Sr. Project Engineer

Cargill is a family company committed to providing food and agricultural solutions to nourish the world in a safe, responsible, and sustainable way. We sit at the heart of the supply chain, partnering with producers and customers to source, make and deliver products that are vital for living. By providing customers with life’s essentials, we enable businesses to grow, communities to prosper, and consumers to live well.

This position is in our Ag & Trading enterprise, where we connect producers and users of grains and oilseeds around the globe through origination, trading, processing, and distribution. We also offer a range of farmer services and risk management solutions.

Job Purpose and Impact

The Sr. Project Engineer represents operations, maintenance, and commercial functions throughout capital projects, ensuring solutions are safe, reliable, compliant, and practical for long-term production. Bringing deep plant-floor knowledge of the Oilseeds industry, utilities, logistics, and operator workflows, this role collaborates closely with Engineering, Project Management, Construction, Contractors, EH&S, Reliability, and site leadership to ensure all projects are designed, built, and commissioned to meet operational needs.

Key Accountabilities

• Requirements & Front-End Design: Contribute to FEL scoping, hazard/operability reviews, and design evaluations (drawings, P&IDs, layouts, equipment) while identifying operational risks and validating material flows, logistics impacts, and the business case.
• Construction Support: Collaborate with Engineering and Construction to address contractor RFIs, verify equipment placement and access, perform site walks, and support tie-ins, shutdowns, and readiness activities.
• Commissioning & Startup: Participate in pre-commissioning, commissioning, and functional testing; validate performance of process and utility systems; support development/review of commissioning documents; and assist with early-run shift coverage.
• Safety, Quality & Regulatory: Ensure compliance with OSHA, environmental, food/feed safety, and process safety requirements; verify designs support HACCP, FSMA, and logistics rules; and participate in PSSR activities.
• Training & Operator Readiness: Translate engineering intent into SOPs and training materials, conduct demos and walkthroughs, and ensure operators are prepared to safely run new or modified equipment from day one.
• Post-Startup Support: Assist with troubleshooting during ramp-up, confirm performance against design specs, capture improvement opportunities, and ensure complete handoff with updated SOPs, maintenance plans, and asset documentation.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent experience
• Minimum requirement of 4 years of relevant work experience. Typically reflects 5 years or more of relevant experience.
• Experience working in an industrial facility with strong understanding of process flows and safety requirements.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering documentation (P&IDs, GA drawings, electrical schematics, controls screens).
• Strong communication with engineers, operators, maintenance staff, and contractors.
• Demonstrated problem-solving and root cause analysis skills.
• Ability to balance project work with operational responsibilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Minimum of five years operational knowledge in Oilseeds operations, such as crushing, extraction, refining, material handling, utilities, logistics, or maintenance.
• Previous experience with construction, shutdowns, tie-ins, or capital projects.
• Familiarity with commissioning/startup processes.
• Understanding of process safety (PSM), environmental regulations, food/feed safety, and EH&S standards.
• Experience leading UAT or testing (for automation, controls, or digital tools).
• Background in reliability, utilities, or maintenance planning is highly beneficial.
• Ability to prioritize multiple projects simultaneously.

Equal Opportunity Employer, including Disability/Vet.