Macrocap Laboratories is a fast-growing, dynamic company with a high-energy culture that values hard work, dedication, ownership, and immediate impact. As we rapidly scale our operations, we are seeking a seasoned Plant Engineer who can hit the ground running and make a measurable impact on production throughput, equipment reliability, automation, and overall operational efficiency.
This is a highly hands-on engineering position for someone who understands that meaningful improvements happen on the plant floor. The ideal candidate has extensive experience with high-speed canning and packaging operations and can demonstrate a proven history of increasing line speeds, reducing downtime, improving equipment reliability, and delivering measurable production gains.
Position Overview:
The Plant Engineer will work directly with our existing Plant Engineer, Maintenance Manager, and Director of Continuous Improvement while collaborating closely with operations and executive leadership.
This individual will be responsible for identifying and eliminating production constraints, troubleshooting complex equipment and automation issues, implementing engineering improvements, and helping the organization significantly increase line throughput and reliability.
We are looking for a highly energetic, hands-on professional who doesn't simply have experience working around high-speed canning lines, but can clearly articulate specific, quantifiable improvements they have personally driven.
The successful candidate will be comfortable moving between strategic engineering projects and immediate hands-on troubleshooting on the production floor.
Key Responsibilities
Throughput & Production Optimization
- Assess high-speed canning and packaging lines to identify bottlenecks, recurring losses, and opportunities for increased throughput.
- Troubleshoot production constraints and implement practical solutions that increase line speed, efficiency, and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
- Analyze downtime, micro-stoppages, changeover losses, scrap, quality losses, and other production data to identify improvement opportunities.
- Develop and implement line modifications that improve speed, stability, consistency, and operator efficiency.
- Establish measurable baselines and track improvements following engineering changes.
Automation, Controls & Electrical Systems
- Troubleshoot and improve automated production and packaging systems.
- Assist with PLC programming, HMI functionality, sensors, instrumentation, drives, controls, and machine-to-machine communication.
- Identify opportunities to automate manual processes and reduce unnecessary operator intervention.
- Troubleshoot electrical and controls-related faults and work collaboratively with maintenance personnel and outside automation partners when required.
- Support controls upgrades, equipment integration, programming changes, and commissioning activities.
- Maintain appropriate documentation of controls modifications and system changes.
Equipment Reliability & Maintenance Engineering
- Partner with the Maintenance Manager to improve equipment reliability and reduce unplanned downtime.
- Troubleshoot mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, and controls-related equipment failures.
- Identify chronic failure modes and develop permanent corrective actions rather than relying on temporary fixes.
- Support and improve preventive and predictive maintenance strategies.
- Perform root-cause analysis on significant equipment and production failures.
- Identify critical spare parts, equipment vulnerabilities, and reliability risks.
- Recommend equipment upgrades, replacements, modifications, and reliability improvements based on data and operating experience.
Engineering Projects & Continuous Improvement
- Lead or support capital projects, equipment modifications, line expansions, and facility improvements from concept through implementation.
- Develop project scopes, technical requirements, budgets, timelines, and implementation plans as appropriate.
- Coordinate with vendors, contractors, equipment manufacturers, integrators, and internal stakeholders.
- Participate in equipment installation, startup, commissioning, and performance validation.
- Work closely with the Director of Continuous Improvement to identify and execute high-impact improvement initiatives.
- Apply structured problem-solving and continuous-improvement methodologies to eliminate recurring operational losses.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Work closely with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, Safety, Supply Chain, and company leadership.
- Translate technical problems into clear business and operational impacts.
- Communicate project status, risks, findings, and recommendations to leadership.
- Train and coach maintenance and operations personnel on new equipment, processes, controls, and engineering improvements when appropriate.
- Build strong working relationships with plant personnel and foster a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Safety, Quality & Compliance
- Ensure engineering modifications and equipment improvements support a safe working environment.
- Follow applicable OSHA, electrical, machine-safety, environmental, and company requirements.
- Incorporate appropriate machine guarding, safety controls, lockout/tagout, and risk-reduction practices into engineering projects.
- Partner with Quality and Operations to ensure engineering changes maintain product quality and process requirements.
- Support investigations and corrective actions related to safety, quality, and equipment incidents.
