OUR CLIENT Our client is a dynamic, Australian food manufacturing powerhouse, home to a variety of beloved and innovative Australian brands - you are likely to have in your pantry, right now! Described as a 'start-up with scale,' they're on an exciting trajectory to become a $200 million business and explode upwards from there in the next decade. The business has a diverse portfolio of products as-well as a broad manufacturing base across Victoria, NSW, and Queensland. United by five core values, they empower teams to deliver exceptional products while fostering a vibrant, family-like culture. YOUR NEW ROLE As we embrace the opportunities of 2026, our client is seeking a talented Project Engineering Manager to join their Snackfoods division in Dandenong, VIC. Reporting to the Head of Operations, you'll take full ownership of conceptualizing, justifying, and delivering high-impact CAPEX projects in a lean, fast-paced food manufacturing environment. This role is perfect for a hands-on leader ready to drive multimillion-dollar initiatives, whilst ensuring minimal disruption, on-time delivery, and budget adherence. You will be the engineering powerhouse with deep project engineering delivery experience, able to future-proofs the business, mentors those around you on best practices, and collaborates across stakeholders to turn ambitious visions into reality. Key responsibilities include: Conceptualize, research, write RFQs, justify, and implement CAPEX projects to support business growth and efficiency in Snackfoods manufacturing Manage end-to-end projects, including contractor oversight, subcontractor coordination, and ensuring seamless integration with minimal service disruption Conduct project forecasting for the next 3-5 years, calculate ROI, and validate engineered solutions for maximum effectiveness and contribution Act as a consultative influencer, teaching best practices in engineering and project management while building buy-in across departments Serve as a key member of site leadership, driving accountability for results and communicating progress to stakeholders like the Head of Operations, CFO, and the business Owner (yes, despite its size, this is still a private business) ABOUT YOU: THE IDEAL CANDIDATE You're a proven Project Engineering Manager with a passion for food manufacturing, thriving in environments where your grit, charisma, and technical expertise can bring teams along on transformative journeys. With a consultative style, commercial acumen, and hands-on approach, you'll excel in this high-accountability role-no hand-holding required! We're seeking someone with: A Mechanical Engineering degree, complemented by project management certification or equivalent 5-10 years of direct experience in food processing/manufacturing projects, ideally in snackfoods, bakery, biscuits, food manufacturing or similar A demonstrated track record of managing projects on time and on budget, including subcontractor coordination and CAPEX justification Strong influencer skills, with the ability to consult rather than prescribe, handle setbacks proactively, and communicate slippage or successes effectively Commercially savvy, able to create and support business cases, plus a 'do-er' mindset with initiative, determination, and excellent presentation abilities BE REWARDED: Step into a role where your contributions are truly valued in a lean, start-up-like culture that blends "fun, whilst delivering" with serious growth. Enjoy an industry leading base salary with annual performance-based reviews. Perks include one RDO per month, monthly events, BBQs, birthday celebrations, table tennis competitions, and plenty of tasty snacks! You'll thrive in this positive, family-oriented vibe. Plus, with the business growing strongly, this position offers clear pathways to national engineering/project management roles or even GM-level positions. APPLY NOW with a current resume or contact Cath on 0406 469 998 quoting ref26015/PEM/CRW for a confidential discussion. SCR-cath-de-ruijter-de-wildt
