Factory Engineering Manager

Job Location: Bluffton, Indiana - Onsite, 5 days per week (No Remote)

Summary:

The Factory Engineering Manager is responsible for the stewardship of the factory's assets, ensuring their safety, productivity, and cost-effectiveness. This role leads the Engineering Team in close collaboration with the cross-functional Factory Leadership Team, corporate partners, and valued vendor and community relationships.

The Bluffton plant is part of The Hershey Company's Salty Snacks business, manufacturing pretzels for brands like Dot's Pretzels and puffed corn snacks for Pirate's Booty. This is an exciting time of growth for the Salty Snacks business as we invest in new capacity and integrate new factory teams into the Hershey culture, leveraging our 130+ years of food manufacturing expertise.

The Factory Engineering Manager will report to the Sr. Technical Assurance Manager for the Indiana Hub, which includes three other factories in addition to Bluffton. This position will collaborate with Factory Engineering Managers across the Indiana and Kansas Hubs, as well as the broader Hershey manufacturing network, playing a key role in developing our people, culture, and engineering capabilities.

Responsibilities:

• Ensure all manufacturing site assets, including process equipment and facilities, operate safely and comply with all applicable regulations.
• Ensure assets are available and capable of sustaining expected production rates while meeting product quality requirements.
• Lead the safety culture of the engineering team by prioritizing Safety by Design and coaching/enforcing safe practices.
• Collaborate with the Sr. Technical Assurance Manager to develop:
  
  
  
  • Staffing strategies and training/development plans
  • The factory 5-year Capital Plan
  
  
  
  
• Align with leadership and capital governance teams to support factory investment priorities.
• Partner with the Factory Capital Project Manager to lead the full lifecycle of small and minor capital project execution.
• Review all project budget requests and confirm that cash flow forecasts align with the factory budget.
• Serve as the factory's technical representative for corporate-led major capital investments.
• Collaborate with Operations and Maintenance teams to identify and implement continuous improvement opportunities.
• Work with R&D to recommend new manufacturing technologies.
• Coordinate maintenance and repair services and request specialized services when needed.
• Lead root cause analysis of equipment failures and recommend rebuilds or replacements.
• Manage relationships with contract maintenance services.
• Support the Maintenance Site Manager in promoting safe operating practices.

Relationships and Contacts:

• Manage interactions with local, state, regional, and federal agencies.
• Oversee third-party commercial maintenance services.
• Manage staff scheduling within the established budget.
• Act as the primary liaison between Factory Engineering and Corporate Engineering.
• Identify, select, and manage suitable service providers for various contracted services.
• Collaborate on projects with Operations, Safety, and Quality functions.
• Build relationships with Factory Engineering Managers and Subject Matter Experts across the Salty Snacks network and the broader Hershey manufacturing network.

Minimum Experience and Education Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering from an ABET-accredited institution.
• 10+ years of experience in a food and beverage manufacturing environment.
• 5+ years of team leadership experience.
• 5+ years of project management experience, including at least 3 years using a stage-gate process.
• Experience managing minor capital projects or workstreams within major capital projects, with budget responsibility of at least $3-5MM.
• Experience managing a portfolio of small capital projects totaling $1MM+ annually.

Preferred Qualifications:

• PMP Certification from PMI.
• EIT or PE License.
• Subject Matter Expertise in one or more primary domains:
  
  
  
  • Process (Bulk Receiving, Batching & Mixing, Baking)
  • Fill & Pack (VFFS, Carton & Case Pack, Palletizing)
  • Electrical & Automation
  • Maintenance & Reliability
  
  
  
  
• Subject Matter Expertise in one or more secondary domains:
• Functional Safety
• Process Wastewater Treatment Systems
• Dust Hazard Management
• Hygienic Air Handling Systems
• Fire Protection Systems

Physical Demands and Work Environment:

• Typical manufacturing environment conditions. Required to stand, walk, climb ladders, use hands and arms, speak, hear, and lift up to 50 pounds.
• Primary work location is office-based, but extended time on the manufacturing floor, outdoors, or on the roof may be required, weather permitting.
• Extended working hours, including nights, weekends and holidays are occasionally required to support a 24/7 manufacturing operation through shutdowns, key construction and commissioning activities, training, or extraordinary factory events.
• Must observe food GMPs, including wearing hair nets, beard nets, smocks, etc.
• Must wear PPE required for manufacturing or construction sites, including hearing and eye protection, hard hat, steel-toe boots, gloves, etc.
• Work environment contains multiple allergens.

About the Area:

Bluffton is the county seat of Wells County in northeast Indiana. This tight-knit community of approximately 10,000 residents offers a small-town feel, low cost of living, low crime rate, and proximity to Fort Wayne just 45 minutes north.

The Fort Wayne metropolitan area is home to over 600,000 Hoosiers and offers affordable housing, high-quality education, diverse employment opportunities, dining, entertainment, and a convenient airport with direct flights to 13 destinations.

Education options include several top-rated school districts, and both Purdue and Indiana University have campuses in Fort Wayne. Family-friendly attractions include the Fort Wayne Zoo, Science Central, TinCaps minor league baseball, parks, and botanical gardens. The city also boasts a thriving food scene and numerous music and performing arts venues. Indianapolis is less than two hours away and Detroit and Chicago are both less than three hours away.

Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy the numerous lakes and reservoirs of northeast Indiana, being within two hours of Lake Michigan and under five hours from Northern Michigan's lakes, orchards, vineyards, and ski resorts.

Whether you prefer a peaceful setting away from city noise or want to be close to urban amenities, Bluffton offers a balanced lifestyle to suit your needs.

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