Jobs › Conagra Brands

Engineering Project Leader

Conagra Brands · Chicago, IL · $82,000–$120,000 a year · Full time

Posted Sep 1, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Your background may be in food, pharmaceutical or consumer packaged goods manufacturing. Tell me about a capital project you led and what made it complex.

What they are checking: Whether they have truly owned a project end to end, including safety, scope, cost and schedule.

Tell me about a time you identified a project risk early and avoided a bigger problem.

What they are checking: Whether they manage risk proactively rather than reacting once issues appear.

Describe how you communicate project status to a Director of Engineering and to plant leaders differently.

What they are checking: Whether they tailor detail and focus to each audience.

What would you do

How would you lead projects across multiple plant locations at the same time?

What they are checking: Whether they plan site leads, communication rhythm and travel so no project drifts while they are elsewhere.

A contractor wants to skip a safety step to keep on schedule. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they put safety first without exception and handle the schedule impact separately.

A project finishes on time and on budget, but the line underperforms after startup. Who owns that, and what do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they take ownership of outcomes beyond the project close and work the problem with the plant.

About the work

What changes when a project must meet USDA and FDA requirements compared with a non-food plant?

What they are checking: Knowledge of sanitary design, washdown, allergen control and inspection access in food equipment and facilities.

Walk me through how you develop scope for a project when operations, quality and maintenance each want different things.

What they are checking: Whether they define requirements jointly and lock scope before design to prevent costly changes later.

How do you estimate and forecast cost on a project with a lot of unknowns?

What they are checking: Whether they use staged estimates, contingency and regular reforecasts tied to risk.

What does a good commissioning and startup plan include?

What they are checking: Whether they cover testing, operator training, sanitation validation and performance targets before handoff.

Practice this interview out loud.

Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at Conagra Brands from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.

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The full job description

As published by Conagra Brands.

Reporting to the Director of Engineering, you will oversee engineering projects of varying complexity from conception through completion. You will manage all aspects of project safety, scope development, cost estimating, forecasting, and scheduling while leading cross-functional teams to deliver projects on time, within scope, and within budget. Your technical expertise in food manufacturing, pharmaceutical manufacturing, or consumer packaged goods manufacturing will help drive successful project execution across multiple locations. A Taste of Your Responsibilities • Lead and manage engineering projects while ensuring alignment on project objectives and deliverables. • Develop detailed project plans including timelines, budgets, resource allocation, and risk management strategies. • Coordinate and collaborate with manufacturing, quality assurance, and other cross-functional partners to ensure successful project execution. • Provide technical guidance and leadership throughout project lifecycles. • Partner with equipment vendors, construction contractors, and engineering service providers to support project objectives. • Monitor project progress, identify risks and issues, and implement corrective actions as needed. • Communicate project status, milestones, budget updates, and key decisions to stakeholders. • Ensure compliance with applicable industry standards, United States Department of Agriculture regulations, Food and Drug Administration regulations, and company requirements. • Drive continuous improvement and innovation across engineering projects and project teams. • Manage multiple projects simultaneously across multiple manufacturing locations. • Support capital projects with values exceeding one million dollars from planning through implementation. Ingredients Required for Your Success • Bachelor's degree in an Engineering discipline. • 3+ years of experience in food manufacturing, pharmaceutical manufacturing, or consumer packaged goods manufacturing. • Experience delivering complex engineering projects valued at one million dollars or greater. • Strong technical understanding of engineering principles and manufacturing processes. • Experience managing multiple concurrent projects across multiple locations. • Strong project management, communication, and stakeholder management skills. • Experience leading cross-functional teams and influencing outcomes across a matrixed organization. • Willingness to travel approximately fifty percent based on project requirements, primarily Monday through Friday. • Located in Omaha, Nebraska; Chicago, Illinois Number of Days in Office: 2 #LI-Hybrid #LI-PM2 #LI-MSL Compensation Pay Range:$82,000-$120,000 The annual salary listed above is the expected offering for this position. An employee’s actual annual salary will be based on but not limited to: location, relevant experience/level and skillset, while balancing internal Conagra employees’ equity. Conagra Brands will comply with applicable law regarding minimum salaries for exempt employees. Our Benefits We care about your total well-being and will support you with the following, subject to your location and role: • Health: Comprehensive healthcare plans, wellness incentive program, mental wellbeing support and fitness reimbursement • Wealth: Great pay, bonus incentive opportunity, matching 401(k) and stock purchase plan • Growth: Career development opportunities, employee resource groups, on-demand learning and tuition reimbursement • Balance: Paid-time off, parental leave, flexible work-schedules (subject to your location and role) and volunteer opportunities Our Company At Conagra Brands, we have a rich heritage of making great food. We aspire to have the most impactful, energized and inclusive culture in food. As a member of our 18,000+ person team across 40+ locations, you are empowered to reach your potential, make an impact and own your career. We're in the business of building champions – within our people and our iconic brands like Birds Eye®, Slim Jim® and Reddi-Wip®. Our focus on innovation extends beyond making great food, it also reflects our commitment to embracing new solutions that positively impact our team, the communities we serve and the health of our planet. Foodies Welcome. Conagra Brands is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to sex, race, color, religion, ethnic or national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, pregnancy, leave status, disability, veteran status, genetic information and/or any other characteristic or status protected by national, federal, state or local law. Reasonable accommodation may be made upon request.

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