Project Manager Food Manufacturing

This is a handson role in an active manufacturing environment requiring regular presence on the plant floor and close collaboration with Operations Maintenance Quality and external partners. If you thrive in fastpaced production settings and enjoy turning complex projects into realworld results this is an opportunity to make a meaningful impact on our facilities and operations.

This is a hybrid role based in DeForest WI with regular onsite plant presence and occasional travel across Canada and the U.S.

Key Responsibilities for this position include (but not limited to):

Capital Project Planning & Delivery:

• Lead endtoend delivery of capital projects across two processing facilities including equipment installations automation utilities infrastructure upgrades and facility modifications.
• Plan execute monitor and close projects in accordance with PPMO standards engineering best practices and the StageGate governance framework.
• Develop and maintain integrated project plans covering scope schedule budget resources procurement risk commissioning and startup.
• Facilitate crossfunctional alignment with Operations Maintenance Quality and external partners to define requirements and deliverables.
• Track performance against milestones budgets and risk profiles; implement mitigation strategies to protect safety food safety production continuity and capital outcomes.
• Provide clear status reporting dashboards and StageGate updates to the Director PPMO and Plant Leadership.

Vendor Safety & Compliance Management:

• Select manage and oversee OEMs engineering firms and contractors ensuring compliance with scope safety food safety quality and technical requirements.
• Coordinate plantfloor construction and installation activities to minimize production disruption and maintain OH&S/OSHA CFIA/FDA environmental and sitespecific standards.
• Review engineering packages drawings commissioning documentation and validate progress claims and invoices.

Quality Risk & Financial Control:

• Lead quality assurance commissioning and startup activities (FAT SAT validation golive readiness).
• Maintain active risk and issue registers; conduct rootcause analysis and escalate risks as required.
• Manage project financials including cost tracking forecasting change control and capital closeout in collaboration with Finance and Procurement.
• Support annual capital planning through business cases cost estimates and portfolio inputs.

Governance & Continuous Improvement:

• Lead projects through all StageGate phases preparing and presenting gate reviews with required deliverables and recommendations.
• Ensure complete accurate project documentation and data within capital and portfolio management systems.
• Participate in postimplementation reviews to capture lessons learned and strengthen capital execution practices.

Desired Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelors degree in Engineering Construction Management or a related technical field; equivalent experience in a manufacturing or industrial environment will be considered.
• 510 years of experience managing capital projects within food beverage fresh produce or CPG manufacturing environments.
• PMP (or equivalent project management certification) preferred.
• Demonstrated success managing a capital project portfolio in the $1MM$10MM range.
• Strong technical understanding of manufacturing equipment utilities automation and facility/plant infrastructure systems.
• Proven experience managing contractors OEMs and engineering firms within active highuptime production environments.
• Strong financial acumen including capital budgeting forecasting cost control and variance analysis.
• Familiarity with StageGate FEL or other phasegated project delivery methodologies.
• Experience supporting multisite manufacturing operations.
• Experience using project management software (e.g. MS Project Asana Smartsheet).

Key Competencies:

• Capital Project Execution: Proven ability to plan and deliver capital projects from concept through commissioning while managing scope schedule budget and risk.
• Manufacturing & Technical Knowledge: Solid understanding of manufacturing equipment utilities automation systems and facility infrastructure in a production environment.
• Vendor & Contractor Management: Experience managing OEMs contractors and engineering partners during equipment installations and facility upgrades.
• Financial & Budget Management: Ability to manage capital budgets forecasts cost tracking and variance analysis while identifying cost-efficiency opportunities.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Strong ability to build relationships and work cross-functionally with operations maintenance and leadership teams.
• Communication: Clear and effective communicator capable of facilitating project meetings providing status updates and aligning diverse stakeholders.
• Organization & Prioritization: Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple projects deadlines and priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Problem Solving & Continuous Improvement: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a proactive approach to identifying risks resolving issues and improving project execution.

Work Environment
Office Setting: This role will primarily be working in an office environment utilizing a computer and various software and tools to track progress managing schedules and communicating with team members.
On-Site Visits: Regular visits to project sites may be required to monitor progress address issues and ensure compliance with safety and quality standards.
External Visits: This position may require travel within Canada or the US. Valid drivers license and passport are required.
Travel: Depending on the projects location travel may be required including overnight stays.

Work Hours
Standard Hours: Typically this role will work standard business hours (e.g. 8 AM to 5:00 PM) but flexibility is required.
Extended Hours: During critical phases extended hours including evenings and weekends may be necessary.

Additional Information :

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Remote Work :

No

Employment Type :

Full-time