Sr Project Engineering Manager

About the role

Own capital projects end-to-end—from concept and scope through design, installation, commissioning, and seamless handoff to Operations.

Collaborate with up to 5 manufacturing plants across North America (4 in the eastern time zone and 1 in the pacific time zone) to deliver projects to address the critical priorities of the manufacturing network.

Bring people together across Manufacturing, R&D, Finance, HSE, Quality, and Maintenance to define the need, align on priorities, and turn it into an executable plan.

Create crisp engineering and capital-approval deliverables (charters, estimates, justifications, specifications) that set projects up for success.

Lead vendors, contractors, and internal experts—coordinating procurement, construction, and installation to deliver right-first-time execution.

Collaborate with partner engineering firms to develop and deliver project scope.

Spot risk early and manage it proactively—ensuring safe execution and compliance with Kerry standards, OSHA/HSE requirements, and GMPs.

Keep stakeholders aligned with clear updates, smart escalation, and change management that protects schedule, cost, and outcomes.

Lead start-up and early equipment management to deliver stable, repeatable performance—and a confident ramp-up for the manufacturing teams.

Qualifications and skills

• B.S. in Engineering (Chemical or Mechanical) from an ABET-accredited university.
• 4+ years leading capital projects ($100K+) in a manufacturing environment—project engineering and/or project management.
• Project management training or certification (e.g., PMP) is a plus.
• Clear, confident communicator with strong technical writing and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience as a process engineer or plant engineer based at a manufacturing site.
• Manufacturing experience in food, beverages, consumer goods, chemical, or pharmaceutical environments preferred.
• Exposure to aseptic bulk packing equipment preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Project; familiarity with AI tools (Copilot, ChatGPT, or similar) is a plus.
• Familiarity with CAD software preferred.