Senior Process Engineer

COMPANY OVERVIEW:

Balchem is committed to making the world a healthier place by delivering trusted innovative and science-based solutions for the health and nutritional needs of the world. Balchem employs approximately 1400 employees worldwide who provide the service quality and technology that enables our customers to win with their customers. We have built a reputation for delivering results to all of our stakeholders. Founded in 1967 Balchem a Maryland corporation became a publicly-traded company in 1970 and is listed on Nasdaq under the symbol BCPC. Our corporate headquarters is located in Montvale New Jersey and we have a broad network of sales offices manufacturing sites and R&D centers primarily located in the U.S. and Europe. The Company consists of three business segments: Human Nutrition and Health Animal Nutrition and Health and Specialty Products.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Senior Process Engineer Extrusion Technology is a senior-level individual contributor within the Human Nutrition & Health R&D Process Technology organization. The Process Technology team serves as the technical bridge between Product Development and Manufacturing helping translate product concepts into scalable robust and economically viable manufacturing processes while maintaining product integrity.

This role brings deep expertise in extrusion technology to process development scale-up commercialization technology transfer manufacturing implementation and lifecycle optimization. The position works closely with Product Development Manufacturing Engineering Quality Supply Chain EHS and Commercial teams as applicable to reduce technical risk establish scalable operating conditions and support sustainable commercial processes. While primarily focused on HNH and extrusion technology the role may contribute to adjacent processing technologies and other Process Technology needs across Balchem where its expertise is applicable.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Innovation Scale-Up and Manufacturability

• Lead safe and compliant process development activities aligned with quality food safety environmental and regulatory requirements.
• Partner with Product Development to evaluate manufacturability identify process risks and develop scalable manufacturing solutions while preserving the intended product design functionality and performance
• Design execute and analyze laboratory pilot and commercial-scale trials to de-risk scale-up establish process capability and support commercialization decisions.
• Establish process requirements operating conditions and technical success criteria to guide scale-up and commercialization decisions.

Commercialization and Technology Transfer

• Lead or support commercialization process qualification and technology transfer activities for new products and process changes.
• Translate development knowledge into manufacturing requirements process controls operating windows and specifications
• Assess manufacturing readiness resolve technical gaps and support startup and initial production activities.
• Ensure effective transfer of technical knowledge process risks and operating guidance to manufacturing teams.
• Develop or support qualification plans acceptance criteria technical protocols and final reports that document process readiness results and residual risk.

Extrusion Technology Expertise

• Serve as a technical subject matter expert for extrusion technologies particularly twin-screw extrusion.
• Apply extrusion expertise to process development scale-up equipment evaluation manufacturing support and commercialization.
• Develop and optimize process parameters equipment configurations control strategies and operating windows.
• Lead complex technical investigations involving extrusion equipment raw materials process performance and product quality.
• Contribute to capability development through standards training best practices and evaluation of emerging technologies.

Manufacturing Support and Process Optimization

• Partner with Manufacturing to improve process safety quality reliability efficiency and capacity utilization.
• Lead or support technical investigations and root-cause analysis and partner with Manufacturing and other accountable functions to define and implement corrective actions and process improvements
• Analyze process data to identify variation process limitations and improvement opportunities.
• Support lifecycle activities including process optimization raw material qualification change management and cost improvement initiatives.

Broader Process Technology Contribution

• Contribute engineering expertise to projects involving adjacent technologies including spray drying agglomeration encapsulation blending drying material handling and powder processing.
• Support cross-functional projects requiring integrated process solutions across multiple technologies.
• Share technical knowledge engineering methods and lessons learned to strengthen overall Process Technology capabilities.

Engineering and Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with Engineering on equipment selection process design capital projects commissioning and startup activities.
• Partner with Quality Regulatory Supply Chain Manufacturing EHS and Commercial teams to ensure successful commercialization and process implementation.
• Provide technical input for equipment specifications manufacturing requirements and investment decisions.
• Clearly communicate technical risks recommendations and decisions to both technical and nontechnical stakeholders.

Technical Leadership and Documentation

• Manage assigned technical projects and balance priorities across development commercialization and manufacturing support activities.
• Apply sound experimental design statistical analysis and engineering judgment to support decision making.
• Develop and maintain technical reports specifications SOPs process documentation and best practices.
• Present technical findings mentor team members and contribute to organizational capability development.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelors degree in Chemical Engineering Food Engineering Mechanical Engineering Food Science or related technical field required; advanced degree preferred.
• Candidates with a non-engineering technical degree must demonstrate substantial applied process engineering and commercial scale-up experience.
• Minimum seven years of relevant experience in process engineering process development or extrusion technology including demonstrated experience scaling and transferring products or processes from laboratory or pilot environments into commercial manufacturing.
• Demonstrated expertise in extrusion preferably with twin-screw extrusion and the relationship between materials formulation equipment process conditions and product performance.
• Strong understanding of process engineering fundamentals including heat transfer mass transfer fluid flow drying rheology material handling and process control.
• Experience designing trials analyzing data establishing process parameters and troubleshooting manufacturing processes.
• Working knowledge of one or more adjacent processing technologies such as spray drying agglomeration encapsulation powder processing blending or material handling preferred.
• Knowledge of GMP HACCP food safety quality systems regulatory requirements and change management processes.
• Strong technical communication presentation leadership and project management skills with the ability to influence across functions.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and travel as required to support pilot trials manufacturing activities and commercialization efforts.

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The expected salary range for this position is $120000 - $145000 a year.