Entry Level Plant Engineer Jobs
New grad plant engineer jobs open doors for recent graduates and entry level candidates with zero to two years of experience, where strong internship work or hands-on project experience can matter more than a lengthy resume. Most openings are on-site roles across Healthcare & Medical Services, Energy, and Manufacturing, with employers like New York State Office of Mental Health, Xcel Energy, and NAES Corporation hiring at this level now.
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Showing 5 of 29+ Entry Level Plant Engineer jobs
Job Description
Company: Wells Enterprises (a Ferrero Company)
Functional Area: Engineering
The Role
Manages Capital and Expense projects at an assigned plant from the scoping phase to completion. Supports corporate managed projects as the plant SME, completing tasks assigned from project meetings. Is the technical resource for a plant in equipment related issues including selection, maintenance, reliability and root causing operational issues.
What You’ll Do
- Project Manager for Plant Engineering projects. This includes project scoping, budget, forecasting, developing timeline, installation and start up.
- Manages internal and external resources holding them accountable to hitting timelines and project deliverables.
- Corporate Project Support - Serves on project teams representing area of responsibility.
- Works to ensure the reliability, operability, and maintainability of new and modified assets.
- Identifies and implements opportunities to reduce costs.
- Captures lessons learned and applies best practices from other areas of the plant on the project.
- Works to ensure that equipment purchased for the project starts up successfully and performs reliably long term. Accountability will include new equipment integration, equipment FAT's, coordination with vendors and suppliers, and on-site start-up support.
- Provides technical support to operations, maintenance, and applies problem solving and troubleshooting to technical issues.
- Identifies and works on opportunities to improve processes within the area of responsibility. Assists in identifying potential long-term improvements or capital investments that would reduce costs to the business.
- Uses company engineering standards and specifications. For project specific work, develop detailed and accurate engineering documentation.
Qualifications
What You’ll Bring
- B.S. in Engineering.
- 2+ years of manufacturing or discipline engineering related experience preferred.
- Knowledge
- Strong mechanical and electrical knowledge and aptitude
- Strong knowledge of proactive maintenance programs and tools
- Strong knowledge of PdM (vibration, oil analysis, IR, etc.)
- Strong knowledge data systems associated with asset management
- Advanced knowledge of applicable industry codes and standards.
- Knowledge of plant operations.
- Skills
- Advanced Computer Skills
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Influencing without direct authority
- Technical problem solving and decision-making
- Cause Mapping and other Root Cause Analysis Tools
- Statistical Analysis
- Abilities
- Ability to develop and manage good working relationships with internal and external customers and peers as well as communicate technical concepts clearly to all levels of the organization.
- Ability to self-direct, work within established guidelines and processes, and work in both individual and team setting with attention to detail. Customer service orientation is a plus.
Wells Enterprises is an EEO/AA employer M/F/Vet/Dis
About us
Wells Enterprises, a Ferrero company, is one of the largest ice cream manufacturers in the United States and the maker of well-loved brands including Blue Bunny, Halo Top, Bomb Pop, and Blue Ribbon Classics and today Trolli, Butterfinger 100grand, Baby Ruth, Nutella and Kinder Bueno. Wells Enterprises is a 2 billion company employing 4,000 employees, across 4 production plants and 2 main hub locations, Chicago and Le Mars. Guided by innovation, quality, and a people-first mindset, Wells is committed to delighting consumers and developing exceptional teams. As part of the Ferrero Group, Wells combines its strong U.S. heritage with Ferrero’s global standards of excellence, offering a unique opportunity to grow within a dynamic, values-driven, and international environment. At Wells, our people—and their experience—sit at the heart of our ambition.
What We Offer
At Wells, we’re proud to support our employees with comprehensive benefits that enhance health, financial wellness, and include paid time off (PTO). Eligible employees may also receive an annual incentive bonus based on Company performance.
Job Description
Company: Wells Enterprises (a Ferrero Company)
Functional Area: Engineering
The Role
Manages Capital and Expense projects at an assigned plant from the scoping phase to completion. Supports corporate managed projects as the plant SME, completing tasks assigned from project meetings. Is the technical resource for a plant in equipment related issues including selection, maintenance, reliability and root causing operational issues.
What You’ll Do
- Project Manager for Plant Engineering projects. This includes project scoping, budget, forecasting, developing timeline, installation and start up.
- Manages internal and external resources holding them accountable to hitting timelines and project deliverables.
- Corporate Project Support - Serves on project teams representing area of responsibility.
