Principal Manufacturing Process & Packaging Engineer (Remote Eligible, Minneapolis Preferred)

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Principal Manufacturing Process and Packaging Engineer (internally called a Principal Systems Engineer) will provide technical leadership and focus on loss elimination across External Supply Chain (ESC) systems in North American Retail (NAR), North American Foodservice (NAF), and Pet. This role involves identifying, developing, and executing solutions for performance improvement and loss reduction, collaborating closely with the GMI External Supply Chain (ESC) community and external supplier leadership. Success relies on strong ESC site relationships, partnerships with External Operations Managers (XOMs), and ESC Relationship Managers. The focus is on strategic productivity, capacity enhancements, and continuous improvement, leveraging operational leadership, production technique influence, improvement tools, and capital investment to deliver results. The primary goal is to drive value through technical leadership as an ESC location, system, and product manufacturing specialist. Performance is measured by overall business service, HMM, support for commercialization and innovation initiatives, and contributions to strategic productivity plans. This engineer will lead and accelerate capacity improvements, loss elimination, and enhancements to external location system knowledge and reliability, prioritizing areas of greatest business need. As a Principal System Engineer, this individual will lead through influence across the ESC community and serve as a conduit to GMI engineering resources and expertise.

There is strong preference for this role to be based out of our Minneapolis Headquarters, however, remote candidates will be considered. This role requires travel up to 50% of the time. The amount of travel is dictated by the ability to influence and drive improvements when not on site at one of our External Supply Chain manufacturing sites.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Provide technical and business expertise on external manufacturing systems/technologies/products and materials.
• Demonstrate expertise in machine, materials, methods, environment, and personnel to provide robust operating systems.
• Drive loss elimination while improving system and equipment reliability through continuous improvement processes, problem solving, statistical analysis and support of productivity initiatives. Navigate ESC locations data analysis systems to facilitate and execute improvements plans.
• Provide early technical insight and support in capital projects and capital planning. Engage with new product development to ensure there are design considerations and success criteria based on existing assets or suggest locations that should be considered based on capability and capacity.
• The System Engineer is expected to influence and develop technical capabilities throughout ESC locations through engagement, coaching and training based on the needs of the ESC location. This will include relationship management with both internal and external leadership, developing credibility with key ESC locations and differentially leveraging our GIC partners.
• Leverage cost, capacity, ingredient and material summaries to mine for opportunity on a large and small scale to drive prioritization and decision making.
• Influence overarching strategic improvement plans in partnership with locations and internal teams; supporting plan execution as needed.
• Communicate and engage effectively at all levels in the organization; specifically with plant/location leaders and team members at the sites and systems they are focused on.
• Partner and coach manufacturing sites to develop and improve current and future state performance. Support cost justification when capital investment is required.
• Build a strategy for ESC locations including HMM pipeline, process improvements and capabilities to meet business needs.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering or related degree with applicable experience or extensive relevant work experience
• 13+ years of related work experience in system engineering, processing / packaging / system development or manufacturing improvement focused engineering roles across multiple manufacturing systems
• Demonstrated track record of driving performance improvements in a manufacturing site through general engineering principles
• Ability to travel up to 50%
• Recognized technical abilities and practical experience with capabilities in the following areas:
  • Theory/functionality of manufacturing systems and unit operations
  • Data and manufacturing performance metrics analysis: AFO (usage reporting), SAP, CMT, Optiva (GPLM)
  • Continuous improvement techniques (Lean, TPM, Kaizen)
  • Loss Prioritization/Quantification and Elimination
  • Coaching and Training capability
  • Process measurement and controls to optimize system and unit operation performance (System Digitization)
  • Mechanical aptitude and reliability focused improvement mindset
  • Problem Solving and Root Cause Analysis Mastery
• Self-Starter - Able to mine for data and insights to identify new opportunity areas
• Ability to influence and drive results with and through team efforts even when not directly on location
• Influence and guide the ESC support teams for best practice sharing and strategy development

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Preferred Bachelor's in Engineering or significant technical experience in related field
• Consumer Products Industry experience
• Statistical analysis and analytical methods
• Strong SAP / CMT experience (Entry, analysis, etc) AFO (usage reporting), SAP, CMT, Optiva (GPLM)
• Demonstrated:
  • Leadership within a plant leadership team
  • Business team partnership / exposure
  • Influence management
  • Collaborative team player across a matrix of functional team members
  • Passion for problem solving with the capability to lead a team through problem solving tools / techniques
  • Coaching / building capability across multiple levels

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

• International relocation or international remote working arrangements (outside of the US) will not be considered.
• Applicants for this position must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. General Mills will not sponsor applicants for this position for work visas.

We exist to make food the world loves. But we do more than that. Our company is a place that prioritizes being a force for good, a place to expand learning, explore new perspectives and reimagine new possibilities, every day. We look for people who want to bring their best - bold thinkers with big hearts who challenge one other and grow together. Because becoming the undisputed leader in food means surrounding ourselves with people who are hungry for what's next.