Director, Plant Engineer

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A great job-and a great future awaits you at Smithfield Foods. We are an American food company with a leading position in packaged meats and fresh pork products. We're looking for motivated people who want to join our team and grow lasting and meaningful careers with us.
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Join our dynamic Engineering team and become a key player in driving innovation and efficiency! You’ll analyze data, optimize production processes, and reduce waste—directly impacting operating costs. Collaborate across teams to drive strategic initiatives, tackle complex challenges, and ensure excellence in maintenance and capital budget management.

As the head of Maintenance and Engineering in a fast-paced plant, you’ll ensure peak equipment performance and minimal downtime. You’ll implement advanced systems like Preventative and Predictive Maintenance and TPM, propelling our plant toward high performance.

Your leadership will build and guide a top-tier team, driving operational excellence and shaping the future of manufacturing. Your contributions will power the manufacturing of iconic brands such as Smithfield, Eckrich, Nathan’s Famous, and more, helping us meet the demands of customers and consumers.

The below statements describe the general nature of the work, are not exhaustive lists of duties, and may be supplemented by additional responsibilities as assigned.

• Engineering Project Development: Lead capital projects from concept to completion on time, on budget, and with zero compromise on safety, food safety, or environmental standards. Manage all phases to minimize operational disruption and enhance plant capabilities through impactful, strategic improvements.
• Maintenance Systems: Drive the development and execution of advanced maintenance strategies—including Preventive and Predictive Maintenance and TPM—to keep operations running at peak performance. Reduce downtime, boost efficiency, and ensure seamless, reliable production.
• Maintenance Staff and Safety: Lead and inspire the maintenance team through effective task delegation, policy enforcement, and safety‑first planning. Ensure efficient, compliant operations aligned with Smithfield’s standards and all regulatory requirements.
• Solutions: Become the ultimate problem solver for daily operational challenges. From troubleshooting to long‑term fixes, proactively minimize recurring issues and keep production running smoothly.
• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Drive continuous improvement by developing and tracking KPIs that measure the success of the maintenance function. From equipment reliability to supplier performance and overall equipment effectiveness, provide insights critical to maintaining peak performance across all areas of the plant.
• People Management and Leadership: Lead and develop high‑performing engineering teams through coaching, performance management, and collaboration with HR. Foster a culture of safety, communication, and recognition while building a diverse, empowered workforce. Step in seamlessly when needed to ensure smooth, uninterrupted operations.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals to perform the essential functions.

• Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited four‑year college or university in Engineering, Business or related field and 10+ years of experience in Engineering management; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 5+ years of experience in a leadership position, including team development and management.
• Advanced technical skills in the mechanical/electrical fields (e.g., PLCs, instrumentation, mechanical engineering) and ability to lead resource‑planning efforts in a large manufacturing environment.
• Thorough knowledge of maintenance systems, work order process, preventive/predictive maintenance, TPM, etc.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and SAP.
• Strong critical thinking and problem‑solving skills.
• High level of…