Vice President of Engineering and Major Projects

Darigold is the fifth-largest dairy cooperative in the United States based on milk volume, and one of the largest privately held organizations headquartered in the state of Washington. Since 1918, our producers have taken pride in producing dairy products with unsurpassed quality. Today, we are one of the nation's largest agricultural cooperatives, producing over 8.5 billion pounds of milk every year from farms in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Utah. Through innovative technology and our efficient, flexible production capabilities, we deliver value-added products and customer-driven solutions. Darigold is now known throughout the world for bringing fresh, wholesome dairy products and ingredients from the Northwest to people all around the globe.

This is an exciting time to join the Darigold team, as we are seeking a Vice President of Engineering and Major Projects to provide leadership, strategy, and tactical direction for Darigold’s Engineering and Major Projects Department. In addition to providing leadership direction to the department, the Vice President of Engineering and Major Projects is responsible for the effective execution of multiple $1 - 2million continuous improvement plant projects; as well as delivering multiple large-scale brown field and green field plant projects ranging from $50million - $200million. This position manages a dynamic 12 person team whose responsibilities encompass the following: design and implementation of manufacturing/maintenance processes; equipment purchasing and installation; and plant construction and design. The ideal candidate for this role brings to the table a high level of adaptability, and they thrive in a fast-paced environment- they are excited to pull from their varied experiences. Our future Vice President of Engineering and Major Projects excels at balancing their time between planning and executing long-term projects, influencing continuous improvement efforts, and leading and developing his/her team. He/she is a natural motivator to his/her team and peers, and he/she can build on his/her team’s capabilities, as well as attract and retain talent.

What You Will Do

• Direct and manage multiple concurrent engineering projects while ensuring their success in meeting their respective objectives
• Responsible for the successful startup and commissioning of new buildings and expansions.
• Determines and manages engineering budgets
• Consult or negotiate with clients to finalize engineering project specifications
• Negotiate with third-party engineering suppliers to obtain the most cost-effective contracts
• Present engineering plans, progress, and status updates to project stakeholders
• Review and approve proposed engineering designs, subsequent products, and process enhancements or changes
• Perform administrative and oversight functions in approving proposals, expenditures, and policy enforcement
• Periodically provide project updates to the Board of Directors
• Work closely with plant operations on improving process optimization
• Guide the development of programs/procedures around facilities and equipment maintenance, problem identification and resolution, employee training and development
• Ensure succession planning, employee development, and the hiring process
• Lead capital expenditure planning /forecasting, while considering current plant infrastructure and risk mitigation.
• Achieve high levels of environmental and regulatory compliance
• Develop standards around construction methods, materials, standardization of processes, and equipment

What You Bring:

• A bachelor’s degree in engineering or an equivalent combination of relevant education and work experience
• Fifteen (15) years of experience in the Food processing industry
• Robust experience in project management and execution of successful, significant capital projects, including leading and delivering a significant greenfield project
• Demonstrate exceptional skills in business and strategic planning
• Ability to work in a fast, efficient environment with cross-functional teams
• Experience in budgeting, tracking costs, analyzing data, and developing action plans
• Experience managing a multidisciplinary engineering team.
• Experience managing subcontractors.

Nice to Have’s

• Proven experience managing complex multidisciplinary engineering, construction, to live operations teams through the entire life cycle of project management. This includes designing; planning requirements with internal and external customers, managing project schedules, identifying risks, costs, budgets, and analytically executing the builds.
• Several examples of delivering large infrastructure projects successfully on time, within budget, and experience leading manufacturing industry-related continuous improvement projects. More specifically, some of your projects have included project design, implementation, and process management, equipment purchasing and installation, plant construction, bioprocess, contractor management, and successful startups and commissioning.
• Excellent communication skills, and you have experience updating senior leadership on project-related activities.
• Excellent organizational, supervisory, and leadership skills to manage a team of engineers and technical staff
• Proven multitasking skills and the ability to work under extreme pressure
• Excellent analytical skills
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Proven track record of achieving results against specific goals
• Strategic expertise with an action-oriented perspective, sound problem analysis, and logical thinking, with the ability to develop effective solutions and execution to achieve desired results
• Ability to initiate and implement continuous improvement projects addressing process efficiency, product costs, and performance/output in response to operational objectives, budget parameters, and customer demands
• Demonstrate a high level of ethical behavior in exercising judgment and discretion in matters of significance

Benefits of Working at Darigold

We understand that as an employee, the benefits that support you and your family in and out of work are important. We are proud to offer eligible positions a competitive total rewards package that includes:

• 401K with competitive employer matching
• Comprehensive medical, dental & vision benefits
• Employer-paid life & disability coverage
• Paid time off and paid holidays
• 8 weeks (about 2 months) paid parental Leave
• Education assistance
• Employee assistance program
• Compensation range: $234,650.00-$351,976.00 (individual wage based on previous experience, knowledge, and skills)
• Relocation assistance is provided if approved
• Visa Sponsorship, if approved

Our Commitment to Diversity

Achieving our vision to Lead Dairy Forward requires cultivating and supporting a team with varying backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We are committed to providing a workplace based on mutual respect where all employees feel included and can bring their best and authentic selves to work every day. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and Affirmative Action Employer. We welcome all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, veteran status, disability, marital status, creed, religion, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. As a condition of employment, applicants offered a role will be required to successfully pass our pre-employment background screen, receive a negative drug screen result & confirm eligibility to work in the U.S. We participate in E-Verify - please follow the links for details, English / Spanish & view our Right to Work Statement, English / Spanish.

Experience

• Experience managing subcontractors
• Experience managing a multidisciplinary engineering team
• Experience in budgeting, tracking costs, analyzing data, and developing action plans
• Robust experience in project management and execution of successful, significant capital projects, including leading and delivering a significant greenfield project
• 15 year(s): Experience in the food processing industry

Education

• Bachelors or better in Engineering or related field

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.