Director of Engineering
nexus searchLibertyville (IL)
About the role
We are partnering with a high-growth, private equity-backed food & nutrition manufacturing business to appoint a Director of Engineering. This is a key leadership role focused on driving capital investment projects and engineering excellence across a multi-site manufacturing network. The company is in an active growth phase, with ongoing investments in operations, infrastructure, and expansion.
The Role:
This position operates as a hands-on engineering leader, responsible for delivering capital projects from concept through execution across multiple production facilities.
Key responsibilities include:
Lead end-to-end capital projects (scoping, design, budgeting, execution, commissioning)Drive process improvements and operational efficiency across sites Manage equipment selection, vendor relationships, and external contractors Partner with operations, finance, and leadership teams to prioritize and deliver ROI-driven initiatives Establish and enhance project management frameworks and best practices Monitor and report on project timelines, budgets, and performance metrics Support site expansions, upgrades, and integration of new facilities
What We’re Looking For:
Strong engineering foundation (Mechanical, Chemical, Industrial, or similar)Proven experience delivering capital projects within a manufacturing environment Hands-on understanding of processing equipment and plant operations Experience within food, ingredients, dairy, or adjacent processing environments preferred Background in equipment-intensive manufacturing (e.g., thermal processing, drying, liquid or powder handling systems) is highly valuable Track record of managing Cap Ex budgets, procurement, and vendor relationships Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, evolving environment with high autonomy Strong stakeholder management and communication skills
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