PROCESS ENGINEER - Senior

JobSpace; Manawatū-Whanganui; On-site; NZD 138,000 - 193,000; Full time

Job summary

JobSpace's Palmerston North based client is seeking a Senior Process Engineer for a contract role (3, 6, or 9 months, potentially longer). You will design and deliver liquid processing systems for dairy, beverage, and liquid food, including pumping, heat exchange, hygienic pipework, CIP, and process flow optimisation.

The role is hands-on across workshop and site, commissioning with production teams, troubleshooting live plant issues, and maintaining compliance with food safety standards.

Qualifications

• Ability to design P&ID for liquid food industries including dairy, juice, sauces.
• Strong knowledge of pasteurisation, heat exchangers, heating/cooling and temp control.

Responsibilities

• Design and deliver liquid processing systems including pumping, heat exchange, hygienic pipework, CIP, and process flow optimisation.
• Hands-on across workshop and site environments, commissioning systems with production teams and troubleshooting live plant issues.
• Build trusted client relationships across food and dairy sectors while applying process engineering fundamentals.

Skills

Process Design & Engineering

Thermal Processing Knowledge

Food Manufacturing Expertise

Piping & Equipment Specification

Automation & Control Systems

Project Management

Food Safety & Regulatory Compliance

CAD & Technical Documentation

Commissioning & Customer Support

Job description

Jora New Zealand will close on 9th September 2026. Thank you for being with us, we are cheering you on as you continue your career journey.

Our Palmerston North based client is a specialist New Zealand engineering business delivering high-qualityprocess solutions into the liquid food, dairy, beverage, and wider FMCG manufacturing sectors. Known for their practical, hands-on approach, they partner closely with clients to design, build, install and support tailored processing systems that improve product quality, plant efficiency, hygiene standards, and yield optimisation.

Their solutions are trusted within demanding production environments where food safety, reliability, and compliance are critical. From milk and dairy processing through to beverage, and liquid food applications, they provide end-to-end engineering capability across the full project lifecycle.

They are busy and so are seeking the support of a Senior Process Engineer for a contract role for 3, or 6 or 9 months, potentially longer.

They need a practical, solutions-focused Senior Process Engineer who enjoys working on real-world processing challenges and seeing projects through from concept to commissioning and ideally has experience in liquid food, dairy, beverage, or FMCG processing environments.

The Opportunity

You will be involved in designing and delivering liquid processing systems, including pumping, heat exchange, hygienic pipework, CIP systems, and process flow optimisation, ensuring solutions meet both operational and food safety requirements.

In this role you will be hands-on across workshop and site environments, working directly with production teams to commission systems, optimise performance, and troubleshoot plant issues in live manufacturing environments.

Success in this role will come from your ability to combine strong process engineering fundamentals with practical, on-site problem-solving, while building trusted relationships with clients across the food and dairy sector

Ideally, you will tick as many of these boxes as possible:

• Process Design & Engineering -Ability to P&ID design processes for liquid food industry including dairy, juice, sauces etc.
• Thermal Processing Knowledge -Knowledge of standard liquid food processing practices, including dairy, juice, sauces etc.Strong understanding of pasteurisation, heat exchangers, heating, cooling, and temperature control systems.
• Food Manufacturing Expertise -Knowledge of standard liquid food processing practices, including dairy, juice, sauces etc.
• Piping & Equipment Specification -Ability to select / specify pumps, valves, tanks, mixers, homogenisers, filtration systems, and associated process equipment.
• Automation & Control Systems -Be competent in writing FD’s for automation and control of systems
• Project Management -Skills in budgeting, scheduling, procurement, installation coordination, commissioning, and client communication.
• Food Safety & Regulatory Compliance -Knowledge of MPI requirements, hygienic design ,CIP systems, and food safety regulations.
• CAD & Technical Documentation -Competent in Autocad 2D modelling, technical reports, specifications, and operating manuals.
• Commissioning & Customer Support -Capability to start up systems, train operators, support clients, and validate process performance after installation

Remuneration

Depending on your experience, the hourly rate will be between$100- $140 an hour

Please note, only that shortlisted will be contacted