Process / Plant Engineer

PepsiCo; Cork; On-site; EUR 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading multinational food and beverage company is seeking a Senior Plant / Process Engineer in County Cork, Ireland. This role focuses on optimizing production processes and improving plant efficiency while providing essential technical support across teams. Candidates must have at least 5 years of engineering experience in manufacturing and a relevant 3rd level qualification. Strong skills in process improvement methodologies like Six Sigma are preferred. Competitive salary and opportunities for career growth are offered.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years engineering experience in a manufacturing environment.
• Knowledge of manufacturing technologies and methodologies.
• Excellent interpersonal skills for effective collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Monitor equipment and process performance; identify improvements.
• Coordinate with maintenance and manufacturing teams on improvements.
• Provide technical support to ensure production goals are met.

Skills

Process improvement

Lean manufacturing

Six Sigma

Communication skills

Technical support

Education

3rd level qualification in Chemical/Process, Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial, Production

Tools

MS Office

AutoCAD

MS Project

Job description

Overview

The Senior Plant / Process Engineer is responsible for optimising production processes, improving plant efficiency, and supporting safe, reliable manufacturing operations. The role leads process improvements, supports production/process troubleshooting, and drives engineering projects related to plant equipment, utilities, and manufacturing systems.

The Senior Plant / Process Engineer is responsible for optimising production processes, improving plant efficiency, and supporting safe, reliable manufacturing operations. The role leads process improvements, supports production/process troubleshooting, and drives engineering projects related to plant equipment, utilities, and manufacturing systems. The position works closely with production, quality assurance, maintenance, and other teams to ensure consistent product quality, regulatory compliance, and operational excellence. Advocate and influence process and equipment uptime, promote engineering and reliability improvements, passionately driving process performance and continually striving to eliminate equipment/process downtime. Technical Support- ongoing support to Maintenance, production, quality & EHS departments including diagnosis & resolution of process related faults, waste reduction initiatives & equipment reliability. Analysis existing processes and equipment performance via various data reports and develop and drive corrective actions.

Responsibilities

• Responsibility for Technical support on a manufacturing shift. Monitor equipment and process performance. Identify improvements and process optimisation and equipment uptime criteria. Instigating issues or deviations from required output. Improve work environment and systems, continuously seeking ways to improve efficiency.
• Lead and assist with identification of engineering and site-wide improvement initiatives and innovative solutions to manufacturing, quality H&S challenges
• Maintain close collaboration with Maintenance & Manufacturing teams when identifying and implementing improvement opportunities, provide prompt resolution to on-going efficiency detractors
• Provide technical support to the maintenance and manufacturing shift teams. Support efficient operations within the production area, to optimise existing processes to ensure that production and maintenance goals are met
• Monitor performance of equipment, machines and maintenance activities. Offer recommendations that correct equipment problems or low yields or product quality issues
• Ownership of key H&S or Technical programs, taking the program from a concept to a strategy, execute and then control the program
• Support the maintenance departments in both Concentrate site and the FFP, in Six Sigma approach to problem solving, Fishbone, FMEA and Root Cause analysis
• Assist and lead teams investigating Quality related issues, such as customer complaints and process related issues
• Participates within project teams, provide technical support and make informed decisions
• Practical Experience in process engineering/ industrial engineering in a manufacturing environment is desirable

Qualifications

• 3rd level qualification with an Engineering focus/accreditation in any of the following areas: Chemical/Process, Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial, Production etc. and/or equivalent substantial experience working in this capacity.
• Min 5 years engineering/ technical experience in a manufacturing environment
• Knowledge and practical experience in using world‑class manufacturing, lean manufacturing, continuous improvement and variation reduction techniques e.g. Six Sigma, DMAIC and FMEA tools.
• Demonstrable experience or understanding of Process/Plant equipment
• Good understanding and experience of current manufacturing technologies and methodologies used in manufacturing:
  • Efficiency measures
  • Machine reliability tools
• Basic engineering computer skills required (MS Office/ Excel/ PowerPoint/ AutoCAD/ MS Project
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to effectively interact with and influence employees at all levels of the organisation. Proven ability to learn quickly on the job and ability to transfer learnings to other team members through coaching and mentoring
• Ability to analyze & process high volumes of information, manage multiple priorities in a timely manner, with precise attention to detail and a high degree of accuracy
• Observe HSE regulations, encourages safe working practices and assist in compliance reviews, general risk assessments and other safety assessments to support Health, Safety and Environmental management