Corporate Project Engineer

Position Summary

The Project Engineer is responsible for identifying, developing, and executing continuous improvement and operational excellence initiatives across NASP Metals facilities. This role serves as a hands-on project leader who partners with operations, maintenance, quality, safety, and plant leadership teams to analyze opportunities, quantify business impact, and implement sustainable solutions that improve safety, productivity, quality, employee development, and cost performance.

The successful candidate will have a strong continuous improvement mindset and the ability to independently lead projects from concept through implementation. As a member of the corporate engineering team, this individual will work closely with senior engineering leadership while progressively taking ownership of increasingly complex projects and driving measurable business results throughout the organization.

Key Responsibilities Include:

Project Management

• Identify, evaluate, prioritize, and lead continuous improvement, operational excellence, and strategic business initiatives across manufacturing and support functions.
• Develop project charters, business cases, cost-benefit analyses, implementation plans, and success metrics to support project prioritization and decision-making. 
• Lead projects from concept through implementation and sustainment, ensuring objectives, timelines, budgets, and deliverables are achieved.
• Coordinate cross-functional project teams, engaging operations, maintenance, quality, safety, HR, and other stakeholders as required. 
• Track project progress, communicate status updates, and proactively remove obstacles, mitigate risks, and manage resource constraints with minimal day-to-day direction.
• Facilitate project meetings, action planning sessions, and stakeholder reviews to maintain alignment and accountability. 
• Manage external contractors, suppliers, consultants, and service providers as necessary to support project execution. 
• Develop and maintain project documentation, standards, and reporting tools to ensure sustainability and knowledge transfer. 
• Quantify and validate project results, including productivity improvements, cost savings, quality enhancements, and other key performance metrics. 
• Support the development and execution of the corporate project pipeline by identifying new opportunities aligned with business objectives.

Manufacturing & Process Improvement

• Identify, evaluate, prioritize, and lead continuous improvement initiatives that enhance safety, quality, productivity, employee capability, and cost performance.
• Analyze processes, operational data, and performance metrics to identify root causes and develop sustainable solutions.
• Apply Lean, Six Sigma, and other continuous improvement methodologies to eliminate waste, improve workflow, and optimize performance. 
• Validate and sustain implemented improvements through performance tracking, standardization, and employee training. 

Equipment & Facility Engineering

• Lead and support equipment, facility, infrastructure, and operational improvement projects from concept through startup and operational handoff.
• Develop project requirements, evaluate solutions, and coordinate vendors, contractors, and internal resources to ensure successful project execution.
• Partner with plant teams to improve equipment reliability, maintainability, and operational effectiveness. 
• Assist in commissioning, troubleshooting, and validating new or modified systems, equipment, and processes.
• Ensure all projects and improvement initiatives are executed in accordance with company safety standards, regulatory requirements, and established procedures. 
• Conduct risk assessments and proactively identify opportunities to improve workplace safety and operational reliability. 
• Support quality improvement efforts by implementing corrective actions, reducing process variation, and promoting best practices. 
• Ensure all projects and improvement initiatives are executed in accordance with company safety standards, environmental requirements, regulatory obligations, and established procedures.
• Build strong partnerships with operations, maintenance, quality, safety, HR, and leadership teams to successfully execute projects and improvement initiatives. 
• Facilitate communication and alignment among stakeholders to ensure project objectives, priorities, and expectations are understood and achieved. 
• Facilitate knowledge transfer, training, and coaching to sustain project outcomes and strengthen organizational capability.
• Share best practices, lessons learned, and standardized approaches across facilities to drive operational excellence.

Safety, Quality & Compliance

• Ensure all projects and improvement initiatives are executed in accordance with company safety standards, regulatory requirements, and established procedures. 
• Conduct risk assessments and proactively identify opportunities to improve workplace safety and operational reliability. 
• Support quality improvement efforts by implementing corrective actions, reducing process variation, and promoting best practices. 
• Ensure all projects and improvement initiatives are executed in accordance with company safety standards, environmental requirements, regulatory obligations, and established procedures.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Build strong partnerships with operations, maintenance, quality, safety, HR, and leadership teams to successfully execute projects and improvement initiatives. 
• Facilitate communication and alignment among stakeholders to ensure project objectives, priorities, and expectations are understood and achieved. 
• Facilitate knowledge transfer, training, and coaching to sustain project outcomes and strengthen organizational capability.
• Share best practices, lessons learned, and standardized approaches across facilities to drive operational excellence.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related discipline.
• 5+ years of engineering, continuous improvement, operational excellence, or project leadership experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading projects and implementing measurable improvements in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong knowledge of manufacturing processes, continuous improvement methodologies, and project management principles.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, project management tools, and data analysis techniques.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, P&IDs, layouts, and technical specifications.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and stakeholder management abilities.
• Ability and willingness to travel extensively (up to 50-70%) throughout the United States and Mexico to support project execution, continuous improvement initiatives, training activities, and operational excellence efforts across manufacturing facilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in metal packaging, aluminum, steel, or other high-speed manufacturing environments.
• Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, Kaizen, or other continuous improvement training and certifications.
• PMP certification or formal project management training.
• Experience leading cross-functional improvement initiatives across multiple manufacturing locations.
• Knowledge of automation, controls, PLCs, and industrial systems.
• Experience developing and delivering training, standard work, or organizational capability-building programs.
• Demonstrated success identifying opportunities, building business cases, and delivering measurable operational improvements.

Key Competencies

• Project Leadership
• Continuous Improvement Mindset
• Strategic Thinking
• Business Acumen
• Technical Problem Solving
• Data Analysis & Decision Making
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Change Management
• Communication & Influence
• Results Orientation
• Accountability & Ownership
• Safety Leadership

Physical Requirements

• Ability to work in industrial manufacturing environments.
• Ability to travel between facilities and project sites.
• Ability to stand, walk, climb stairs, and access manufacturing equipment as required.
• Ability to wear appropriate PPE and comply with all plant safety requirements.

Success Measures

• Identification, quantification, and successful implementation of continuous improvement and operational excellence opportunities.
• Projects completed safely, on time, within budget, and with sustained results.
• Measurable improvements in safety, quality, productivity, employee capability, and operational performance.
• Achievement of project ROI, cost savings, and business impact targets.
• Successful implementation and adoption of new processes, systems, equipment, and standard work.
• Development and deployment of best practices across multiple manufacturing facilities.