Agricultural Mechanical Engineer - Dallas, TX Hub

Kindly be advised that we are handling the recruitment for this position internally and are not partnering with external recruiters. 

We are a Biology Company

Plantible, backed by Astanor Ventures, Lerer Hippeau, Piva Capital, Kellogg’s, and Vectr Ventures, is a vertically integrated biology company that is unlocking the power in plants in service of people & planet. Our mission is to create solutions that empower customers to make sustainable and regenerative choices without compromising on quality. We are beginning with the food industry. Please visit our website to learn more about our mission and continued success: https://www.plantiblefoods.com/

Plantible Introduction:

To support Plantible’s rapid production scaling of its first commercial production facility in Texas, the company has opened a hub in Dallas, TX. The commercial production facility “Ranchito” in Eldorado, TX is a first of its kind greenfield development project, completely designed and built by Plantible. 

The facility has an approximate footprint of 140 acres, and includes a series of greenhouses and cultivation infrastructure, as well as a processing facility and all utilities required to support the operation. The processing facility and support utilities have been completed to their final capacity, and greenhouse construction has been scaling along the timeline of the processing facility’s commissioning and capacity scaling. 

Plantible sells its Rubi Protein to a number of well known food and feed companies. This is a unique opportunity to work alongside top-engineers on the further development and growth of the modular production facility and its operations philosophy: Ranchito is an operational example of what much larger facilities will look like.

Rapid increase in market demand for Rubi Protein has led to a need for additional support in the engineering team. Several process improvements in both the cultivation and processing infrastructure are planned to be implemented over the next 12 months, after which the company will focus on the detailed engineering of rapidly scalable cultivation and processing modules based on the design and operational performance of Ranchito.

How you will contribute:
You will be part of the growing Engineering Team, playing a critical role in the improvement and design of our cultivation infrastructure, including greenhouses, mechanical systems such as harvesters, and utility infrastructure. Your skills in Civil & Mechanical Engineering are put to work in engineering metal structures, civil work (including dirt work, plumbing, and electrical), and the mechanization of light agricultural equipment. This role requires a blend of civil and mechanical engineering expertise to design, develop, and maintain agricultural infrastructure and equipment.

This job will be based at our Texas hub. Plantible’s commercial production facility in Eldorado, Texas, is approximately 3 to 4 hours of travel from the hub, and regular travel is required. The candidate is expected to be on-site when engineering support is needed to work with the operations teams, construction team, and contractors. Responsibilities include designing, improving, and installing equipment and engineering solutions to enhance the performance and robustness of our commercial facility.

What you will be working on:
Engineering existing and new developments:

• Design metal greenhouse structures for agricultural use, ensuring durability and compliance with safety standards.
• Develop mechanical systems for agricultural equipment, such as augers, winches, pumps, and dosing systems.

Project Management:

• Prepare project documentation, including blueprints, budgeting, technical and quality specifications, and construction guidelines.
• Plan construction work including civil, plumbing, and electrical with construction teams.
• Prepare and support civil construction johns and installation of metal greenhouse structures.
• Coordinate with suppliers and contractors and to source materials and prepare construction contracting.

What your week will look like:

• Work closely with the engineering, construction and facility operations teams to optimize current infrastructure and scale up new developments.
• Spend time at the commercial facility working on infrastructure improvements & new engineering developments to successful tech transfers.
• Develop and communicate infrastructure designs using drawings, prototypes, process narratives, and construction guidelines.
• Create and execute capital projects to implement infrastructure improvements uti