Manufacturing Engineering Manager

Headquartered in Lakeville, Minn., Post Consumer Brands, a business unit of Post Holdings, Inc., is dedicated to providing people and their pets with delicious food choices for every taste and budget. The company's portfolio includes beloved brands such as Honey Bunches of Oats, PEBBLES, Grape-Nuts and Malt-O-Meal cereal and Peter Pan peanut butter, as well as Rachael Ray® Nutrish, Kibbles 'n Bits and 9Lives dog and cat food. Post also provides private label solutions to customers in pet food, cereal, nut butters and granola. As a company committed to high standards of quality and to our values, we are driven by one idea: To make lives better by making delicious food accessible for all. For more information about our brands, visit www.postconsumerbrands.com and follow us on LinkedInor Facebook for the latest news.

At Post Consumer Brands, we’ve spent generations showing up for families, starting with breakfast, the most important meal of the day. Our cereals have become a trusted part of daily routines, helping spark conversations, fuel busy mornings, and create everyday moments that bring families closer together, including their furry four-legged family members, who have recently become a part of our story. As families have evolved, so have we. What began at the breakfast table has expanded into snacks, peanut butter, and pet food, because caring for a family means feeding every part of it. With the addition of several iconic pet brands, we’ve extended our purpose: to make high-quality, accessible food for everyone under the same roof.

This phase is still new, and that’s what makes it exciting. As we continue to grow across grocery and pet, we’re looking for people who care about good food, thoughtful work, and the kind of impact that stretches from store shelves to kitchen tables, and food bowls, across the country.

Post Consumer Brands in Battle Creek, Mich., the cereal capital of the U.S., is the company's largest manufacturing plant and home to about 600 team members. When you join the team here, you'll be helping to produce some of the most iconic cereal brands, including Honey Bunches of Oats cereal, PEBBLES cereal, Grape-Nuts and Honeycomb cereal. The Battle Creek plant is also unique as it is home to the original barn where C.W. Post started the Postum cereal company in 1895. The Battle Creek team has deep community roots, supporting the city's Cereal Festival, The Post Foundation, and participating in several volunteer events throughout the year.

Big company opportunity. Small company attitude.

At Post Consumer Brands, we make lives better by making delicious food accessible for all; and we do it with the best of both worlds: the resources of a big company and the flexibility and “handprint” of a close‑knit culture. Big ambitions welcome.

If you’re energized by continuous improvement, love solving complex manufacturing challenges, and want to lead a team that strengthens process capability and performance every day, this is your chance to make a visible impact at our Battle Creek plant, home to iconic cereal brands and a proud legacy in the “cereal capital of the U.S.”

About the Role

The Manufacturing Engineering Manager is the first level of supervision in our Engineering Department, combining people leadership with hands‑on technical contribution. You’ll lead strategy and execution to improve and maintain process capability using process engineering tools (e.g., DOE, SPC) and Lean Manufacturing methods (e.g., Kaizen, SMED). You’ll also partner closely with the Engineering Manager to shape future project and customer support plans while upholding safety, food safety, quality, and environmental practices, including SQF requirements.

Key Responsibilities

In this role, you will:

• Lead and develop the manufacturing engineering team by setting goals, coaching performance, conducting regular appraisals, and leading team meetings to deliver results.
• Build a culture of engineering professionalism that enables timely implementation and innovative technical solutions.
• Strengthen process capability and standards by setting critical process limits, driving disciplined adherence (including audit/deviation processes), and collaborating with network manufacturing engineering leaders.
• Advance Six Sigma capability through analysis, design of experiments, and data‑driven optimization of process limits and standards.
• Model Lean / Continuous Improvement tools and behaviors (problem solving, Kaizen, mistake proofing, visual workplace, standard work, waste elimination, quick changeover).
• Monitor operations and evaluate new technologies to address current and potential issues; recommend improvements that elevate performance and reliability.
• Identify and deliver improvements tied to savings, innovation, production process efficiency, and product quality.
• Mentor engineers and early‑career talent, including interns and OLDP participants, supporting development and growth.
• Prioritize workloads and resources to meet customer service needs across business units and ensure timely support.
• Lead cross‑functional execution by partnering across the plant (production, engineering groups, and other departments) to resolve issues as they arise.
• Manage engineering projects to performance expectations and cost projections; coordinate contractors as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned to meet company and business needs.

What We’re Looking For

You’ll be a great fit if you bring:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Manufacturing, Management, Science, or a related field.
• 5+ years of related experience (food processing/packaging experience preferred) with supervisory experience strongly desired.
• Strong project management training and experience.
• Working knowledge of manufacturing systems and processes, process capability management, and tools such as DOE and SPC.
• Experience applying continuous improvement tools and techniques.
• The ability to build relationships and inspire others through clear direction, collaboration, and coaching.

Why You’ll Love This Role

Delicious work. Real impact. Here’s what makes this opportunity “just right”:

• Your work will be visible. You’ll improve capability, performance, and reliability in processes that help make iconic brands every day.
• You’ll lead and grow talent. You’ll coach engineers and develop early‑career team members, building a stronger bench for the future.
• You’ll have room to drive change. This role is built for people who like to solve problems, elevate standards, and deliver better outcomes through Lean + data.
• You’ll join a plant with deep roots. Our Battle Creek location is a cornerstone of the business and part of a community‑connected team with a proud legacy.
• You’ll be supported with competitive benefits. Eligible employees may receive offerings such as paid time off, health benefits, life insurance, employee assistance programs, and a 401(k).

Location

• Location: Battle Creek, Michigan (on‑site; Remote Eligible: No)

Ready to Make an Impact

If you’re ready to lead, innovate, and raise the bar for process capability and continuous improvement—here is where you fit in.Apply today and help us make lives better by making delicious food accessible for all.