Demo

Plant Engineering Manager

Dairy Farmers of America, Inc.
Zumbrota, MN Full Time
POSTED ON 3/17/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 5/17/2026

DFA Zumbrota has an opening for a Plant Engineering Manager.  The Engineering Manager is responsible for the oversight and performance of the engineering and maintenance staff and functions, engineering, and site facilities. Develop engineering plans to support current and future plant requirements and develop systems in critical areas such as reliability excellence, preventative maintenance, spare parts inventories, and work order systems. Work closely with plant management and plant employees and serve as a liaison with DFA enterprise-wide functional departments such as Quality Assurance and Compliance, Human Resources, Accounting, Engineering, Purchasing, Research and Development, and Risk Management.

 

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Establish and manage the department’s budget and accountable for the monthly facility maintenance spend, focusing efforts on closing any gaps to target, by identifying key operating risks, opportunities, and contingencies to achieve target.
  • Provide technical support and leadership during complex technical issues that arise during plant operations. 
  • Understand the operating principles for the different manufacturing processes in the plant. Troubleshoot issues in the manufacturing processes and make operational improvements
  • Utilize Plant Core, Historian, SAP and other DFA systems when investigating issues. Pull relevant trends, alarms, or historical data to support troubleshooting.
  • Responsible for asset management including maximizing utilization, replacement, upgrading, maintenance, and tracking utilizing SAP.
  • Manage capital and expense projects to meet scope, budget, and timeline as defined.
  • Develop and utilize maintenance key performance indicators (KPIs) to drive improvements to plant reliability
  • Drive the implementation of Reliability Excellence as the Reliability Excellence Owner for the facility to maximize plant performance through use of CI Tools, PM, work order systems, etc
  • Ensure the department’s activities remain in or exceed the standards and specifications established by Quality Assurance
  • Manage parts inventory, purchasing and inventory control processes.
  • Coordinate with on-site staff and DFA management or engineering to review and approve plans for new equipment installation and layout to ensure operational efficiency
  • Engage and interact with maintenance and engineering personnel on a regular basis assisting them with their concerns and questions.
  • Initiate and drive continuous improvement activities to ensure plant reliability and sustainability.
  • Manage maintenance and engineering employee’s performance through establishing expectations and holding employees accountable.
  • Coach and mentor maintenance and engineering employees to develop their skills and instill an appropriate sense of urgency.
  • Build joint ownership of the facility and equipment by partnering with other facility departments (production, sanitation, shipping, etc.) as well as Reginal Support functions (Engineering, Purchasing, Finance, etc.).
  • Ensure good business communication practices are engaged at all levels to ensure key stakeholders are well informed and can appropriately respond as needed.
  • Ensure all process changes, equipment changes, or product changes are understood by affected employees in a timely fashion utilizing communication and management of change process.
  • Serve as a member of the plant Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) team.
  • Work any shift(s) if necessary. Must be able to receive calls pertaining to plant issues when not on duty
  • Must adhere to all safety policies and procedures
  • Follow all DFA GMP’s and works in a manner consistent with all corporate and regulatory, food safety, quality, and sanitation requirements
  • The requirements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employee; but is not a complete list of responsibilities, duties and skills required.  Other duties may be assigned as required.

Qualifications:

Education and Experience

  • Bachelor of Science in Mechanical, Electrical, or Industrial Engineering or related degree
  • 6 years of related experience in a manufacturing environment, including 1 year of management experience
  • High speed manufacturing and food experience preferred

 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

  • Excellent communication and presentation skills to all levels of the organization
  • Computer proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and PowerPoint); SAP knowledge preferred
  • Must be able to read, write and speak English

 

An Equal Opportunity Employer including Disabled/Veterans

Salary.com Estimation for Plant Engineering Manager in Zumbrota, MN
$152,898 to $189,385
If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution. Compensation Planning
Enhance your organization's compensation strategy with salary data sets that HR and team managers can use to pay your staff right. Surveys & Data Sets

What is the career path for a Plant Engineering Manager?

Sign up to receive alerts about other jobs on the Plant Engineering Manager career path by checking the boxes next to the positions that interest you.
Income Estimation: 
$168,677 - $237,258
Income Estimation: 
$212,951 - $279,449
Income Estimation: 
$193,803 - $280,327
Income Estimation: 
$151,448 - $188,145
Income Estimation: 
$203,425 - $249,816
Income Estimation: 
$213,375 - $267,876
Income Estimation: 
$190,687 - $235,769
Income Estimation: 
$85,996 - $102,718
Income Estimation: 
$111,859 - $131,446
Income Estimation: 
$110,457 - $133,106
Income Estimation: 
$105,809 - $128,724
Income Estimation: 
$122,763 - $145,698
Income Estimation: 
$190,687 - $235,769
Income Estimation: 
$218,238 - $263,470
Income Estimation: 
$213,354 - $274,761
Income Estimation: 
$124,420 - $155,868
Income Estimation: 
$169,105 - $208,220
Income Estimation: 
$177,520 - $228,955
Income Estimation: 
$151,448 - $188,145
Income Estimation: 
$176,972 - $219,172

Sign up to receive alerts about other jobs with skills like those required for the Plant Engineering Manager.

Click the checkbox next to the jobs that you are interested in.

  • Account Reconciliation Skill

    • Income Estimation: $120,801 - $159,359
    • Income Estimation: $118,463 - $170,220
  • Accounting Management Skill

    • Income Estimation: $122,843 - $175,350
    • Income Estimation: $125,305 - $173,168
Employees: Get a Salary Increase
View Core, Job Family, and Industry Job Skills and Competency Data for more than 15,000 Job Titles Skills Library

Job openings at Dairy Farmers of America, Inc.

  • Dairy Farmers of America, Inc. Billings, MT
  • Meadow Gold is a farmer-owned brand of Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), a dairy marketing cooperative owned by more than 12,500 family farmers. Our mark mat... more
  • 12 Days Ago

  • Dairy Farmers of America, Inc. Lincoln, NE
  • Kemps Dairy has immediate job openings for dependable FT Relief CDL-A delivery truck drivers to operate a tractor-trailer safely and efficiently and manual... more
  • 12 Days Ago

  • Dairy Farmers of America, Inc. Cedar, UT
  • GENERAL JOB DUTIES This individual will need to be able to work in a cold environment (30 to 45 degrees). Will be required to safely operate a forklift, co... more
  • 12 Days Ago

  • Dairy Farmers of America, Inc. George, UT
  • GENERAL PURPOSE Run and maintain packaging equipment, which includes labelers, scales, conveyors, casers, stackers, coders, and other related packaging ite... more
  • 12 Days Ago


Not the job you're looking for? Here are some other Plant Engineering Manager jobs in the Zumbrota, MN area that may be a better fit.

  • Crenlo Engineered Cabs Rochester, MN
  • Summary This management position is directly responsible for the Manufacturing Engineering and Maintenance departments. The Plant Engineering function is r... more
  • 4 Days Ago

  • Crenlo Rochester, MN
  • SUMMARY: This management position is directly responsible for the Manufacturing Engineering and Maintenance departments. The Plant Engineering function is ... more
  • 4 Days Ago

AI Assistant is available now!

Feel free to start your new journey!