Director of Engineering, Environment and Sustainability

McCain Foods is seeking a Director of Engineering, Environment and Sustainability in Oakbrook Terrace, Chicago, IL. This full-time role involves developing and overseeing environmental engineering strategies, managing technical policies, and leading projects related to wastewater treatment, air pollution control, and sustainability technologies. The position requires collaboration with various stakeholders to achieve environmental goals and support capital planning for energy and water reduction initiatives.
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Position Title: Director of Engineering, Environment and Sustainability

Position Type: Regular - Full-Time ​

Position Location: Oakbrook Terrace

Requisition ID: 29892

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ABOUT MCCAIN

At McCain, we’re feeding the world: from French fries to cakes, we contribute to the important role food plays in people's lives. That’s why we’re dedicated to ensuring our core values—Family, Authentic, Trusted, and Quality—shine through every day. As a privately owned family company with over 60 years of experience, a presence in more than 160 countries, and a global team of 22,000 people, our values and culture are at the heart of everything we do. We believe that we can work together, along with our business and community partners, to bring sustainable growth and positive change today, tomorrow, and for generations to come. Join us and see how you can MAKE IT at McCain!

Why join the McCain family.

Your Life – we’re here to help you fulfil your potential, flourish, and thrive in work and life.
Your Success – work alongside passionate individuals who are committed to supporting your career ambitions, drive, and success.
Your Impact – we want you to make a meaningful, lasting impact for you, for your colleagues, and for the business.

McCain is a place where you can grow from the ground up, so join us and see how you can MAKE IT at McCain.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Director of Engineering; Environmental & Sustainability will be responsible for developing, implementing, and overseeing comprehensive environmental engineering strategies and programs across all aspects of McCain North America manufacturing operations. They will work closely with various stakeholders, including senior management, employees, customers, suppliers, and communities, to drive sustainable practices and achieve environmental goals.

The broad objective of this position is to effectively manage and implement technical policies, programs, and capital planning as related to environmental and energy reduction systems management.

Lead North America engineering as a technical resource on design, operations, and troubleshooting in the areas of wastewater treatment (anaerobic/aerobic), water recycling, air pollution control, stormwater, and waste management. Communicate environmental risks with McCain Senior Leadership, along with planned actions to manage or mitigate risks.

The role will support sustainability technology capital planning and execution, including carbon/energy and water reducing technologies following McCain Foods Limited best practices along with new & emerging technologies.

Will lead and develop an internal team of subject matter experts, internal Engineering Managers, and 3rd party engineering resources in wastewater and pollution control devices. This role will originate or approve designs, coordinate engineering projects, evaluate results, and make recommendations across all levels of management. This role will develop environmental process design standards, methods, and controls to meet our needs. This role will lead major segments of complex projects and initiatives to meet cost schedule, and performance.

LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES

Our principles, each with related practices, guide our actions across the organization. Together, they address how McCain interacts with our customers and employees, and how we work as individuals and collectively to find success. While each role adheres to the Leadership Principles, individual roles may focus more on a specific principle or principles.

We are customer obsessed. Customers are our starting point. By understanding their needs and leveraging data and consumer insights, we drive mutual success.

We think big and plan ahead. Through ambition, curiosity, and smart risks, we can accomplish goals, refine processes, and innovate to scale success.

We bring out the best in our people. We create safe spaces for our people so that trust and empowerment come naturally. Inclusion is about listening first, showing humility, and working together.

We act like owners. Together, we clear obstacles and do the work that makes us all successful and proud to be part of McCain.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
This position will be accountable for the following measures:
• Provide overall leadership around technical design efforts in wastewater treatment, water recycling, and air pollution control selection.
• Lead efforts to reduce waste, conserve resources, and optimize energy efficiency across operations.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate environmental considerations into manufacturing processes.
• Monitor and report on key environmental performance indicators (KPIs) to track progress towards sustainability goals and identify areas for improvement.
• Stay abreast of emerging environmental trends, technologies, and best practices, and incorporate relevant innovations into the company's sustainability strategy.
• Build and maintain relationships with regulatory agencies, industry organizations, and other stakeholders to stay informed about environmental requirements and developments.
• Work with Project Engineering and other groups to identify, develop, and rollout technical strategies / programs that bring competitive advantage and value.
• Own the engineering design and work with Corporate Environmental Team to ensure wastewater permit compliance.
• Utilize Sustainable technologies as a lever to increase competitiveness, lower Scope 1 and 2 impacts, and improve manufacturing costs.
• Create standardization of equipment and procedures and replicate these across the enterprise.
• Provide technical leadership on cross functional teams to develop high value technical solutions to provide the optimal business results.
• Partner with the business early in a project's lifecycle to evaluate multiple scenarios that meet multiple requirements
• Develop rough order of magnitude estimates to give the business a directional early view of a project and the robustness of the business case.
• Keep current with latest technology, commercial applications, industry regulations and codes
• Support McCain’s overarching environmental compliance strategy aligned with McCain’s values, goals, and regulatory requirements.
• Support the implementation of environmental policies, procedures, and initiatives to minimize environmental impact and promote sustainability as part of McCain’s Environmental Management System ISO14001.
• Support environmental risk assessments and develop mitigation plans to address potential environmental hazards and risks.

