Director of Engineering

Director of Engineer

Sojo Industries ("Sojo") is a fast-growing industrial automation company that utilizes robotics, mobility, and modularity to deliver efficient packaging and assembly solutions to the food and beverage industry.  

Sojo has built and designed sophisticated SQF-compliant facilities in Pennsylvania and California to support a variety of packaging materials and capabilities and is building new flagship sites in Temple, TX and Indianapolis, IN. In addition, Sojo utilizes its proprietary mobile manufacturing offering, Sojo Flight, to eliminate freight costs, labor costs, packaging costs and harmful emissions while delivering on-site packaging services. The Sojo Fight mobility model is a ground-up refresh for the co-manufacturing space, and Sojo’s intellectual property is enabling the next generation of mobile automation. Sojo is currently building out its custom, Dock-to-Dock, Blockchain-enabled track and trace platform Sojo Shield and developing its technology platform. Sojo has aggressive growth plans in 2024 and beyond, and is looking for hard-working, curious, and most importantly dedicated individuals to join our incredible team.  

The Sojo team is comprised of seasoned executives and operators from the food and beverage industry and customers include Fortune 500 brands, distributors, and manufacturers. 

Reporting to the Chief Technology Officer, the Director of Engineering will: 

• Structure and develop Sojo’s engineering program 

• Oversee and manage engineering projects and personnel 

• Lead project management for new facility buildouts and automated equipment implementations 

• Manage and implement designs for the proprietary Sojo Flight mobile skidding system and mobile manufacturing model 

• Recommend and own equipment upgrades to support Sojo’s growth 

Responsibilities 

• Manage engineering and equipment project milestones across the entire Sojo network 

• Analyze manufacturing capacity and recommend new equipment and upgrades to fulfill forecasts 

• Oversee a multidisciplinary engineering team (mechanical, electrical, controls, manufacturing) 

• Develop relationships with automation and equipment vendors 

• Implement creative methods to organize engineering personnel and projects 

• Communicate effectively with other Sojo department leaders and personnel 

• Own critical milestones related to Sojo Flight V2.0 design and development 

• Provide leadership and career development for the engineering team 

• Establish communication and documentation protocols 

• Provide hands-on support for project implementations 

• Develop projects and upgrades to increase facility wide efficiencies 

• Travel to Sojo facilities and vendors up to 50% 

• Perform additional duties as assigned by the CTO 

Basic Qualifications and Skills 

• 5-10 years’ experience in a fast-paced engineering or project implementation environment 

• Tech-savvy with a strong understanding of automation systems and robotics 

• Self-motivated and able to work with minimal oversight 

• Strong project management and resource allocation skills and experience with project management software (Jira, Microsoft Project, etc.) 

• Ability to read and interpret mechanical and electrical prints 

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills 

• Experience troubleshooting automated factory equipment including but not limited to industrial robots, conveying systems, packaging machinery, and vision systems 

• Leadership experience managing technical resources 

• Knowledge of safety practices for working with factory equipment 

• Degree in Engineering or equivalent experience 

• Willingness to travel up to 50% 

Preferred Qualifications  

• Experience with AutoCAD and SolidWorks or equivalent 

• In-depth engineering analysis skills 

• FANUC Robot Programming and troubleshooting 

• Allen Bradley PLC Programming or equivalent 

• Microsoft Office suite 

• CI/CD practices 

• Experience with process optimization and lean manufacturing principles 

• Proficiency in data analysis tools (Excel, Tableau, Power BI) 

Qualifications

Salary : $130,000 - $150,000