Process Improvement Engineer

JOB DESCRIPTION

Position Summary 
As a Process Improvement Engineer in the Dairy Industry, the main objective of this position will be to optimize and improve manufacturing processes to ensure efficient production and high-quality products. This individual will be responsible for analyzing existing processes, identifying areas for improvement, and implementing solutions to enhance productivity and reduce costs. Expertise in process engineering will be crucial in developing and implementing new manufacturing techniques and technologies. This individual will play a key role in driving operational excellence and achieving business goals by continuously monitoring and evaluating process performance.

Essential Functions

• Analyze and evaluate existing manufacturing processes to identify areas for improvement.
• Develop and implement process improvements to enhance productivity and reduce costs.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to design and implement new manufacturing techniques and technologies.
• Monitor and evaluate process performance to ensure compliance with quality standards and production targets.
• Provide technical support and guidance to production teams to resolve process-related issues.
• This position actively develops and drives process engineering strategy around capability, capacity, and optimization that aligns with organizational priorities.
• Guide, mentor, and train operators in mastering processes, methodologies, and skills.
• Evaluate existing processes and identify areas for improvement in efficiency, productivity, process capability, risk, and cost reduction.
• Design and implement improvements to reduce waste, increase throughputs, reduce bottlenecks, and streamline operations while strictly adhering to food safety and quality standards.
• Collaborate with all teams to leverage data for process optimization.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to scale up new products from concept to production, ensuring seamless integration into existing manufacturing processes.
• Lead or assist in developing new equipment installations or modifications, from concept to commissioning, focusing on maximizing output, minimizing downtime, and reducing operational risk.
• Utilize data analysis and statistical techniques to identify bottlenecks, process variability, and areas for improvement in production processes. Implement data-driven solutions to increase overall efficiency while mitigating operational risk and collaborating with Process Excellence and Data Science to refine analytics models.
• Define and own manufacturing process control plans. Set up in-process measurement systems. 
• Working collaboratively, troubleshoot manufacturing issues, identify root causes, and implement corrective and preventive actions to prevent recurrence.
• Participate in selecting and evaluating equipment, tools, and materials to ensure optimal performance and cost-effectiveness, specifically focusing on enhancing productivity and reducing operational risk. Partner with the Automation Team for advanced automation solutions.
• Collaborate with the Quality team to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and maintain product quality and safety, emphasizing reducing operational risk. Work closely with this team to enhance quality control processes.
• Together with the leadership team, ensure compliance with Food Safety and Food Quality Plans and customer requirements. Interprets and communicates customer requirements to plant production and/or support groups. 
• Comply with all company safety rules and follow PPE requirements to achieve no injuries and no lost-time accidents. 
• Maintain standard records pertaining to daily work requirements in a manner that makes them a reliable data source for safety, quality and regulatory requirements and audits.
• Understand and adhere to all GMPs and food safety policies and procedures and perform all work in a manner that ensures the highest standard of food safety and quality.

Competencies

1. Technical Capacity
2. Problem Solving/Analysis
3. Communication Proficiency
4. Time Management/Initiative

Supervisory Responsibility
This position has no supervisory responsibilities. 

Work Environment
This job operates in a food production environment. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed to fumes or airborne particles, moving mechanical parts and vibration. Exposed to extreme temperature variations. The noise level in the work environment and job sites can be loud.

Physical Demands
The physical demands for this position are mainly able to do sedentary work.  While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently will need to sit, stand, walk. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work
This is a full-time position. Hours of work are 7:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. This position will be part of a weekend rotation.

Travel
Less than five percent travel expected for this position.

Required Education and Experience
Bachelor’s degree in Dairy Manufacturing, Industrial Engineering, or a related field. Minimum of 2 years of proven experience in process engineering within the Dairy Industry. Strong knowledge of dairy manufacturing processes. Proficiency in process control and optimization techniques.

Preferred Education, Experience & Certifications

Familiarity with statistical process control tools. Strong project management skills. Bilingual in English/Spanish.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications
Minimum age requirement is 18. Must possess or be able to obtain a valid and appropriate state driver’s license prior to employment.

Other Duties
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of responsibilities, duties or tasks that are required of the employee for this job. Responsibilities, duties and tasks may change at any time with or without notice.