Manufacturing Engineering Director Job at Winland Foods in Madison

Winland Foods is a leading manufacturer of high-quality food products trusted by households and foodservice partners across North America. Grounded in our values and driven by our One Winland mindset, we are transforming how we operate—from the plant floor to the executive level—to deliver exceptional value to our customers, our employees, and the communities we serve. We foster a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and innovation. If you’re energized by building high‑performing teams, creating sustainable systems, and shaping the future of manufacturing excellence, we’d love to meet you.

Manufacturing Engineering Director – Role Overview

The Director of Engineering will drive the development and execution of Winland Foods’ manufacturing engineering strategy, leading a team of engineers and collaborating with Operations, Supply Chain, Maintenance, Quality, EHS, and Finance to achieve best‑in‑class performance in safety, cost per pound, service, quality, and sustainability across our 11 pasta/dry‑dinner manufacturing facilities.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Define and execute an engineering strategy aligned to business objectives.
• Advance a continuous improvement culture to enhance cost per pound, productivity, quality, and service.
• Drive standardization of processes and best practices across sites.

Capital Management & Innovation

• Lead capital planning and execution to optimize capacity, technology upgrades, cost savings, and facility expansions.
• Develop and manage the 3‑year CAPEX plan for the Pasta Plant network.
• Lead and support project development, presentation of capital authorization documents, and due diligence to ensure project success.
• Evaluate emerging technologies that enhance automation, sustainability, and throughput.
• Partner with procurement and vendors to manage equipment selection, installation, commissioning, training, and supplier negotiations.
• Lead and support projects through ideation, scoping, approval, engineering/design, procurement, construction, commissioning, qualification, and validation.

Team & People Development

• Build, mentor, and inspire a high‑performing, diverse engineering team.
• Foster a culture of curiosity, collaboration, and accountability.
• Directly engage with plant teams to support capability‑building and performance coaching.

Operations & Process Excellence

• Lead engineering efforts related to processing, packaging, and automation to improve efficiency and reliability.
• Partner closely with Operations, Quality and Maintenance to reduce downtime and improve equipment life cycles.
• Ensure safety, employee, and food safety remain non‑negotiable priorities in all engineering work.
• Provide leadership, resources, and on‑site troubleshooting to support resolution of plant‑related technical issues.

What Great Looks Like

• A proactive, visible leader who builds trust and alignment across teams.
• A strategic thinker who enjoys hands‑on plant‑floor work; expects 50–65% travel.
• Compelled by measurable results, sustainable standard work, and continuous improvement.
• Strong communicator who energizes others and champions Winland Values across functions.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Industrial, Chemical, or related).
• 10+ years of manufacturing engineering experience; at least 5 years in a multi‑site environment.
• Proven track record in capital planning and execution and project management.
• Demonstrated leadership by building and developing high‑performing engineering teams.
• Strong ability to collaborate cross‑functionally and influence at all organizational levels.
• Working knowledge of sanitary equipment design, Good Manufacturing Practices, and government regulations applicable to food manufacturing (OSHA, EPA, FDA).
• Proficiency in MS 365 and MS Project.

Preferred

• Food or consumer packaged goods (CPG) experience.
• Experience with AutoCAD and SAP.
• Experience with automation, industrial control systems, and IIoT technologies.
• Formal project management training or certification.

Winland Values & Culture

• We Put People First
• We Deliver Excellence
• We Act with Integrity
• We Win Together – One Winland

Why Join Winland Foods

• High‑impact leadership role with direct influence on enterprise transformation.
• Opportunity to shape engineering strategy and build a best‑in‑class technical organization.
• A culture committed to career development, collaboration, and innovation.
• Competitive compensation, benefits, and growth opportunities.

Benefits & Compensation

• Medical, Dental, Vision, 401(k) with match, STD/LTD/AD&D/Life, HSA, FSA, EAP, Hospital indemnity, Accident Insurance, Identity and Fraud Protection Plan, Legal, and Critical Illness.
• Base salary $136 k–$238 k annually with additional bonus potential; remote with up to 75% travel.

Employment Details

• Full time
• Remote (must reside in a qualifying state: AZ, MO, KY, TX, IL, NY, SC, WI, PA, ND)
• Remote with travel up to 75%
• Engineering
• Manufacturing Engineering Director

EEO Statement

Winland Foods seeks to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. As a global company, we believe our success is enhanced by fostering equity inclusion in the workplace. Therefore, Winland Foods is committed to an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and teammates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.