Mechanical Project Engineer

Today’s business landscape requires companies to flex with changing global requirements and to leverage digital capabilities to meet customer expectations. Fortna helps clients solve the most complex distribution challenges and ensure business continuity. We are an end-to-end design-build firm, delivering data-driven solutions supported by engineering expertise, intelligent software, and best-fit technologies. Our solutions help improve performance, enable growth, and ultimately, drive profitability.

Fortna Pierau is known for planning and implementing solutions in the areas of intralogistics, supply chain and logistics IT. In 60 years, we have successfully completed more than 2,000 projects for a wide variety of customers in retail and manufacturing. Well-known German and international companies rely on our services.

Fortna Pierau is a subsidiary of the globally successful US consulting company Fortna - The Distribution Experts.

POSITION SUMMARY:The primary focus of this position will be to provide leadership and to be the single point of contact through all stages of a project to deliver engineering consistency. This position will lead and support multiple projects utilizing knowledge and experience of the material handling industry equipment and application. This position will also be required to support the day-to-day activities of the engineering department and project engineering group and will lead multiple smaller projects or single large projects including retro fits and new equipment facility projects. The incumbent will need strong material handling design skills and willingness to increase knowledge.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE:

• Demonstrating strong leadership qualities & proactively communicating
• Acting as the conduit in engineering to ensure on-time & under budget implementation
• Leading all required portions of a project through the requirements engineering & final engineering (implementation) processes including engineering budget, schedule-tracking, weekly status reports & maintaining Engineering Project Workbook
• Taking ownership of all responsibilities of a project to ensure success
• Exploring & supporting trade-offs of alternative concepts & leading/supporting alternative analysis justification to drive the best design during all phases of project while maintaining project business case

Requirements Engineering & Procurement Phase:

• Supporting internal kick off & efforts to transition from Ops Design
• Leading detail design (using DCdesigner/DCconceptor, Fortna’s propriety 3D drawing tool), design lock with Client (signature required), & preparing all bills of material (BOMs)
• Leading internal design reviews, QC process, engineering weekly meeting, & publishing weekly engineering status reports
• During procurement, supporting Client meetings, identifying potential suppliers, setting up tier levels, supporting request for proposal (RFP) generation, scorecard development, & reviewing & supporting supplier presentations & site visits
• Estimating coordination, confirming & supporting capital budgets, & attending all price reviews
• Helping to develop implementation schedule & budget
• Tracking engineering schedule, budgets, & resource planning (report to engineering directors & managers)
• Scheduling & phasing review within engineering team
• Interfacing with contractor/architect
• Updating Pre-Functional Specification Document (FSD) & supporting FSD generation

Implementation Phase:

• Leading final engineering efforts & weekly meeting, publishing weekly status reports (consolidated from electrical, design, & technical services), tracking schedule & budgets, & resource planning (report to engineering directors)
• Calculation of conveyor point loads along with header steel layout & design
• Working to ensure original business case is being satisfied
• Attending project kick-off meeting & reviewing description of operation
• Leading ITS project introduction meeting/internal kick-off (w/pre-read document)
• Reviewing MHS implementation plan with project manager & site manager (includes phasing)
• Ensuring drawing QC & QA needed to provide a good implementation & supporting DQC Process (mechanical & electric)
• Leading final drawing approval with Client
• Facilitating meetings: speeds & feeds, design reviews, etc
• Coordinating all prototype efforts (plans, signoff, budgets, etc)
• Coordinating onsite engineering support during installation & commissioning
• Ensuring Client’s key objectives remain in focus
• Managing project during testing & go-live
• Managing project close-out & final documents including project review & lessons learned

General:

• Traveling to Client site
• Continually seeking work to maintain project utilization (billable hours)
• Utilizing current design practices for MHS
• Adhering to Fortna & dept. standards & helping to improve them
• Leading, attending & documenting required meetings; maintaining good design notes
• Attending company training as required
• Timely response to & follow up on communications
• Being available, approachable, & reliable

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering with 7 years of relevant experience, or Associate’s degree in engineering with 10 years of relevant experience, or high school diploma with 15 years of relevant experience
• Proficiency in the use of AutoCAD with at least 5 years’ practical experience
• Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office products, particularly Word and Excel
• Experience in meeting and design session leadership and facilitation
• Ability to present in front of a large group including all stakeholders
• Experience in standard design of relevant material handling equipment and general operational knowledge of distribution centers
• Knowledge of and ability to work with and manage multiple suppliers
• Ability to manage schedules and budgets for projects
• Willingness to expand knowledge of industry best practices and latest innovations in the industry
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Strong leadership and collaboration skills
• Ability to coach, lead, and manage others including remote resources in multiple time zones through the use of conference calls, webcasts, webinars, video conferencing, or other forms of digital communication
• Strong interpersonal, organizational, time management and problem-solving skills
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally (possess active passport)
• Ability to self-motivate and work remotely

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Project management training or experience
• Consulting, operations and/or distribution experience in supply chain logistics
• Experience in material handling equipment
• AutoCAD