Director of Engineering & Manufacturing Excellence

Job summary

Lead the Engineering Department and drive operational excellence initiatives to improve productivity, quality, and safety across manufacturing operations. Oversee capital projects, automation strategies, and continuous improvement programs while providing technical leadership to staff.

Job details

Cryopak is seeking a highly technical and results-oriented Director of Engineering & Manufacturing Excellence to lead engineering, process optimization, automation, capital projects, and continuous improvement initiatives across our manufacturing operations. The ideal candidate is a hands-on engineering leader with extensive experience in manufacturing environments, plant startups, process engineering, industrial automation, and operational excellence. Experience within packaging, plastics, petrochemicals, cold chain, temperature-controlled packaging, or related industries is highly desirable. This individual will play a critical role in driving innovation, improving operational efficiency, supporting product development, and developing a world-class engineering organization capable of supporting future growth. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- KEY RESPONSIBILITIES ENGINEERING LEADERSHIP * Lead and develop the Engineering Department, including Process Engineers, Manufacturing Engineers, Maintenance Engineers, and Project Managers. * Establish engineering standards, best practices, and technical governance across all manufacturing facilities. * Provide strategic direction for equipment selection, plant layout design, automation initiatives, and manufacturing technology investments. * Act as the senior technical expert for process design, troubleshooting, and optimization. MANUFACTURING PROCESS EXCELLENCE * Drive continuous improvement initiatives utilizing Lean Manufacturing, Kaizen, Six Sigma, and Industry 4.0 methodologies. * Analyze manufacturing processes to improve: * Productivity * Capacity utilization * Quality * Yield * Downtime reduction * Waste reduction * Develop and monitor operational KPIs. * Conduct root cause analysis and corrective action initiatives using methodologies such as: * FMEA * SPC * Fishbone Analysis * Pareto Analysis * PPAP * MSA CAPITAL PROJECTS & STARTUPS * Lead major capital projects from concept through commissioning and startup. * Manage equipment sourcing, installation, qualification, and validation. * Oversee plant expansions, manufacturing line launches, and facility startup initiatives. * Collaborate with vendors, integrators, contractors, and equipment suppliers globally. * Ensure projects are delivered safely, on time, and within budget. AUTOMATION & TECHNOLOGY * Lead implementation of advanced manufacturing technologies. * Support robotics, controls systems, PLCs, SCADA, MES, and Industry 4.0 initiatives. * Drive digital transformation and data-driven manufacturing practices. * Identify opportunities for predictive maintenance and manufacturing analytics. OPERATIONAL LEADERSHIP * Partner closely with Operations, Quality, Supply Chain, R&D, and Commercial teams. * Support new product launches and commercialization efforts. * Develop long-term manufacturing capacity plans. * Champion a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement. HEALTH, SAFETY & COMPLIANCE * Ensure engineering activities comply with applicable regulations and safety requirements. * Support quality systems, ISO standards, and customer regulatory requirements. * Participate in risk assessments and process safety reviews. What We're Looking For * Engineering degree (Chemical, Mechanical, Industrial, or related field) * 15+ years of manufacturing engineering experience, including leadership roles * Hands-on expertise in process improvement, plant operations, automation, and capital projects * Experience leading plant startups, expansions, or major transformation initiatives * Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma knowledge * Packaging, plastics, petrochemical, or cold chain experience is an asset * Strong people leadership, problem-solving, and strategic planning skills * Comfortable working both on the plant floor and at the leadership table Ideal Candidate: A highly technical, hands-on engineering leader who can drive operational excellence, lead teams, and support growth in a fast-paced manufacturing environment

What you’ll do

Lead the Engineering Department and drive operational excellence initiatives to improve productivity, quality, and safety across manufacturing operations. Oversee capital projects, automation strategies, and continuous improvement programs while providing technical leadership to staff.

Requirements

Requires an engineering degree and over 10 years of experience in manufacturing or process industries, specifically leading engineering teams. Must have a strong background in Lean/Six Sigma, capital project management, and exposure to automation or Industry 4.0.

Listed skills

• Continuous Improvement · Preferred
• Technical · Preferred
• Packaging · Preferred
• analysis · Preferred
• Operational Excellence · Preferred
• Leadership · Preferred
• Compliance · Preferred
• safety · Preferred
• Process · Preferred
• Lean Manufacturing · Preferred
• maintenance · Preferred
• Lean · Preferred

Other relevant skills

Identified from the job description. Confirm important requirements above.

• Engineering Leadership
• Process Engineering
• Lean Manufacturing
• Six Sigma
• Capital Project Management
• Automation
• Industry 4.0
• Root Cause Analysis
• Capacity Planning
• Process Validation
• Budgeting
• Strategic Planning

Job areas

• Engineering
• Manufacturing
• Management & Leadership

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