SunOpta · 1 day ago
Director Engineering
Eden Prairie, MN
Full-time
Hybrid
Director/Executive
10+ years expSunOpta delivers customized supply chain solutions and innovation for top brands, retailers, and foodservice providers across a broad portfolio of beverages, broths, and better-for-you snacks. The Director of Engineering will lead and enhance engineering and technical operations across the company's network of seven production plants, driving innovation and optimizing production processes.
BiotechnologyFood and BeverageFood ProcessingManufacturingPlant-Based FoodsWeb Design
Responsibilities
Develop and implement a comprehensive engineering strategy that supports operational excellence across seven plants. Provide direction and guidance to plant-level engineering teams, fostering a collaborative network-wide approach
Lead, plan, and execute major capital projects to support growth and efficiency goals, ensuring projects are delivered on time, within scope, and on budget
Drive a culture of continuous improvement by identifying, developing, and implementing process improvements and automation initiatives. Champion Lean and Six Sigma practices to maximize productivity and reduce waste. Partnership with our CI/Ops Transformation/Quality/PMO teams, playing a key leadership role in our operational transformation
Act as the lead engineering expert to solve technical issues, identify root causes, and ensure equipment and processes meet SunOpta’s quality and safety standards
Work with sustainability and regulatory teams to align engineering projects with SunOpta’s goals and comply with health, safety, and environmental regulations
Hire, train, and lead plant engineering teams to encourage talent growth and promote effective collaboration and innovation within the organization
Collaborates with senior leadership and human resources to support organizational structure, ensuring roles are accurately organized, defined, documented, and communicated to employees
May oversee contracted projects to ensure they meet specifications
May obtain bids from contractors, purchase supplies and equipment, and manage utility operations
May prepare construction specs or plans, consult engineers, review contract bids, and submit recommendations to supervisors
Ensure effective safety procedures and record keeping are managed through site leadership
Adheres/ensures team’s adherence to company GMP’s (good manufacturing practices), safety procedures and all other quality processes
All other duties, as assigned
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's of Engineering degree – Mechanical, Chemical, or Industrial or related Technology discipline
10+ years of experience in engineering, with at least 5 years in leadership
Demonstrated expertise in leading / managing capital projects & leading continuous improvement initiatives in a manufacturing environment
Experience leading a team of engineers in the food/beverage production or consumer product sectors
Proficiency in Lean, Six Sigma or other process improvement methodologies
Proficiency using & mentoring on DFM, FMEA, SPC tools
Candidate must possess a strong working knowledge of electrical, chemical and mechanical functions associated with plant engineering
Deep experience working with the following toolsets: DFM (Design for Manufacturability), FMEA (Failure Mode & Effects Analysis), SPC (Statistical Process Control)
Ability to manage/oversee/lead multiple projects concurrently
Working knowledge of Lean Manufacturing practices or TPM
Familiar with thermal processing, evaporation, blending, batching and separation
Demonstrated championship of human and food safety culture
Possess a continuous improvement mindset
Ability to create momentum and foster organizational change
Must have a working knowledge of Microsoft Office suite
Preferred
Aseptic, beverage or thermal processing experience
Master's Degree in Engineering – Mechanical, Chemical, Industrial or related Technology discipline
Experienced with multi-plant, national network
Familiar with sustainability practices in a manufacturing environment
Proven ability to work cross-functionally and influence across multiple levels of the organization
Benefits
Medical insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Paid Family leave
Paid maternity leave
401(k) with Match
Voluntary Life, Accident, Critical Illness and Hospital indemnity
Paid Holidays
Tuition assistance
Short-term and Long-term Disability insurance
Company
SunOpta
SunOpta specializes in the design, construction, ownership, and operation of biomass conversion equipment and facilities. It is a sub-organization of SunOpta.
1001-5000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
SunOpta has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2023 (2)
2022 (1)
2020 (2)
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
$393.45MKey Investors
Oaktree Capital Management
2023-12-13Post Ipo Debt· $196.15M
2023-03-17Post Ipo Equity· $52.31M
2022-10-13Acquired
Leadership Team
Scott Huckins
Chief Financial Officer
Chad Hagen
Chief Customer Officer
Recent News
Benzinga.com
2025-11-28
Company data provided by crunchbase