Senior Process Engineer

Job Title: Senior Process Engineer

Department: Maintenance / Engineering

Reports To: This position typically reports to the President of Engineering and the Vice President of Engineering and serves as a key member of the site leadership team. The role works closely with Operations Quality Assurance Food Safety Sanitation Supply Chain Finance Human Resources Procurement vendors contractors and external regulatory or auditing partners. This Position does not have any direct reports.

Job Summary: The Senior Process Engineer provides strategic and hands-on leadership for all engineering maintenance reliability automation utilities facilities and capital project activities within a sous vide food manufacturing environment. This role ensures that plant equipment infrastructure and technical systems support safe compliant efficient and high-quality production of refrigerated and ready-to-eat food products. The Engineer partners closely with Operations Quality Assurance Food Safety Sanitation Supply Chain Finance and Executive Leadership to drive equipment reliability production uptime process improvement regulatory compliance and long-term manufacturing capability.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute the plant engineering strategy to improve safety quality food safety throughput labor efficiency equipment uptime sanitation effectiveness and cost performance.
• Assist with capital planning and execution including project scope development budget management vendor selection contractor oversight installation commissioning startup and post-project performance validation.
• Provide technical leadership for sous vide processing systems cook tanks chill systems vacuum packaging equipment boilers refrigeration compressed air water systems wastewater systems conveyors automation controls PLCs HMIs and facility infrastructure.
• Partner with Quality Assurance and Food Safety to ensure engineering practices support HACCP GMP GFSI/SQF or BRC requirements USDA/FDA expectations as applicable allergen controls sanitation design hygienic zoning environmental monitoring and food defense programs.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives using root cause analysis 5-Why A3 Lean manufacturing Six Sigma standard work and data-driven problem solving.
• Ensure all engineering and maintenance activities comply with OSHA LOTO electrical safety ammonia or refrigeration safety requirements where applicable environmental regulations company safety standards and local building codes.
• Lead the engineering maintenance reliability facilities utilities and automation functions for a high-volume sous vide food manufacturing plant.

• Build coach and develop a high-performing technical team including maintenance managers engineers supervisors planners technicians controls specialists and project resources.
• Manage engineering and maintenance budgets capital expenditures contractor spend utilities usage MRO inventory and cost-reduction initiatives.
• Support new product introductions line extensions process validations packaging changes capacity expansions and automation improvements.
• Establish engineering standards project management practices sanitation-ready equipment design expectations documentation controls and technical training programs.
• Serve as a key member of the plant leadership team providing clear communication risk assessments project updates and technical recommendations to senior leadership.

Qualifications:

• Bachelors degree in Engineering Manufacturing Engineering Mechanical Engineering Electrical Engineering Industrial Engineering or a related technical field required; advanced degree preferred.
• 15 or more years of progressive engineering maintenance reliability or technical operations experience in food manufacturing refrigerated foods ready-to-eat foods protein processing sous vide aseptic pharmaceutical or another highly regulated manufacturing environment.
• 7 or more years of leadership experience managing engineering maintenance reliability automation or facilities teams in a 24/7 manufacturing operation.
• Demonstrated experience leading capital projects plant expansions equipment installations automation upgrades and commissioning activities.
• Strong knowledge of preventive and predictive maintenance CMMS systems maintenance planning reliability-centered maintenance root cause analysis and spare parts management.
• Working knowledge of food safety and regulatory programs including HACCP GMPs sanitation design allergen control environmental monitoring GFSI standards such as SQF or BRC and OSHA requirements.
• Experience with refrigeration boilers thermal processing chilled water systems vacuum packaging cook/chill operations PLCs HMIs SCADA conveyors utilities and plant infrastructure required.
• Strong financial acumen including budget preparation capital justification return-on-investment analysis vendor management and cost control.
• Excellent leadership communication problem-solving project management and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Physical Requirements:

• Work is performed in both office and food manufacturing plant environments including refrigerated wet hot and high-noise production areas.
• Must be able to regularly walk production floors access equipment areas inspect utilities and mechanical spaces and respond to operational issues.
• Will require availability outside normal business hours to support plant operations critical downtime events project installations audits inspections or emergency response needs.
• Travel required: 40-60% as needed.
• Must comply with all company safety food safety GMP personal protective equipment and sanitation requirements.

Competencies:

• Strategic thinker who can translate business goals into practical engineering priorities.
• Hands-on technical leader comfortable working on the plant floor and engaging directly with equipment technicians operators and supervisors.
• Strong change leader with the ability to build structure accountability and consistency in a fast-paced production environment.
• Collaborative partner who can balance production needs food safety requirements capital constraints and long-term reliability goals.
• Data-driven decision maker with a focus on measurable improvements in safety uptime quality yield labor efficiency utilities usage and maintenance cost.
• Experience with ROI capitol analysis Standardized subcontractor RFQ Technical OEM approval drawing reviews OEM FAT & PAT.
• Subcontractor competitive bid review and analysis.
• Standardizing plant material selection and means and methods for equipment install.
• Ability to read and interrupt PFD P&ID ISO and DWG drawings. Working Knowledge of AutoCAD Bluebeam Procore Microsoft Excell Project and other software as required.
• Continuous improvement mindset with experience standardizing processes and developing technical talent.

Required Experience:

Senior IC