Engineering & Commissioning Lead – Cashew Processing Factory

About Us

International Cashew Company, supported by Valstand Private Equity, is building a state-of-the-art cashew processing operation in Morocco as part of its vertically integrated global trading and production strategy. With annual revenues already approaching $50 million, the company is now investing in physical infrastructure to support long-term growth and efficiency.

Our Moroccan facility will be the operational heart of our supply chain — and we are seeking a hands-on technical leader to oversee the successful setup, commissioning, and scale-up of the factory from the ground up.

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Role Overview

We are hiring an Engineering & Commissioning Lead to take ownership of making our cashew factory fully operational — from machinery delivery and installation to technical calibration, layout optimization, production balancing, and utility readiness.

This role is suited to a mechanically minded engineer with experience setting up agro-processing or food-grade industrial plants in emerging markets. You must be able to manage both the strategic setup and the detailed hands-on execution required to get a brand-new site running at full capacity.

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Key Responsibilities

🏗 Machinery Installation & Site Commissioning

    •    Lead end-to-end setup of machinery: shelling, peeling, grading, drying, roasting, packing, and auxiliary equipment.

    •    Supervise offloading, positioning, anchoring, and calibration of equipment per OEM manuals.

    •    Coordinate utility infrastructure: electrical panels, water lines, compressed air systems, ventilation, and waste discharge.

    •    Work with local contractors, suppliers, and service engineers to ensure all installations are compliant and functional.

⚙️ Process Engineering & Line Optimizatio

n    •    Design and validate optimal plant layout for material flow, labor efficiency, and safety

.    •    Implement line balancing strategies to ensure all sections of the production process operate in sync with minimal bottlenecks

.    •    Establish and document standard operating procedures (SOPs) for machine operation, shift startup, shutdown, and changeovers

.    •    Define and test daily throughput targets (e.g. tons/day) and escalate root causes when performance lags

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🛠 Maintenance & Technical Documentatio

n    •    Develop preventive maintenance schedules and spare parts inventories

.    •    Train factory technicians on equipment care, troubleshooting, and cleaning procedures

.    •    Maintain commissioning reports, layout schematics, electrical load schedules, and utilities maps

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📊 Performance & Handove

r    •    Conduct daily and weekly commissioning checklists until each production area is stabilized

.    •    Report on machine efficiency (OEE), downtime causes, and readiness gaps

.    •    Prepare factory for HACCP, ISO, or BRC compliance audits from a mechanical/system standpoint

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Candidate Profil

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🎓 Educatio

n    •    Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (MEng), Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical field

.Equivalent qualifications with strong experience will also be considered

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💼 Experienc

e    •    5+ years of industrial or manufacturing engineering experience, ideally in agro-processing, nuts/seeds, food production, or FMCG sectors

.    •    Prior experience commissioning equipment in greenfield or brownfield settings

.    •    Familiarity with cashew processing machinery (or similar systems in food handling and grading) is a major plus

.    •    Solid understanding of mechanical systems, power requirements, safety systems, and factory utilities

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🌍 Skills & Qualitie

s    •    Fluent in English; Arabic and/or French is a strong advantage

.    •    Excellent project coordination and cross-functional communication skills

.    •    Self-starter with a problem-solving mindset and ability to work with minimal supervision in a frontier environment

.    •    Comfortable working long hours during the commissioning phase to meet startup timelines

.    •    Hands-on, pragmatic, and able to roll up sleeves when required

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What We Offe

r    •    Competitive salary and project completion bonuses

.    •    Opportunity to build a factory from scratch that will serve as a flagship for a global supply chain

.    •    Full support from senior leadership and investment team

.    •    On-site accommodation or housing allowance (if relocating to Agadir region)

.    •    Long-term opportunity to transition into Factory Engineering Manager or Plant Director role

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