Documentation & Data
- Maintain accurate engineering documentation, equipment information, controls changes, drawings, and project records.
- Utilize CMMS, production reporting, downtime data, and other plant systems to support fact-based decision-making.
- Establish and monitor relevant KPIs such as OEE, throughput, downtime, MTBF, MTTR, scrap, changeover time, and line efficiency.
- Provide clear documentation of completed improvements and their measurable results.
Required Qualifications & Experience
- Extensive hands-on engineering experience in high-speed canning, beverage, food, or comparable high-speed packaging environments.
- Demonstrated success improving production throughput, equipment reliability, line efficiency, or overall plant performance.
- Ability to provide specific, quantifiable examples of improvements personally driven, including measurable increases in throughput, reductions in downtime, improvements in OEE, or similar results.
- Strong troubleshooting ability across mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, automation, and controls systems.
- Highly proficient with line programming, sensor control, automated troubleshooting, and production-line controls.
- Strong understanding of high-speed manufacturing and packaging processes.
- Ability to diagnose problems quickly and implement practical, sustainable solutions.
- Strong analytical and root-cause problem-solving skills.
- Ability to work effectively with maintenance technicians, operators, managers, vendors, and executive leadership.
- Comfortable working directly on the production floor in a hands-on capacity.
- Strong project-management and organizational skills.
- Willingness to work in a fast-paced, rapidly changing environment where priorities can shift quickly.
Equipment ExpertiseDeep working knowledge of the following equipment is strongly preferred:
- Crown / Bevcorp Fillers
- Sidel & Douglas Tray Packers
- PAI / T-Tek Palletizers
- Micro Blend Skids
- Depalletizers
- Blending Systems
- High-speed conveyors and accumulation systems
- Canning, seaming, conveying, packaging, and palletizing systems
- Industrial automation and controls systems
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, Automation, or a related engineering discipline; equivalent hands-on experience may be considered.
- Experience in beverage, food, consumer packaged goods, or another high-speed continuous manufacturing environment.
- Experience with PLC/HMI programming and industrial automation platforms.
- Experience managing capital projects and outside contractors.
- Experience commissioning new production equipment or production lines.
- Experience using CMMS and production/OEE data systems.
- Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, TPM, or other continuous-improvement experience.
- Experience developing or improving preventive and predictive maintenance programs.
What Success Looks LikeWithin the first several months, the successful candidate should be able to:
- Quickly understand the plant's major production constraints and equipment failure modes.
- Identify and prioritize the highest-value throughput and reliability opportunities.
- Establish measurable performance baselines.
- Deliver tangible improvements in line throughput, uptime, OEE, or reliability.
- Reduce recurring equipment failures and chronic downtime.
- Improve automation and controls reliability.
- Build credibility with operations, maintenance, and leadership through hands-on execution and measurable results.
- Develop a prioritized roadmap of engineering and capital improvements for continued plant growth.
Work Environment & ExpectationsThis is a hands-on plant-floor position. The successful candidate should expect significant time working directly around production equipment and interacting with operators, technicians, and plant leadership.The role may require:
- Working around high-speed manufacturing and packaging equipment.
- Wearing required PPE and following all plant safety procedures.
- Standing, walking, climbing, bending, and working around equipment for extended periods.
- Occasional off-shift, weekend, or extended-hours support during critical equipment failures, installations, commissioning, or major projects.
- Occasional travel to vendors, equipment manufacturers, or other company facilities as needed.
Benefits:
- Competitive salary
- Health, dental, and vision insurance
- Retirement plan options
- Paid time off
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:
Macro Cap Labs, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable federal, state, or local laws.
We believe in fostering a workplace where everyone feels respected, valued, and able to contribute to their full potential.
Pay: From $100,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Vision insurance
Application Question(s):
- What is your experience maintaining and improving high-speed canning, bottling, filling, labeling, or packaging equipment?
- Tell me about a time you identified the root cause of a major equipment failure or production downtime. What did you do, and what was the result?
- What experience do you have with preventive/predictive maintenance programs and managing maintenance KPIs?
- Food and beverage plants have strict requirements for safety, sanitation, and regulatory compliance. How have you ensured engineering and maintenance work meets those requirements?
Education:
- High school or equivalent (Required)
Language:
Work Location: In person
