Plant Technologist NL

Beyond Meat; Enschede; On-site; EUR 45,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus potential

Benefits

Job summary

Beyond Meat is seeking a Plant Technologist for the Enschede facility to maximize production performance while improving food safety, quality, and efficiency. You will validate and optimize production processes across plants where Beyond Meat manufactures semi-finished and finished products, leading cross-functional improvements and RCA-driven problem solving.

The role requires collaboration with Production, Quality, Innovation, R&D, and Engineering, with an emphasis on data-driven decision

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Technology or equivalent required.
• Minimum 5 years of relevant food-industry experience.
• Knowledge of HACCP and Lean Six Sigma familiarity desirable.
• Experience in project management and coaching is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Manage machine recipes, production checks, and OCAPs.
• Identify and realize savings: waste reduction and productivity gains.
• Monitor processes and implement tech developments to optimise operations.
• Automate quality-control tasks and analyze discrepancies.
• Lead cross-functional Kaizen projects and implement actions.
• Perform problem-solving analyses and develop production tools.
• Act as sparring partner for Production, QA, R&D, Engineering, and Automation.
• Promote a safety-first culture and report incidents.

Skills

Problem solving

Communication

Data analysis

Teamwork

MS Office

Dutch language

English language

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Food Technology

Job description

Job Description

The Plant Technologist strives for maximum production performance and is committed to improving food safety, quality, and efficiency at the Enschede plant and supporting our co-manufacturers. Effective collaboration with colleagues across departments is essential. As Plant Technologist, you are jointly responsible for validating and optimizing production processes in the factories where Beyond Meat manufactures semi-finished and finished products. You identify opportunities for performance and cost improvements and report directly to the Plant & EHS Manager. You lead and support related cost‑saving projects. Daily activities include troubleshooting, analyzing performance data, identifying trends and causes of downtime, and finding relationships between discrepancies. You support data-driven problem solving, Root Cause Analyses (RCAs), SOP development, and periodic reporting to track progress. You work closely with the Process Technologist and departments such as Production, Quality, Innovation, R&D, and Engineering to optimize processes and improve efficiency and yield. Ideally, you have strong technical insight and experience with extrusion and packaging processes.

Tasks & Responsibilities

• Manage machine recipes, production checks, and OCAPs.


• Identify and realize savings opportunities (waste reduction, output increases, process simplification, action matrices, and knowledge sharing).


• Monitor internal processes and implement technological developments to continuously optimize operations.


• Automate quality‑control tasks, identify relationships between discrepancies, and provide performance insights.


• Set up, lead, and execute cross‑functional (Kaizen) projects and implement resulting actions.


• Perform problem‑solving analyses and develop tools to support production.


• Act as a sparring partner for Production, QA, R&D, Engineering, and Automation teams.


• Promote an open culture where feedback and ideas are encouraged and freely exchanged.


• Contribute actively to a safety‑first culture by reporting, preventing, and resolving unsafe situations.


• Prepare reports on incidents, trials, and disruptions.

Job Requirements

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Food Technology or equivalent.

Knowledge & Experience

Minimum 5 years of relevant experience in a similar role within the food industry; Knowledge of production processes; Knowledge of HACCP; Familiarity with continuous‑improvement methodologies such as Lean Six Sigma; Knowledge of project management; Experience in a coaching role is an advantage.

Skills

Practical, proactive, results‑oriented, and strong problem‑solving skills; Proven ability to communicate and present at all levels of the organization; Skilled in processing data and analyzing trends; Able to work independently and as part of a team; Good command of Dutch and English; Proficient in Microsoft Office applications such as Word and Excel.

Work Environment

Office, production environment, warehouse of the Beyond Meat factory in Enschede, and external Beyond Meat production locations in the Netherlands and Germany.

Salary

Annual salary commensurate with experience – The starting annual base pay for this role is between 45000 EUR and 54000 EUR. The actual base is dependent upon many factors, such as training, transferable skills, work experience, business needs and market demands. The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future. The role may also be eligible for bonus, long‑term incentives, as well as benefits.

EEO Statement

Beyond The Plant Protein Company is an equal employment opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, ancestry, veteran status, marital status, gender identify, sexual orientation, national origin, liability for military service, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Beyond Meat reserves the right to defer or close a vacancy at any time.