SPECIFIC DUTIES:

This position will require Leadership of the North America Engineering, Environmental and Sustainability, team members in the following areas:
• Developing Environmental Strategies: You would be responsible for developing comprehensive environmental strategies aligned with the organization's goals and regulatory requirements. This will involve conducting assessments, setting goals, and outlining action plans to improve environmental performance.
• Ensuring Compliance: Oversee compliance with environmental regulations at local and national levels in both the United States of America and Canada. Expert understanding and interpretation, providing manufacturing facilities with direction on environmental regulatory changes, ensuring the organization meets all legal requirements, managing permits, and reporting obligations.
• Managing Environmental Programs: Support the sustained implementation of environmental programs, ISO14001 Environmental Management System and McCain Driving Impact (MDI) Playbook, designed to minimize the organization's environmental impact. It would include initiatives related to water supply, water rights, wastewater treatment, air pollution prevention, waste management, carbon reduction, and energy efficiency.
• Environmental Planning and Permitting: Supporting development of environmental management plans and obtaining necessary permits and approvals for capital projects. This might include permits related to air quality, water supply, water rights, wastewater treatment effluent, waste disposal, biodiversity conservation, and land use.
• Environmental Technical Design Review: Review project designs and specifications to ensure compliance with environmental standards and McCain best practices. Provide guidance on environmentally friendly design alternatives and mitigation measures.
• Environmental and Sustainability Capital Planning: Interface between North America Engineering and other stakeholders to provide consultation on technology selection, capital planning (short and longer term), capital expenditure budget estimates, project management resource allocation, and planned schedules to deploy. This would include environmental infrastructure and sustainability capital projects.
• Setting Environmental Goals and Metrics: You would establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to track the organization's environmental performance over time. This might involve setting targets for reducing emissions, conserving resources, and improving overall environmental sustainability.
• Collaborating with Stakeholders: Engaging with internal stakeholders (Senior Leadership, Manufacturing Directors, and Plant Manager) and external stakeholders (such as government agencies, and community groups) to build support for environmental capital projects, gather input, and foster collaboration.
• Training, Education and Mentorship: Providing training and education to team members on environmental issues, best practices, and regulatory requirements. This might involve developing training materials, conducting workshops, and raising awareness about environmental responsibilities. Provide consultation services to Manufacturing Leadership Teams on environmental affairs, risk mitigation, and general regulatory guidance.
• Managing Environmental Risks: Identifying and assessing environmental risks associated with the organization's manufacturing operations, such as water rights, wastewater discharge parameters, air quality, waste management, etc. Developing strategies to mitigate these risks and ensure environmental compliance and sustainability. Incorporate capital investments to mitigate risks into 5-year capital planning activities.
• Reporting and Communication: Preparing regular reports on environmental performance for internal and external regulatory agencies. Communicating key findings, risk assessments, progress towards goals, and challenges related to environmental sustainability and regulatory compliance.
• Staying Informed: Keeping abreast of emerging trends, technologies, and best practices in environmental sustainability. This might involve attending conferences, participating in industry groups, and networking with other environmental professionals.

LEADERSHIP

As Director of Engineering; Environmental & Sustainability, this role involves guiding and empowering your team members to achieve environmental & sustainability goals and objectives effectively. Here's how you can lead your team successfully:

Set Clear Goals and Expectations:
• Clearly communicate the team's objectives, priorities, and expectations.
• Define measurable goals and milestones to track progress and ensure alignment with broader organizational objectives.

Provide Vision and Direction:
• Inspire your team with a compelling vision for environmental sustainability within the organization.
• Provide direction on key initiatives, strategies, and priorities, emphasizing the importance of their roles in achieving the organization's sustainability goals.

Foster Collaboration and Communication:
• Encourage open communication and collaboration among team members.
• Foster a culture of sharing ideas, feedback, and best practices to drive innovation and continuous improvement.

Empower and Delegate:
• Delegate responsibilities and tasks effectively, empowering team members to take ownership of their work.
• Provide guidance and support as needed while allowing team members the autonomy to make decisions and solve problems.

Develop Talent:
• Identify and leverage the strengths of individual team members.
• Provide opportunities for professional development, training, and skill-building to enhance their capabilities and career growth.

Lead by Example:
• Demonstrate commitment to environmental sustainability through your actions and decisions.
• Model the behaviors and values you expect from your team, such as integrity, accountability, and environmental stewardship.

Encourage Innovation:
• Create a supportive environment that encourages creativity, experimentation, and risk-taking.
• Recognize and celebrate innovative ideas and initiatives that contribute to environmental sustainability.

Manage Conflicts and Challenges:
• Address conflicts or challenges within the team promptly and constructively.
• Facilitate constructive dialogue and problem-solving to resolve issues and maintain a positive team dynamic.

Promote Diversity and Inclusion:
• Foster a diverse and inclusive team environment where different perspectives and backgrounds are valued.
• Encourage participation and input from all team members, regardless of their role or seniority.

Monitor Progress and Celebrate Successes:
• Regularly review progress towards goals and objectives, providing feedback and course corrections as needed.
• Celebrate achievements and milestones to recognize the team's efforts and maintain motivation and morale.

QUALIFICATIONS
• Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field (advanced degree preferred). Strong Evidence of environmental knowledge and experience.
• Minimum of 15 years of experience in environmental management, sustainability, environmental project and program management, or related roles, with demonstrated leadership experience.
• 12+ years of...