We make pet food taste great! For over 30 years, AFB International has been providing pet food solutions that enrich the lives of pets and their people. Our palatants are specially designed to make pet foods, treats and supplements taste better, ensuring pets receive the vital nutrients they need. We know wagging tails, licking whiskers and empty bowls equal happy pets and happy pet parents. Join AFB and you'll be a part of a team of highly skilled professionals that provide the greatest contribution to our success as an organization. Our team members are diverse, creative, passionate experts who are genuinely dedicated to our mission, our customers, and the pets we serve worldwide.
Job Description
Build the Future of Manufacturing
AFB International is seeking an experienced Senior Global Project Engineer to lead major capital projects that shape the future of our manufacturing operations. This high-impact role will initially focus on significant initiatives at our Aurora, Missouri facility, with projects typically ranging from $1 million to more than $5 million.
You will guide projects from early concept and feasibility through design, procurement, construction, commissioning, startup, performance verification, and final handoff. Working across engineering, operations, maintenance, quality, EHS, finance, supply chain, and senior leadership, you will ensure projects are delivered safely, efficiently, on schedule, within budget, and with minimal disruption to production.
What You’ll Do
- Lead complex, multi-discipline capital projects from identification through operational handover and closeout.
- Develop project charters, scopes, schedules, capital requests, risk registers, cost estimates, and execution strategies.
- Manage multiple projects simultaneously, including budgets, forecasts, contingencies, change control, and financial reporting.
- Partner with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, EHS, Finance, Supply Chain, site engineering, and corporate leadership to establish priorities and reduce production impacts.
- Select and coordinate engineering firms, construction managers, contractors, OEMs, consultants, and other external partners.
- Support commercial evaluations, contractor bid reviews, procurement, and contract negotiations.
- Establish project governance, stage-gate reviews, decision logs, action registers, communication plans, and executive reporting.
- Lead constructability reviews, value-engineering initiatives, field coordination, safety planning, quality inspections, punch-list completion, and turnover documentation.
- Coordinate process, mechanical, electrical, controls, structural, civil, utility, and architectural disciplines.
- Identify and resolve technical interfaces, project risks, and execution challenges.
- Ensure compliance with engineering standards, applicable codes, permitting requirements, OSHA/EHS expectations, food safety requirements, and site procedures.
- Support long-range capital planning by evaluating asset needs, capacity constraints, reliability opportunities, technology options, and business-case economics.
- Drive operational readiness through training, standard operating procedures, maintenance planning, spare-parts identification, validation, startup support, and post-project performance reviews.
- Mentor project engineers and site personnel while strengthening consistent capital project practices across AFB facilities.
What You Bring
- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- Typically 8+ years of engineering and capital project experience in a manufacturing, food, chemical, process, or industrial environment.
- Demonstrated success delivering multiple capital projects valued at $1 million or more; experience with projects exceeding $5 million is strongly preferred.
- Experience leading projects through design, bidding, construction, commissioning, startup, and operational handover in an active manufacturing facility.
- Strong knowledge of project estimating, scheduling, procurement, contracting, cost control, risk management, change control, and executive reporting.
- Working knowledge of process and packaging systems, industrial utilities, automation and controls, equipment installation, construction, and commissioning.
- Ability to review engineering drawings, P&IDs, equipment specifications, electrical documents, layouts, structural documents, and contractor submittals.
- Strong financial and commercial judgment, including ROI, total cost of ownership, lifecycle cost, cash-flow timing, and forecast-to-complete analysis.
- Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation, conflict-resolution, and stakeholder-management skills.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office, project scheduling and cost-control tools, and electronic document-management systems.
- Experience with AutoCAD, 3D scanning/modeling, or BIM is beneficial.
- Experience in food manufacturing, pet food ingredients, spray drying, dry blending, liquid processing, packaging, dust collection, or related industries is preferred.
- Familiarity with HACCP, cGMP, food safety, industrial safety, environmental compliance, and management-of-change practices is highly beneficial.
- Professional Engineer, PMP, or similar certification is a plus, but not required.
Leadership Scope
This position may not include direct reports but provides important functional leadership to project teams and directs the work of consultants, contractors, vendors, and other project resources. You will also mentor less-experienced engineers and help establish repeatable, high-quality project execution practices across AFB International.
Work Environment
This role includes work in office, manufacturing, construction, and active project environments. The successful candidate must be comfortable walking through operating facilities, climbing stairs or ladders, working around moving equipment, dust, noise, and changing temperatures, and wearing required personal protective equipment. Occasional lifting of up to 25 pounds may be required. Travel and occasional extended or off-shift support may be necessary based on project requirements.
Why Join AFB International?
This is an opportunity to make a visible impact on major investments, manufacturing capabilities, and long-term growth. You’ll work with talented teams across the organization, influence projects from concept to completion, and help create safer, more reliable, and more capable facilities for the future.
If you are an experienced project engineer who enjoys solving complex challenges and turning ambitious plans into successful operations, we invite you to apply.
AFB International is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). Qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, national origin, or veteran status.
