Plant Engineer

At Russell Stover, not only do we love chocolate, but we love our jobs! Every day we go to work exhibiting our values of excellence, innovation, entrepreneurship, responsibility, and collaboration. Working at Russell Stover you’ll be part of the leading manufacturer of boxed, seasonal, and sugar-free chocolates. For over 100 years, Russell Stover Chocolates, Whitman’s, and Pangburn’s have been crafted with the finest ingredients to bring happiness to generations. Today, we produce over 55 million pounds of chocolate annually, and our legacy brands can be found in 13 company-owned stores and over 9,000 wholesale accounts. Join our team and let’s continue making chocolate lovers happy! 

A day in the life…

As the Plant Engineer, you will direct the overall engineering activities concerned with design, construction and modification of equipment, facilities, and grounds for the manufacturing plant. In this role you will work closely with the operations staff in the plant as well as Corporate Engineering.

What you will be doing…

• Manage capital installation work.
• Ensure projects have a well-defined scope, delivered on time and on budget, and meet RSC’s GMP and safety requirements.
• Ensure efficient handover of new installations through proper training and documentation.
• Conduct feasibility analysis for proposed solutions to accommodate production, QA, and management requirements in an optimal solution.
• Carry out independent concept investigations for solutions to assigned projects.
• Write investment requests with strong justification.
• Communicate project goals to Safety, Food Safety, Quality, Industrial Performance, and Production.
• Work with vendors to order, specify, test and approve new solutions.
• Coordinate mechanical and electrical installation requirements with both outside contractors and internal resources where applicable.
• Support the production and maintenance departments.
• Serve as a resource for Maintenance when expert information is required for troubleshooting and preventative work on new equipment.
• Manage Process Safety and Risk Management programs and other environmental programs.

Do you have what it takes? 

(Basic Qualifications)

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering.
• 5 years of engineering, facilities or maintenance experience in a manufacturing environment
• Working knowledge of material handling systems, building codes, plant electrical, HVAC, and/or mechanical systems
• Working knowledge of OSHA, ISO, and environmental regulations.
• Proficiency in Auto-CAD
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate well with others, delivering solutions that meet the needs of key stakeholders
• Project Management experience (i.e. budget and timeline development, project execution)

Do you stand above the rest?

(Preferred Qualifications)

• Experience in a food manufacturing facility
• Knowledge of ammonia refrigeration processes
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work under minimal supervision
• Good analytical and problem-solving skills

What it’s like at the Russell Stover Plants

• Safety. Your safety is important to us, so we provide protective gear. We also go through an in-depth Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) training on your first day and continue to share safety tips daily
• Surroundings. You’ll be working around different machines – Schubert’s, forklifts, electric pallet jacks, and chocolate candy banks/steels.
• Activity. Some activities may require standing in one place for long periods, walking around, or climbing stairs/ladders, and routinely lift 50 lbs.
• Temperature. You will be comfortable year-round with our climate-controlled environment. Our temperatures are consistently around 65°F but could fluctuate depending on your specific role.
• Smell. You will enjoy a variety of deliciously sweet aromas and you may end your day smelling like chocolate!
• Dress code. Relaxed, with a few rules to follow for food safety, personal safety and in guidance with our good manufacturing practices (GMP). Comfortable, closed-toe shoes are required. Leather, imitation leather, or rubber boots or shoes must be worn in the kitchen and other areas when working around hot liquid/product or hot water.

At Russell Stover Chocolates, we don’t just accept difference — we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our products, and our community. Russell Stover Chocolates is proud to be an equal-opportunity workplace.

We provide equal employment opportunities to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, protected medical condition, genetic information, military service, veteran status, or any other status or characteristic protected by law.

Employment by Russell Stover Chocolates is contingent upon I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification, passing the urinalysis drug screen, education verification, and satisfactory reference and background checks.

Make Happy. Work Happy.