Industrial Food Services (IFS) is Australia's specialist chocolate manufacturer and a member of the Fuji Oil Group – one of the world's leading producers of food ingredients. From our Melbourne facility we craft chocolate for some of Australia's most recognised food and confectionery brands.
We are in a period of significant capital investment. Our project portfolio spans new production assets, efficiency upgrades, infrastructure improvement and partnering with our Innovation team on exciting new products. To deliver this program well, we are building a dedicated capital projects function for the first time, and we need the person who will lead the engineering delivery of it.
The Role
This is an end-to-end project delivery role. You will own capital engineering projects from approved business case through to commissioning and handover; scope, schedule, cost, contractors, documentation, and commissioning readiness. You will work alongside an Operational Readiness Lead (who owns the operational commissioning sequence) and a Business Change Lead (who owns product development and commercial readiness), and you will be reporting into the Capital Projects Manager.
What this role is not: a coordination role. You will be expected to read a P&ID;, interrogate a contractor's programme, call out a value engineering opportunity, and know when something is being managed versus when it is being ignored. You have done this work yourself. That is what makes you effective here, not because you will do it all again, but because you know what good looks like and you can lead a project with confidence.
The portfolio is real, the investment is committed, and the timeline is live. We need someone who is ready to contribute from day one.
What You Will Do
Own the delivery of capital projects from approved gate through to completion: scope, schedule, cost, risk, and quality.
Manage contractor and vendor relationships end-to-end; scopes of work, contract administration, performance management, hold point sign-offs, and defects liability.
Lead design reviews and drive cross-functional sign-off at each stage; operations,



maintenance, QA, safety, and food safety all have a seat at the table.
Own the punch list from construction through to SAT: classify, assign, and drive closure before energisation and acceptance milestones.
Coordinate with the Operational Readiness Lead as commissioning approaches, the handover of physical ownership is a milestone, not a drift.
Deliver as-built documentation, safety files, and vendor warranty packages to the handover tracker before SAT is signed.
Report project status (cost, schedule, risk, issues) clearly; with a monthly cadence to the ELT and Fuji Oil Group.
Mentor and guide junior team members. You have seen what good delivery looks like; help others see it too.
What We Are Looking For
Experience
15+ years of engineering and capital project delivery experience in food manufacturing, FMCG, industrial processing, or a comparable regulated manufacturing environment.
Demonstrated end-to-end ownership of capital projects; from business case development through to SAT and operational handover. Not just program management; actual delivery accountability.
Robust background in one or more core engineering disciplines: mechanical, process, electrical, or mechatronics. Enough depth to interrogate designs, challenge contractors, and make sound technical calls through all stages of the project delivery.
Proven experience managing contractors, subcontractors, and OEM vendors in a live production environment; including in brownfield settings where the line next door is still running.
Familiarity with food manufacturing requirements: GMP zoning, hygienic design, hazardous area classification, food safety compliance, and commissioning through to startup (CQV) principles.




Experience working across multidiscipline project teams and cross-functional stakeholders (operations, maintenance, QA, finance, supply chain).
The person
Solutions first. When something goes wrong, you are already thinking about options to solve.
High standards. You do not accept mediocre contractor performance, but you know how to get the best out of people rather than just applying pressure.
Clear communicator. You can write a concise status report, present a budget variation request to a leadership team, and have a direct conversation with a contractor, all in the same week.
Practical and decisive. You know when a decision needs more information and when it just needs to be made.
Intellectually curious. You engage with the product, the process, and the people, not just the Gantt chart.
Qualifications
Degree in mechanical, chemical, process, or electrical engineering, or equivalent demonstrated technical depth.
PMP, AIPM certification, or equivalent project management credentials are well regarded but not required if your track record speaks for itself.
Why IFS
Real scope, real authority. This is not a support role. You will own delivery accountability on a significant and growing capital portfolio.
A function being built, not inherited. The frameworks, tools, and ways of working are being established now. Your input will shape how engineering project delivery works at IFS for the long term.
A business that moves. We are a lean team inside a global parent. Decisions happen in the room here; no need to wait for multiple levels of approval.
Quality matters. Chocolate is a craft product. The work we do affects what goes into every product that leaves the site. That matters to the people here and our consumers.
Part of something larger. As a Fuji Oil Group company, we operate with global backing, long-term investment intent, and access to technical resources across the group.
Industrial Food Services is an equal prospect employer. We welcome applications from all backgrounds.
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📌 Engineering Project Manager (Melbourne)
🏢 Industrial Food Services
📍 Melbourne