Project Engineer / Senior Project Engineer

Project Engineer / Senior Project Engineer

Location: McElhattan, PA
Client: First Quality – Nutek Disposables
Website: First Quality
Salary: $75,000–$130,000, depending on experience
Bonus: 10% performance-based bonus + 5% quarterly incentive plan
Relocation: Available on a case-by-case basis

About the Client

First Quality is a family-owned manufacturing company with more than 35 years of history and over 5,000 employees across multiple manufacturing campuses in the U.S. and Canada.

Nutek Disposables, part of First Quality, manufactures adult wipes and baby wipes, including the plastic tubs and flip-top lids used for packaging. The McElhattan facility operates a large-scale, high-speed manufacturing environment supporting continuous 24/7/365 operations.

Job Summary

First Quality is seeking a Project Engineer or Senior Project Engineer to support its Nutek Disposables manufacturing facility in McElhattan, PA.

This individual will lead traditional capital engineering projects ranging from approximately $1 million to $25 million or more. The role will be responsible for the full lifecycle of capital projects, including equipment specification, capital procurement, supplier management, installation, startup, validation, and continuous improvement.

The ideal candidate will have at least five years of experience in high-speed manufacturing and a strong background in project engineering, capital equipment procurement, and manufacturing operations.

Manufacturing Environment

The facility includes:

3 wipes production lines

1 spunlace production line

7 injection molding production lines

Manufacturing of adult and baby wipes

Plastic tub and flip-top lid manufacturing

24/7/365 production operations

Responsibilities

Lead capital projects ranging from approximately $1 million to $25 million+.

Manage projects from initial concept through equipment selection, procurement, installation, commissioning, startup, and validation.

Develop technical, commercial, and financial recommendations for capital investments.

Lead capital equipment procurement and work directly with suppliers and vendors.

Manage supplier relationships, equipment specifications, purchasing, and project execution.

Coordinate installation activities across engineering, maintenance, production, safety, quality, and external contractors.

Track and communicate project schedules, budgets, milestones, and risks.

Utilize project management tools, including MS Project.

Work within SAP to support project, procurement, and manufacturing activities.

Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, quality, efficiency, reliability, and production capacity.

Identify opportunities for machine, material, and process improvements.

Support a high-volume, high-speed manufacturing operation running 24/7/365.

Lead and collaborate with cross-functional teams throughout project execution.

Provide accountability and leadership to ensure projects are completed safely, on time, and within budget.

Support equipment startup, troubleshooting, and validation activities.

Develop procedures and provide training to operations personnel.

Ensure compliance with company safety standards and applicable GMP, FDA, and ISO requirements.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Chemical, Manufacturing, Industrial Engineering, or a related technical discipline.

Minimum of 5 years of experience in high-speed manufacturing.

Minimum of 5 years of experience in project engineering and capital project implementation.

Experience managing capital projects ranging from approximately $1 million to $25 million+.

Strong background in capital equipment procurement.

Experience with equipment specification, vendor selection, purchasing, installation, and startup.

Experience managing suppliers and outside vendors.

Manufacturing engineering or process engineering experience.

Knowledge of MS Project.

Experience working with SAP.

Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

Ability to work independently and manage multiple projects simultaneously.

Strong collaboration and cross-functional leadership skills.

Results-driven with a strong sense of accountability.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a stable, career-oriented Project Engineer with a strong and consistent employment history in high-speed manufacturing.

They should have hands-on experience leading large capital projects and managing the entire project lifecycle, including equipment procurement, supplier management, installation, startup, and continuous improvement.

The hiring manager is looking for someone who is:

Self-directed and able to work independently.

Results-focused and accountable.

Comfortable leading projects and influencing cross-functional teams.

A strong communicator and collaborator.

People-oriented and able to build relationships across departments.

Experienced in high-speed, high-volume manufacturing.

Comfortable supporting a 24/7/365 manufacturing environment.

Important Candidate Profile Requirements

The hiring team is specifically looking for new candidates only. Previously submitted or previously considered candidates will not be reviewed.

Candidates should demonstrate:

Consistent and stable work history.

No significant employment gaps.

Limited job hopping or frequent movement between positions.

No consulting-only backgrounds.

Progressive career growth within manufacturing organizations.

Long-term experience in traditional, full-time engineering roles.

Preferred Industry Backgrounds

Candidates from high-speed or continuous manufacturing environments are strongly preferred.

Relevant industries may include:

Consumer packaged goods

Paper and converting

Packaging

Plastics

Injection molding

Nonwovens

Wipes and hygiene products

Food and beverage

Chemical manufacturing

Pharmaceutical manufacturing

Medical manufacturing

High-speed industrial manufacturing

Target Companies

Potential local or regional companies for candidate sourcing include:

West Pharmaceutical Services

Croda

Prysmian

Textron

Avery Dennison

Corning

Hermance Machine

Niagara

Graymont

Arxada

Andritz

Frito-Lay

Truck-Lite

Kellogg Company

Simple Explanation of the Job

This person will manage major equipment and capital improvement projects at a large manufacturing facility.

They will identify equipment needs, work with suppliers, purchase equipment, manage installation, oversee startup, and make sure projects are completed on time and within budget.

The role requires someone who understands high-speed manufacturing and has experience managing large capital projects. They will work closely with engineering, production, maintenance, quality, safety, purchasing, and outside vendors.

In simple terms: This is a hands-on manufacturing Project Engineering role for someone who can independently lead multi-million-dollar equipment and plant improvement projects from start to finish.