Project Engineer

About the role:

Under the direction of the Senior Regional Engineering Manager, the Project Engineer will play a pivotal role in overseeing and executing capital projects (CapEx) within a dynamic multinational food industry environment. This role sits within a multidisciplinary Engineering department that supports the Manufacturing Operations for Barry Callebaut’s Cocoa Business Units in Brazil.

This role encompasses the full spectrum of project management responsibilities, beginning with the initial concept and feasibility studies, extending through engineering design, procurement, and into the implementation phase of the project lifecycle. The individual will be instrumental in translating business needs into actionable project plans, ensuring successful project delivery while adhering to industry standards and company policies. The Senior Project Engineer is expected to foster a culture of excellence and innovation, driving teams towards achieving strategic objectives, and preparing themselves as a natural pipeline for engineering management.

This position will be based in Itabuna, Bahia, Brazil, but will also support a second factory in Ilhéus, Bahia, requiring travel between the plants when necessary. As part of the Engineering organization, active information and data exchange with Corporate and Global COE teams will be a core aspect of the position.

The main stakeholders for this position will be all the departments present at the sites, including Plant Managers, Quality Assurance, HSE, HR, Maintenance, R&D, Supply Chain, and Production teams.

The core mission of this position relies on deep technical and managerial skills to ensure the adoption of high-level engineering standards in all capital projects. It requires strong management of timeline and costs, owning a robust and well-designed communication plan, creating synergy between departments, and securing the buy-in of all teams involved. This position will lead internal and outsourced teams working on a wide range of capital projects, from layout improvements to complex brownfield or greenfield project execution.This is a high-visibility position within the organization, offering a solid career path and succession pipeline to engineering management within Barry Callebaut, the world's leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products.

Key responsibilities include:

• Lead, mentor, and oversee the work of internal engineers, outsourced engineering companies, and technical staff, exercising strong technical and administrative leadership;
• Improve existing frameworks and establish new engineering standards, internal work instructions, and quality control procedures for the department;
• Act as the lead Project Manager on construction and infrastructure expansion projects; establish priorities, track project budgets, deploy robust project governance (such as staged-gate processes), and direct the work of consultants and contractors;
• Administer contracts, evaluate engineering deliverables, and approve milestone payments to contractors and vendors;
• Foster and promote an equitable, inclusive, and respectful workplace environment that values multicultural teamwork;
• Review and approve technical designs, engineering studies, technical reports, and specifications, ensuring formal alignment and approval from all main stakeholders;
• Proactively obtain and integrate stakeholder input during planning, design, and construction phases; participate in steering committees and represent the Engineering function in operational decisions;
• Collaborate with the management team to plan, organize, and allocate resources to complete projects within defined budgets and schedules; lead the development of competitive bidding documents and participate in contract awards;
• Ensure project completion in full compliance with work plans, as well as federal, state, and local laws, regulations, environmental ordinances, and safety codes;
• Partner with the Procurement team to drive strategic sourcing, selection, and management of contractors and suppliers, ensuring cost-effective project execution;
• Lead comprehensive Risk Management strategies, identifying potential bottlenecks early, developing mitigation plans, and creating contingency scenarios to manage project uncertainties;
• Lead budget estimation for the site's CapEx Mid-Term Plan (MTP), reporting directly to and validating financial strategies with the Engineering Manager.

Scope: 

• The scope of work will be primarily performed at our cocoa plant in Itabuna, with extended support to the Ilhéus facility;
• This role contributes to and supervises the strategic CapEx portfolio for the designated sites, playing a critical role in regional business growth;
• Internal project engineering staff and outsourced engineering teams assigned to the projects will report directly to this position;
• Crucial accountability for establishing a highly communicative environment, utilizing adequate tracking tools, and ensuring that stakeholder needs are fully met throughout the project lifecycle.

About you:

• A Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, Control & Automation, or related fields) is required. A Master's degree (MS or MBA) is considered a strong asset;
• 10+ years of progressive engineering project management experience within the FMCG, food process, or consumer goods industry;
• Solid, proven experience leading multidisciplinary technical teams and executing large-scale CapEx projects;
• Advanced/Fluent proficiency in English (essential for corporate and global communication); fluency in Portuguese is required;
• High proficiency in Project Management tools (e.g., MS Project, Primavera) and familiarity with Engineering software (e.g., AutoCAD, SolidWorks) and ERP systems (SAP);
• Strong background in process automation, utilities/infrastructure, or civil/construction within an industrial environment;
• Exceptional stakeholder management, communication, and negotiation skills, with the ability to influence cross-functional teams and present complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences;
• Experience or exposure to international manufacturing environments and corporate engineering standards is highly desirable;
• PMP® (Project Management Professional) certification is a plus.

Location: Itabuna - Bahia