Principal Mechanical Engineer

Join Ingredion, where innovation impacts lives worldwide. Our work touches everyday products like chocolate, pet food, paper, and snacks. As a global leader across 60+ industries, we transform natural ingredients to improve lives. We value diverse perspectives and offer opportunities for career growth and meaningful impact.

Location: Westchester, IL
Workplace type: Hybrid
Relocation available: Yes, within country

About the role

As a Principal Mechanical Engineer, you will lead mechanical engineering expertise and technical support across multiple Ingredion facilities to meet manufacturing, quality, safety, reliability, and cost goals. As a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in Mechanical Engineering for Utilities and Process Equipment, you will support mechanical design, troubleshooting, optimization, project development, and implementation. This role provides technical leadership through mentoring, leading multi-disciplined teams, solving complex challenges, and ensuring the application of best technologies globally.

This role reports to the Director of Global Process Engineering, Utilities.

Responsibilities

• Provide mechanical engineering, design, and technical expertise to optimize operations across multiple Ingredion facilities, including conducting engineering studies, developing mechanical systems and equipment specifications, and selecting, designing, testing, troubleshooting, and optimizing equipment.
• Demonstrate knowledge of mechanical engineering subjects, including:
  • Bulk solids material handling, conveyor systems, and storage
  • Liquid/slurry material movement and storage
  • High inertia rotating equipment and primary utilities (boilers, air compressors, cogeneration systems)
  • Tanks, silos, and pressure vessels
  • Equipment and systems sizing, design, fabrication, troubleshooting, and failure analysis
  • General mechanical technology (strength of materials, machine design, fluid mechanics, materials of construction)
• Evaluate and review equipment and mechanical systems designs for projects and existing operations to ensure compliance with safety, applicable codes, standards, and best practices.
• Assess proposed projects to ensure optimal technology selection, comprehensive scope inclusion, properly sized mechanical systems, adequate budget estimates, and alignment with business objectives.
• Lead multi-disciplinary teams to analyze and solve complex mechanical problems and implement solutions.
• Utilize and contribute to knowledge management systems, driving the availability and implementation of best practices across the organization.
• Author and disseminate engineering standards for implementation across the organization.
• Apply engineering skills to optimize financial benefits of business alternatives.
• Engage stakeholders on complex business issues and drive collaboration to ensure the best solutions.
• Identify gaps and improvements to drive EHSSQ (Environment, Health, Safety, Security, Quality) compliance globally.
• Drive best-in-class technology to resolve reliability issues.
• Lead deviation treatment to solve complex problems across multiple sites and implement sustainable solutions in collaboration with local teams.
• Apply knowledge of IPS operational governance, process standardization, and deviation treatment.
• Develop prioritized Best Operating Practices (BOP) and critical routines, provide training, and support implementation and adherence tracking.
• Lead documentation and sharing of success cases and lessons learned to multiply favorable impact on top KPIs and drive standardization.
• Actively mentor and develop early-career process engineers.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in mechanical engineering or related field with equivalent experience.
• Extensive experience in mechanical engineering and plant manufacturing.
• Multi-site, regional, or global experience preferred.

Skills

• Elevated industry knowledge and expertise to deliver critical business objectives.
• Flexibility and adaptability to collaborate within multi-disciplined groups to deliver results.
• Ability to drive global collaboration to improve knowledge and services across the Ingredion network.
• Skill in utilizing finite resources across multiple regions to efficiently address technical requirements.

Benefits

• Total Rewards Package: Competitive salary and performance-based pay.
• Comprehensive Benefits & Wellness Support: Health, long-term savings, and resources for physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
• Flexible Work Arrangements: Support for professional and personal flexibility.
• Career Growth: Learning, training, and development opportunities, including tuition reimbursement.
• Employee Recognition Program: Real-time appreciation with personalized recognition rewards globally.
• Employee Discount Program: Exclusive discounts on everyday products, services, and travel.

Pay

This pay range is not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Final base salary will be determined based on responsibilities, education, experience, knowledge, skills, internal equity, market data, and applicable bargaining agreements (if any). This role may be eligible for the Ingredion Annual Incentive Plan or a role-specific commission/bonus.