Principal Engineer - Packaging Equipment

Conagra Brands is a leading food company committed to innovation and excellence. The Principal Engineer - Packaging Equipment will provide technical leadership to optimize packaging systems and drive automation in food manufacturing, collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver impactful solutions.

Responsibilities:

• Identify, develop, rollout, and provide governance for key strategies and programs across the manufacturing platform
• Use subject matter expertise, third party engineering partners, and original equipment manufacturers to develop labor reducing and cost saving automation projects
• Stay current with industry regulations and codes related to packaging equipment system design and operations, and provide recommendations to improve programs, policies, and goals
• Provide technical and economic feasibility analysis to support business initiatives that deliver competitive advantages
• Develop Front End Loading packages that are complete, clear, and reflect due diligence to ensure project success, including:
• Technology assessments and recommended solutions aligned to plant, company, and industry best practices
• Physical location layouts and general arrangement drawings
• Infrastructure requirements and needs assessments
• Equipment acceptance criteria and support of testing and acceptance trials
• Equipment and system performance criteria
• Identification of alternatives, prerequisites, risks, and opportunities
• Partner with engineering teams to establish cost, schedule, risk, and startup requirements for projects
• Write detailed functional control descriptions for unit operations and processing systems
• Perform reviews of Front End Loading packages or equivalent deliverables to ensure accuracy, completeness, and operational effectiveness
• Develop rough order of magnitude estimates to provide early business case direction
• Troubleshoot and drive continuous improvement of existing packaging operations
• Lead machine design improvements and equipment modifications
• Conduct production plant site surveys and assessments, and provide support to sites as needed

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Robotics Engineering, or Packaging Engineering
• 10 +years of experience in food manufacturing with packaging system design
• Experience leading teams and solving complex technical challenges
• Subject matter expertise in one or more areas of food production line packaging equipment
• Experience with machine design and working in a United States Department of Agriculture or Food and Drug Administration regulated manufacturing environment
• Demonstrated success developing and implementing automation and robotic solutions
• Experience in project engineering and project execution
• Knowledge of continuous improvement applications within engineering design
• Experience translating project requirements into technical solutions through sound engineering principles
• Strong experience in packaging equipment engineering and practical application
• Willingness to travel up to 50 percent to support plant operations