- Works to ensure the reliability, operability, and maintainability of new and modified assets.
- Identifies and implements opportunities to reduce costs.
- Captures lessons learned and applies best practices from other areas of the plant on the project.
- Works to ensure that equipment purchased for the project starts up successfully and performs reliably long term. Accountability will include new equipment integration, equipment FAT's, coordination with vendors and suppliers, and on-site start-up support.
- Provides technical support to operations, maintenance, and applies problem solving and troubleshooting to technical issues.
- Identifies and works on opportunities to improve processes within the area of responsibility. Assists in identifying potential long-term improvements or capital investments that would reduce costs to the business.
- Uses company engineering standards and specifications. For project specific work, develop detailed and accurate engineering documentation.
Qualifications
What You’ll Bring
- B.S. in Engineering.
- 2+ years of manufacturing or discipline engineering related experience preferred.
- Knowledge
- Strong mechanical and electrical knowledge and aptitude
- Strong knowledge of proactive maintenance programs and tools
- Strong knowledge of PdM (vibration, oil analysis, IR, etc.)
- Strong knowledge data systems associated with asset management
- Advanced knowledge of applicable industry codes and standards.
- Knowledge of plant operations.
- Skills
- Advanced Computer Skills
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Influencing without direct authority
- Technical problem solving and decision-making
- Cause Mapping and other Root Cause Analysis Tools
- Statistical Analysis
- Abilities
- Ability to develop and manage good working relationships with internal and external customers and peers as well as communicate technical concepts clearly to all levels of the organization.
- Ability to self-direct, work within established guidelines and processes, and work in both individual and team setting with attention to detail. Customer service orientation is a plus.
Wells Enterprises is an EEO/AA employer M/F/Vet/Dis
About us
Wells Enterprises, a Ferrero company, is one of the largest ice cream manufacturers in the United States and the maker of well-loved brands including Blue Bunny, Halo Top, Bomb Pop, and Blue Ribbon Classics and today Trolli, Butterfinger 100grand, Baby Ruth, Nutella and Kinder Bueno. Wells Enterprises is a 2 billion company employing 4,000 employees, across 4 production plants and 2 main hub locations, Chicago and Le Mars. Guided by innovation, quality, and a people-first mindset, Wells is committed to delighting consumers and developing exceptional teams. As part of the Ferrero Group, Wells combines its strong U.S. heritage with Ferrero’s global standards of excellence, offering a unique opportunity to grow within a dynamic, values-driven, and international environment. At Wells, our people—and their experience—sit at the heart of our ambition.
What We Offer
At Wells, we’re proud to support our employees with comprehensive benefits that enhance health, financial wellness, and include paid time off (PTO). Eligible employees may also receive an annual incentive bonus based on Company performance.
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Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Healthcare & Medical Services
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Entry Level Plant Engineer Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get an entry level plant engineer job?
Focus on internships, co-op programs, or hands-on coursework in manufacturing processes, equipment maintenance, or process improvement. Employers at this level look for candidates who understand plant operations fundamentals, can read technical drawings, and have exposure to safety protocols. A capstone project or lab experience that demonstrates problem-solving on the plant floor gives entry level applicants a real edge over candidates with only classroom credentials.
Which companies hire entry level plant engineers?
Companies hiring entry level plant engineers right now include New York State Office of Mental Health, Xcel Energy, and NAES Corporation, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Hiring at this level comes from a broad mix of manufacturers, industrial processors, and facilities operators that run structured onboarding programs and are actively building junior engineering pipelines.
Are there remote entry level plant engineer jobs?
Yes, though most roles at this level are on-site given the hands-on nature of plant operations. About 0% of entry level plant engineer openings are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, typically covering design support, documentation, or engineering coordination functions rather than direct floor responsibilities.
Are these new grad plant engineer jobs?
Yes, the listings here include new grad, recent graduate, and junior plant engineer roles. A posting is generally new-grad friendly when it welcomes zero to two years of experience, counts internships or co-op rotations toward that requirement, or explicitly accepts a strong portfolio in place of professional work history. Searching for junior or new grad roles alongside entry level will surface the broadest range of openings at this stage.
Which industries hire the most entry level plant engineers?
Entry Level plant engineer roles concentrate in Healthcare & Medical Services, Energy, and Manufacturing, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Those sectors drive hiring at this level because they run continuous production environments that depend on a steady pipeline of junior engineers to support maintenance, process optimization, and equipment reliability across active facilities.