Division Director of Engineering

Position overview:
You may know us for our beautiful and delicious cheesecakes and desserts...and for being recognized by Fortune Magazine as one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For"10 years in a row! What you may not know is at The Cheesecake Factory Bakery, our staff members are our highest quality ingredient.

This position can be located in either Calabasas, CA or Rocky Mount, NC.

The Division Director of Engineering will oversee and manage the engineering operations at both our Calabasas, CA, and Rocky Mount, NC bakeries, in addition to a third bakery currently under development in Indiana. You'll focus on the development and supervision of equipment specifications, design, layout, installation, and start-up processes at the new $100+ million bakery in Indiana.

Additionally, you will lead, plan, manage execution, and provide technical direction for all engineering projects and capital projects across all three bakeries (Calabasas, Rocky Mount, and Southern Indiana). You will also lead the development and deployment of the automation strategy with division leadership, reviewing technical capabilities and project status. This includes leading the technical effort, defining long-term engineering plans, and ensuring that program objectives and contractual requirements are met.

You'll thrive in this position if you are:

• An Expert in Your Field: you seek to maintain a comprehensive and strategic knowledge base of the current technology landscape, particularly trends, developments, and advancements.
• A Proven Project Manager: you understand the importance of project plans and are skilled at managing projects through to completion.
• A Master Planner: you're skilled at juggling multiple priorities at one time and keeping track of deadlines without missing a step.
• A Team Player: you're a collaborative team player who shows respect for the views and contributions of others and enjoys brainstorming, project-work, and building team spirit.

Here's what you'll get to do:

• Align engineering objectives and project plans with the Bakery strategy. Develop plans for multiple project teams and determine resource allocation by reviewing technical proposals, internal and subcontract capabilities, and consulting with management.
• Provide engineering leadership and direction on product development, research activities, and the introduction of innovative technology. Interpret complex technical requirements, manage associated risks throughout the development cycle, and conduct technical studies and design reviews.
• Maintain frequent formal and informal program management and customer interface to present status and refine project plans. Assess and make technical determinations on changes in customer requirements (e.g., design specifications, change impact on cost/schedule).
• Be accountable for full project budget planning and cost management. Collaborate with division leadership to develop long-range plans addressing current and anticipated growth and resource challenges (e.g., workforce planning, new technical systems investments).
• Partner with Bakery leadership to identify opportunities for product innovation/systems solutions and lead innovation resulting in breakthrough solutions. Collaborate with Division staff and serve as a primary liaison on technical capabilities.
• Identify and create technical training and development plans. Mentor or serve as a resource to share specialized knowledge with others. Maintain leadership and technical capabilities through continued education or training.
• Analyze and plan workforce utilization, space requirements, and equipment layout for maximum workflow efficiency.
• Collaborate with vendors to determine product specifications and arrange for the purchase of equipment, materials, or parts. Evaluate products according to specifications and quality standards.

What we require:

• Bachelor's Degree (BS) in Mechanical, Industrial or Electrical Engineering.
• 10+ years of related engineering experience.
• 5+ years of multi-plant engineering project management experience, with multi-million dollar projects.
• 5+ years of engineering experience within the Food Manufacturing industry.
• Ability to travel 30-50% of the time between manufacturing plants, in support of projects, training and other job-related duties.
• Comprehensive knowledge and overall understanding of multiple engineering and/or scientific fields and specialized product/system integration requirements.
• Proficient with project management, engineering documentation, and engineering analysis tools.
• Demonstrated ability to assess and lead research and investment in innovative technologies and in creating linkage between product/system design, manufacturing, and business results.
• Thorough knowledge of competitor and industry practices as well as government regulations.
• Makes effective presentations on complex or sensitive topics to executive management and/or other key stakeholders.

Our state-of-the-art The Cheesecake Factory Bakery creates over 35,000 delicious cheesecakes per day across our two facilities in Calabasas, CA and Rocky Mountain, NC plus other baked products for our restaurants, international licensees, and third-party bakery customers.

The Cheesecake Factory Bakery is a subsidiary of The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated. Recognized as a Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For since 2014, The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated is a global $3.3 billion public company with more than 300 casual dining restaurants.

We offer a people-centered culture and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace for all. We welcome applicants from a wide variety of identities, ideas, perspectives, and experiences, and encourage individuals from underrepresented backgrounds to apply.

#SoCheesecake #LifeAtCheesecake

We are an E-Verify and equal opportunity employer. The Cheesecake Factory Bakery offers reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities.