Senior Dairy Processing Engineer

fairlife LLC is a Chicago-based nutrition company that creates great-tasting nutrition-rich and dairy products to nourish consumers.

With over $3B in annual retail sales fairlifes portfolio of delicious lactose-free real dairy products includes: fairlife ultra-filtered milk; Core Power High Protein Shakes a sports nutrition drink to support post-workout recovery; fairlife nutrition plan a nutrition shake to support the journey to better health.

A wholly owned subsidiary of The Coca-Cola company fairlife LLC has been recognized by both Fast Company and Nielsen for its industry leading innovation.

To learn more about fairlife and its complete line of products please visit .

job purpose:

The Sr. Dairy ProcessingEngineerwill come in withdeep technical expertise in fluid milk membrane separations (especially ultrafiltration) thermal processing (HTST/HHST/UHT) and end-to-end milk unit operationsfrom raw milk receiving through packaging. This role is a hands-on technical authority who will be integral to process technology innovation as well as troubleshooting manufacturing issues optimizing process capabilities and product quality supporting pilot-to-plant scale-up and serving as a trusted partner to Operations Manufacturing and Quality.

responsibilities:

Manufacturing technical leadership Operational Support and Troubleshooting

• Serve as a go-to technical expert for fluid milk separation standardization homogenization pasteurization systems (HTST/HHST/UHT) and packaging performance.
• Diagnose and resolve process and product issues.
• Partner with Operations/Manufacturing/Quality to drive safe compliant and reliable production and troubleshoot process deviations and identify root causes for quality issues.

Process design scale-up and optimization

• Define critical process parameters key performance indicators and control plans.
• Design coordinate and execute pilot and commercial-scale plant trials.
• Own process capability improvements and provide technical input to capital projects and equipment selection.
• Provide subject-matter expertise on OEM platforms and engineering approaches.

Technical Advocacy

• Proactively identify opportunities for process optimization that improve efficiency sustainability yield or product shelf-life.
• Lead initiatives and manage stakeholders across Engineering Quality and Supply Chain.

Milk chemistry physical chemistry and product quality

• Apply deep knowledge of milk composition and how processing impacts chemistry physical properties and functional performance of milk and its components.
• Partner with Product Development and Operations on formulation/processing choices for fluid dairy products including shakes and other forms (sensory taste texture stability shelf-life).

Analytics & data-driven decision making

• Define plans and execute and interpret analytical testing results tied to processing and shelf-life: milk composition chemistry rheology chromatographic/volatile profiling and other relevant analytical methods.
• Establish and improve SOPs troubleshooting playbooks and process data reviews

People leadership

• Individual contributor to start. Will build and develop a team of 14 (e.g. process engineers dairy scientists technicians).
• Build strong cross-functional relationships and communicate clearly from plant floor to leadership level.

skills/qualifications required:

• MS in Dairy Science Food Engineering Food Science Chemical Engineering or closely related field with a focus on dairy processing and/or thermal processing.

• 5-10 years of progressive experience in fluid dairy processing spanning pilot through commercial manufacturing.

• Demonstrated expertise in:
  • HTST/HHST and/or UHT processing of fluid milk (and/or cream) and practical plant troubleshooting.
  • End-to-end milk unit operations: raw receiving clarification/separation standardization homogenization pasteurization/aseptic processing packaging.
  • Ultrafiltration of milk and/or dairy membrane separations (MF/UF/NF/RO familiarity as a plus).

• Strong technical competence in dairy physical chemistry and processingimpacts onproteins/fats/enzymes.
• Proven ability to partner with Operations/Manufacturing/Quality in a high-accountability environment.
• Experience with aseptic systems and packaging interactions (commercial aseptic operationsstronglypreferred).

• Track record of leading cross-functional root-cause investigations (e.g. flavor defects oxidation shelf-life failures stability issues).

• Experience in capital projects preferred.

• Familiarity with regulatory expectations and operator training frameworks for pasteurization systems preferred.

how fairlife nourishes you:

At fairlife we believe in better and that includes how we support our people. We offer a comprehensive suite of benefits andwellbeingresources designed to support you physically emotionally socially and financially both in and out of work.

• Comprehensive medical dental and vision coverage effective day one!

• Supplemental health plans (hospital indemnity accident and critical illness insurance)

• Paid Time Off to recharge and support work-life balance

• Paid parental leave & adoption assistance (up to $10000)

• Parental support & family care benefits including childcare resources and lactation support

• 401(k) to support retirement planning with up to 9% in employer match

• Wellness reimbursement (up to $500 for qualified wellbeing expenses)

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for emotional wellbeing and work-life support

• Company-paid life insurance and short-term disability

• Employer HSA funding (for HDHP participants)

• Tuition reimbursement (up to $10000) and student loan repayment ($200/month)

• Learning & development programs to unlock your full potential

• Rewards & recognition matching gifts free product and Business Resource Groups

fairlifesnour!shprogram is designed to meet you where you are supporting your individual wellbeing journey while enabling you to do your best work every day.

position location:Chicago IL

reports to:Sr. Director R&D

travel requirements:40-50% travel to our plants

exempt/nonexempt:Exempt

fairlife LLC is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis ofrace color religion age sex national origin disability status genetics protected veteran status sexual orientation gender identity or expression or any other characteristic protected by federal state or local laws. All qualified applicants and employees will be given equal opportunity. Selection decisions are based on job-related factors.

In addition to its nondiscrimination commitment the Company will also provide reasonable accommodation of qualified individuals with known disabilities unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on the Company. If you have a disability and would like to request accommodation in order to apply for a position with us please email.

For Recruitment Agencies

At fairlife we manage the majority of our hiring internally through our dedicated Talent Acquisition team which is actively engaged in direct candidate sourcing. Most of our roles are filled through applications submitted via our careers site or through direct outreach by our team.