Senior Process Engineer: Lean Six Sigma for Food Manufacturing

pladis Foods Limited; Carlisle; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

pladis is seeking a Senior Process Engineer – Process Excellence to lead hands-on improvements across R&D and manufacturing. You will run trials, apply Lean Six Sigma and SPC, and deliver practical productivity improvements, working with Engineering, Operations, Quality and Supply Chain teams.

Reporting to the Director of Process Excellence, you will analyze data, design robust trials and help introduce new machinery and technologies to reduce waste and raise efficiency.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Food Science, Manufacturing or related technical discipline.
• Experience in process engineering or technical trials within a manufacturing or R&D environment.
• Good working knowledge of Lean Six Sigma, SPC, root cause analysis and structured problem-solving tools.
• Strong analytical and data interpretation skills, with the ability to turn trial outcomes into clear recommendations.
• Experience supporting process optimisation, waste reduction and productivity improvement initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Process analysis and trials: Plan, run and evaluate process trials for new products, processes, machinery and technology, using data to assess performance and identify improvement opportunities.
• Root cause analysis: Apply tools such as 5 Whys, Fishbone Diagrams and data review to identify the true causes of process inefficiencies, defects and variation.
• Process optimisation: Develop and implement practical optimisation plans that improve quality, efficiency, capacity, cost and consistency.
• SPC and performance monitoring: Establish and maintain KPIs and statistical process control measures to track process capability and sustain improvements.
• Waste reduction: Identify and reduce waste across the seven key areas: overproduction, waiting, transport, extra processing, inventory, motion and defects.
• Asset and technology input: Provide process expertise into the selection, purchase and implementation of new equipment, ensuring solutions support productivity, quality and operational needs.
• Cross‑functional collaboration: Work with Engineering, Operations, Quality, Procurement, Supply Chain and R&D teams to align plans, share best practice and deliver improvements effectively.
• Strategic productivity support: Contribute to wider productivity programmes by providing robust technical input, trial data and clear recommendations.

Skills

Lean Six Sigma

SPC

Root cause analysis

Data interpretation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Food Science, Manufacturing

Job description

pladis is seeking a Senior Process Engineer – Process Excellence to lead hands-on improvements across R&D and manufacturing. You will run trials, apply Lean Six Sigma and SPC, and deliver practical productivity improvements, working with Engineering, Operations, Quality and Supply Chain teams.

Reporting to the Director of Process Excellence, you will analyze data, design robust trials and help introduce new machinery and technologies to reduce waste and raise efficiency.