Food & Beverage STEM OPT Jobs in Iowa

Project Engineer

About Ingredion:

Join Ingredion, where innovation impacts lives worldwide! Without even realizing it, you’ve experienced our work in your favorite chocolate, your pet’s food, the paper you write on, and your everyday snacks. As a global powerhouse across more than 60 industries, we harness the potential of natural ingredients to transform lives. Whether you’re just starting your career or bringing years of experience, there's a place for you here to make a real difference. Be part of our team that values a wide range of perspectives and is committed to shaping a better world with every product we create.

As a Project Engineer, you will be responsible for the management and execution of capital and technical improvement projects at the Cedar Rapids facility. This role leads projects through all engineering phases - including concept development, planning, budgeting, detailed design, construction, commissioning, startup, training, and handover to manufacturing, while ensuring safe execution, cost control, schedule adherence, and compliance with engineering and regulatory standards.

The Project Engineer works closely with operations, maintenance, safety, procurement, and external engineering and construction partners to deliver value-driven projects aligned with business goals.

What you will do:

Project Execution & Leadership:

• Manage the design and implementation of assigned capital and improvement projects, ensuring delivery within approved scope, schedule, and budget.
• Lead and coordinate all project phases, including planning, budgeting, construction, commissioning, startup, training, and transition to operations.
• Provide day-to-day project supervision and coordination of contractors, vendors, consultants, and internal stakeholders.
• Maintain project controls to ensure adherence to cost, schedule, quality, and safety requirements.

Engineering & Technical Support:

• Review, evaluate, and recommend equipment, systems, and technologies for new and existing installations.
• Ensure compliance with applicable safety standards, engineering best practices, and regulatory requirements.
• Perform or support engineering studies, equipment specifications, system design, testing, troubleshooting, optimization, and due diligence activities.
• Review proposed capital projects to validate scope, technology selection, equipment sizing, budget estimates, and schedule alignment with business objectives.

Safety, Quality & Compliance:

• Integrate safety, environmental, and risk management considerations into all project phases.
• Ensure projects comply with company policies, engineering standards, and applicable regulatory requirements.

Collaboration & Communication:

• Establish and manage interdisciplinary project teams, coordinating interfaces with operations, maintenance, procurement, EH&S, and third-party partners.
• Provide clear communication of project status, risks, and recommendations to stakeholders.
• Challenge the status quo by identifying opportunities to improve reliability, efficiency, cost, and performance.

Knowledge Management & Continuous Improvement:

• Support the maintenance of engineering standards, specifications, best practices, and design documentation.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives and share learnings across the engineering organization.

What you will bring:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Chemical, or related discipline).
• Minimum 3 years of project engineering experience in a manufacturing or industrial environment.
• Demonstrated success managing capital projects, including coordination of external engineering and construction resources.
• Strong working knowledge of project execution, engineering design practices, and industrial safety standards.
• Proficiency with AutoCAD, SAP, and Microsoft Office tools.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present technical information clearly.
• Proven ability to influence stakeholders and drive results without direct authority.

Who you are:

• Experience with capital projects greater than $5MM.
• Knowledge of corn wet milling, food, chemical, or process manufacturing environments.
• Experience supporting multiple concurrent projects in an active plant environment.
• Demonstrated ability to integrate technical and business needs into sound engineering decisions.

Key Competencies & Attributes:

• Strong project leadership and organizational skills
• Results-driven with a continuous improvement mindset
• Decisive, accountable, and safety-focused
• Able to work effectively across functions and cultures
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, capital-intensive environment

Work Environment:

• Primary work location at the Cedar Rapids manufacturing facility.
• Project roles may require occasional support during off-hours or critical project milestones.
• Interaction with construction sites, contractors, and operating plant environments is required.

Why Join Ingredion?

Discover why Ingredion is the ideal place to advance your career with our exceptional rewards and benefits package designed to help you thrive. Create the future with us and enjoy:

• Total Rewards Package – Competitive salary and performance-based pay recognizing your contributions to our success
• Comprehensive Benefits & Wellness Support – Health, long-term savings, and resources for your physical, mental, and emotional well-being
• Career Growth – Learning, training, and development opportunities, including tuition reimbursement
• Employee Recognition Program – A culture of real-time appreciation, with personalized recognition rewards globally
• Employee Discount Program – Provides exclusive discounts on everyday products, services, and travel

Relocation Available:

Yes, Within Country

Pay Range:

$84,400.00-$112,533.33 Annual
This pay range is not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Final base salary will be determined based on several factors which may include but are not limited to responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data and applicable bargaining agreement (if any).

Incentive Compensation:

As a part of the total compensation package, this role may be eligible for the Ingredion Annual Incentive Plan or a role-specific commission/bonus.

Benefits:

Full-time roles are eligible for our comprehensive benefits package which includes medical, dental and vision coverage as well as a 401(k) plan with a competitive company match.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. Ingredion seeks to provide a work environment that is free from harassment and discrimination. We will not tolerate any form of discrimination based on race, color, religion, age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, handicap or disability—mental or physical—marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status, disability resulting from military service, or any other classification protected by law (“protected classifications”). We are committed to establishing and maintaining a work environment where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.

Ingredion provides accommodations to job applicants with disabilities throughout the hiring process. If a job applicant requires an accommodation during the application process or through the selection process, we will work with the applicant to meet the job applicant's accommodation needs.

Ingredion uses AI-enabled tools to support parts of the recruitment process, including resume screening and interview scheduling. These tools help match candidate skills to job requirements and streamline communication. All AI-assisted decisions are reviewed by our Talent Acquisition team to ensure fairness and compliance with applicable laws. By applying, you acknowledge that AI may be used to support your application journey.