with local regulatory agencies to deliver scope and permitting needs
• Maintains SunOpta specifications and standards of construction. Partners with SunOpta internal engineering standards owners to clarify and refine specifications
• Partners with key stakeholders, including operating unit, plant team, R&D, quality, manufacturing, operations leadership, and financial operations
• Partners and collaborates in engineering design with key technical experts in SunOpta
• Lead and direct the external engineering team within the processing engineering discipline
• Develops and owns capital budgets within the process discipline, including regular cashflow cost tracking, reporting, and communications, asset close-out and accurately managing spend to budget and timing commitments
• Manages authorizations for purchase orders and contracts for equipment and installations, including development of bid packages and bidding work
• Supports construction activities, ensures field installations and construction meet design expectations, leads decisions and authorizations for field changes

• Adheres to company GMP's (good manufacturing practices), safety procedures and all other quality processes.
• Wear PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) when required.
• All other duties, as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Indirect responsibility in a matrixed environment

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering or related degree with applicable experience or extensive relevant work experience
• 3+ years in relevant Engineering experience (background in plant project engineering preferred)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Capital project execution experience for multiple concurrent projects
• Construction management experience
• Food manufacturing experience

Knowledge and Skills:

• Effectively involves, collaborates, negotiates, and makes decisions with multiple stakeholders while building strong, long-lasting partnerships with internal plant resources and partners
• Proficiency in accounting, including cost estimation, cost tracking, and tightly managing budgets
• Leadership of external engineering firms
• Experience with contract negotiations for engineering services and construction
• Thorough understanding of Food Manufacturing Regulatory Requirements (GMPs, Food Safety, etc.). Experience working with EPA and OSHA regulations

Additional Considerations:

• Travel Expectation: Up to 75%
• This position will be at our corporate headquarters in Eden Prairie, MN

Work Environment/Physical Demands:

Approximately; 20% of work is performed in an office environment. 80% of work may involve being in the agricultural or manufacturing environment.

Featured Benefits

• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Paid Family leave
• Paid maternity leave
• 401(k) with Match
• Voluntary Life, Accident, Critical Illness and Hospital indemnity
• Paid Holidays
• Tuition assistance
• Short-term and Long-term Disability insurance

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time, with or without notice.

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
EOE M/W/VET/DISABLED