Back to jobs
New

Sr Director, Engineering – Brownfield Large Capital Projects

Chicago, Illinois, United States; Coopersville, Michigan, United States

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 Senior Director of Engineering, Brownfield Capital Projects, is accountable for the successful execution of large-scale expansion projects at our existing facilities, delivered on time, on budget, safely, and in alignment with stakeholder expectations. As the most senior leader on the project team, this role reports directly to the project steering committee and is responsible for directing a multidisciplinary execution team composed of internal staff, engineering consultants, and supplier partners. The role demands strong leadership, strategic oversight, and deep technical acumen to ensure seamless integration of new capacity into existing operations. 

Responsibilities:  

  • Lead end-to-end execution of large-scale brownfield capital projects, ensuring delivery on time, within budget, and aligned with safety and quality expectations. 
  • Serve as the senior project leader, reporting to the executive steering committee and providing strategic direction across all phases of design, construction, commissioning, and start-up. 
  • Build and lead a cross-functional team of internal stakeholders, engineering consultants, construction partners, and equipment suppliers to drive cohesive project execution. 
  • Develop detailed Scope, Budget, Schedule and Resource plans with supporting rationale for business case approval prior to execution. 
  • Ensure disciplined application of project management methodologies to control scope, budget, schedule, and safety, leveraging appropriate tools and systems to support execution and accountability. 
  • Ensure sound design practices are followed adhering to local regulatory requirements, internal engineering standards and seeking the appropriate level of guidance, input and approval from internal stakeholders.  Continuous improvement and a mindset of innovation to be applied within Budget and Schedule constraints. 
  • Implement standardized risk management tools such as FMEA / HAZOP to ensure proposed systems, processes, or designs are safe and impacts of critical failure modes are understood and mitigated. 
  • Partner with Procurement and legal functions to strategize and execute competitive procurement and contract negotiation processes ensuring business interests are protected and key terms and conditions are included associated with deliverables, milestones and performance criteria. 
  • Play an integral role in identifying and managing all risks impacting scope, budget and schedule. 
  • Provide leadership, guidance, and support to project managers, workstream leaders and teams throughout the project lifecycle. 
  • Lead from the front in creating a safety and quality focused culture both in design and onsite construction.  Ensure safe work practices are followed, and workmanship meets fairlife standards. 
  • Maintain positive relations and proactively manage all external stakeholders such as utility providers, local authorities, economic development groups, trade and labor relations with best interests of the project in mind. 
  • Ensure robust project close out practices are followed in hand-over to Operations - Punch lists closed, Performance Testing completed to required standards, Spare Parts requirements provided, Asset registers / details provided and Site As-Builts are updated. 
  • Provide regular project updates and collaborate closely with stakeholders in Operations, Supply Chain, R&D, Quality, and Safety to ensure alignment on timelines, support requirements, and operational impacts. 
  • Prepare and present progress reports and key decisions to the Steering Committee, facilitating cross-functional input and informed governance throughout the project lifecycle. 


Desired skills/qualifications: 

  • Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, or a related technical field required. 
  • 10+ years of progressive experience leading large-scale capital projects in CPG or F&B manufacturing, including direct experience with brownfield expansions. Dairy or bottling experience is a plus. 
  • Self-starter; take charge, positive & proactive attitude. 
  • Knowledge of dairy processing, aseptic PET packaging and aseptic and sanitary design standards. 
  • Strong engineering project life cycle understanding.  
  • Proficient in project management tools and systems (MS Project, Smartsheet, PMO365, SAP). 
  • In depth experience with systems and processes to manage scope, budget and schedule. 
  • Strong leadership skills with growth mindset.  Ability to lead cross functional teams and influence others. 
  • Effective collaborative skills and ability to work with a diverse team of resources.  
  • Ability to clearly communicate verbally and written within the organization and externally.  

Position location: Chicago or Michigan (Grand Rapids Area) 

Reports to Vice President, Engineering, Large Capital Projects 

Travel requirements: 30% 

Exempt/nonexempt: Exempt 

fairlife, LLC is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. All qualified applicants and employees will be given equal opportunity. Selection decisions are based on job-related factors.

In addition to its nondiscrimination commitment, the Company will also provide reasonable accommodation of qualified individuals with known disabilities unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on the Company. If you have a disability and would like to request accommodation in order to apply for a position with us, please email careers@fairlife.com.

Create a Job Alert

Interested in building your career at fairlife? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in fairlife’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.