Packaging Project Manager-Engineering

fairlife, LLC is a Chicago-based nutrition company that creates great-tasting, nutrition-rich and dairy products to nourish consumers.

With nearly $3B in annual retail sales, fairlife’s portfolio of delicious, lactose-free, real dairy products includes: fairlife® ultra-filtered milk; Core Power® High Protein Shakes, a sports nutrition drink to support post-workout recovery; fairlife® nutrition plan™, a nutrition shake to support the journey to better health.

A wholly owned subsidiary of The Coca-Cola company, fairlife, LLC has been recognized by both Fast Company and Nielsen for its industry leading innovation.

To learn more about fairlife and its complete line of products, please visit fairlife.com.

Job purpose:

The Packaging Project Manager has accountability for delivering Packaging projects associated with the Packaging work steam on time and in budget. Responsibility includes facilitating collaboration between Engineering and Operations stakeholders. This role will ensure packaging projects deliver capability, solve problems, and drive operational efficiency. Accountabilities include project management for feasibility assessments, procurement, installation support, commissioning, validation, and ramp up. Additional responsibility includes Operational readiness project management in support of other Operations enabling functions.

Responsibilities:

Packaging Project Management

• Support critical elements of the capital project process for packaging including design reviews, timeline control, budget management, and stakeholder communications.
• Manage key packaging equipment/material vendors to ensure adherence to contracts, effective collaboration with other workstreams, cost control, and quality of equipment / installation.
• Participate in equipment factory acceptance testing, punch list creation, and close out.
• Partner with other functions such as Operations, Quality, Maintenance, and Supply Chain to pilot and transition ownership of commercialization, capital, and packaging engineering projects.
• Utilize data to support business cases, which drive decision making around packaging equipment selection for future projects.
• Support for the integration of PLCs, HMIs, and processes associated with packaging lines.
• Deliver other project needs as required including status updates and weekly routines to project stakeholders.
• Implement key plant fit-out items, including visual displays, signage, workstations, lab equipment, and safety barriers.
• Support development of technical data base for project hand off to include creating standardized Engineering documentation for future project needs.
• Play a critical role in the day-to-day coordination of all commissioning, validation and start-up activities in packaging

Operations Readiness Support

• Facilitate packaging work stream acceptance criteria to hold OEM’s accountable during PAT.
• Develop centerlines and performance specs to facilitate transition to Operations ownership.
• Support Enterprise Applications efforts for systems development & integrations with OEMs.
• Create (or refine existing) process flows for all key packaging enablers.
• Support the planning, development, and execution of validation activities focused on Packaging with ability to consider process and warehouse needs.
• Support the hands-on training and mentorship of key Packaging Operations team members focused on processes from blow molding through end of line stretch wrapping.
• Establish routines with key Operations business partners to deliver packaging work stream enablers.
• Participate in packaging material selection, item set up, and BOM creation.
• Consider all ‘Best Practices’ as defined by the business are implemented with mindfulness over continual improvement.
• Support our Maintenance business partners by gathering OEM spare parts and maintenance routine data to facilitate CMMS population.
• Develop KPIs with data sources for packaging areas and support our Business Intelligence Teams in the implementation.
• Determine external support needs and methods of transitioning knowledge to Operations partners.

 

Desired skills/qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering discipline or Packaging Engineering.
• Knowledge of aseptic and sanitary design standards.
• Experience project managing commercial and capital projects.
• Strong knowledge of primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging materials.
• Experience with supplier quality and quality systems associated with Packaging.
• Effective cost management, forecasting,