Senior Packaging Engineer

Join Life Cycle Engineering. Lead with purpose. Own the outcome. Do the right thing the right way. Why Choose LCE? Employee Ownership (ESOP): Build financial stake in your work. Our 100% employee-owned model directly connects your contributions to company performance and long-term wealth creation. Award-Winning Culture: Join an organization repeatedly recognized as a "Best Place to Work" driven by integrity, mutual respect, and a supportive team environment. Impactful Mission: Support defense operations, waterfront engineering, cyber infrastructure, and asset reliability programs that keep fleets and operations mission ready. Opportunity Summary Join LCE as a Senior Packaging Engineer in the greater Savannah, GA leading a sugar packaging operations at a world-class manufacturing facility. Here you will apply your hands-on engineering and strategic leadership experience troubleshooting the toughest packaging challenges, identify root causes, design innovative solutions, and implement cutting-edge automation that drives measurable efficiency gains. What You’ll Do Champion a ‘find it and fix it permanently’ culture. Act as a proven manufacturing and packaging leader with a record of achieving breakthrough results in a high-performance, food-grade operation. Combine your technical depth with strategic leadership while excelling equally on the production floor. Primary Responsibilities Provide strategic direction and leadership to all aspects of sugar packaging operations. Lead troubleshooting and root cause analysis for mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, and control-related packaging equipment issues. Oversee packaging line optimization to maximize throughput, reduce downtime, and ensure equipment reliability. Evaluate, design, and implement next-generation automation solutions — robotics, vision systems, servo-driven controls, and intelligent monitoring. Analyze OEE and line performance data to identify bottlenecks and drive measurable productivity improvements. Partner with global equipment suppliers and integrators to benchmark and implement world-class technologies. Establish and maintain quality control systems to ensure high-quality sugar packaging. Ensure packaging lines meet or exceed all regulatory, safety, and food-grade standards. Build, mentor, and inspire a high-performing packaging team with a culture rooted in safety, accountability, and continuous improvement. Train and empower Engineers and Technicians in advanced troubleshooting and automation technologies. Help develop and manage operating budgets, capital projects, and cost-reduction initiatives. Collaborate with senior leadership on long-term strategic plans to elevate the company’s position as an industry leader in packaging and automation. Lead sustainability initiatives that reduce waste, energy use, and environmental impact. Ensure compliance with all applicable regulations, industry standards, and safety protocols. Anticipate and mitigate operational risks through proactive maintenance, redundancy planning, and system design improvements. Required Qualifications Bachelors degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Mechatronics, or Packaging Engineering. Manufacturing or comparable degrees may be considered. 15+ years in food manufacturing with 10 years minimum in leadership or senior engineering capacity. Demonstrated hands-on expertise in packaging equipment (form/fill/seal, bagging, labeling, palletizing, etc.). Understanding of motion control, PLCs (Allen-Bradley, Siemens), robotics, and automation integration. Exceptional technical troubleshooting and problem-solving skills. Strategic thinker with a proven ability to deliver both short-term results and long-term transformation. Strong analytical capabilities; comfortable interpreting production data, performance KPIs, and technical schematics. Outstanding communicator and cross-functional collaborator. Results-driven, innovative, and passionate about operational excellence. Preferred Qualifications Experience in sugar or powder packaging operations. Physical Expectations Regular physical activity to include walking, climbing stairs, and standing; frequent periods of prolonged sitting may be required. Ability to speak, read, hear, and write, with or without assistance. Ability to use phone and computer systems, copier, fax and other office equipment. Ability to freely access all areas of the plant. Ability to move or handle various items throughout the plant generally weighing between 0-50 pounds—ability to lift and carry up to 50 pounds. Ability to work varied hours and days as necessary to oversee operations. This position description represents a summary of the major components and requirements of the outlined position. Other responsibilities may be assigned or required as business needs dictate. Questions regarding this description should be addressed to the hiring authority or to Human Resources. Benefit Offerings Company funded Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) & company matched 401(k)Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insuranceFree life and disability insurance with supplemental coverage optionsHealth Savings Account (HSA), Flexible Spending Plan, & Lifestyle Spending AccountEmployee Assistance Program (EAP)Paid vacation, holiday, and sick leaveFlexible schedules, casual work environment, and relaxed dress codeContinuing education and professional development programs at all levelsFree access to online training library including certification preparationBonus program, employee referral program, monetary recognition opportunities, and more… Benefits may vary based on employment status, business unit, and location. Life Cycle Engineering (LCE) is an equal opportunity employer and makes all employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, genetic information, application for or service in the military or status as a disabled veteran or veteran, because of or on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, including, but not limited to, lactation, and any other status protected by applicable state or federal law.