Process Development Engineer – Pet R&D

Post Holdings, Inc.; Lakeville (MN); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 99,000; Full time

Job summary

Post Consumer Brands in Lakeville, Minnesota, is seeking a Process Development Engineer - Pet R&D to lead the development, scale-up, and commercialization of innovative pet food and snack processes.

You will collaborate cross-functionally with Operations, Marketing, Supply Chain, and suppliers, applying engineering fundamentals, DOE, and data analysis to drive cost savings, quality improvements, and scalable manufacturing.

Qualifications

• More than 5 years of relevant Research and Development experience.
• Demonstrated problem-solving capability and an ability to develop innovative, practical solutions.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a team-based, cross-functional environment.
• Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced setting.
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds.

Responsibilities

• Lead development, scale-up, and commercialization of innovation, renovation, and value engineering initiatives, ensuring cost, capacity, quality, marketing, and product development requirements.
• Lead commissioning and qualification of new product and process technologies, as well as improvements to existing process technologies.
• Develop SOPs, manufacturing specifications, and related documentation for repeatable execution across partners and co-packers.
• Apply mass and energy balances, DOE, data analysis, and process flow diagrams to guide decisions and capture knowledge.
• Partner with suppliers, facilities, Marketing, and Supply Chain to achieve project goals.
• Assess legal and environmental considerations and potential patent opportunities related to new technologies.
• Collect and analyze data from suppliers, plant operations, customers, and consumers to identify opportunities.
• Design and execute experiments at supplier sites and manufacturing facilities, then validate improvements and corrective actions.

Skills

Problem solving

Written & verbal communication

Cross-functional teamwork

Multi-project management

Ability to lift 50 pounds

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Chemical Engineering (preferred)

Job description

Business Unit Overview

Headquartered in Lakeville, Minn., Post Consumer Brands, a business unit of Post Holdings, Inc., is dedicated to providing people and their pets with delicious food choices for every taste and budget. The company's portfolio includes beloved brands such as Honey Bunches of Oats™, PEBBLES™, Grape-Nuts™ and Malt-O-Meal™ cereal and Peter Pan™ peanut butter, as well as Rachael Ray® Nutrish™, Kibbles 'n Bits™ and 9Lives™ dog and cat food. Post also provides private label solutions to customers in pet food, cereal, nut butters and granola. As a company committed to high standards of quality and to our values, we are driven by one idea: To make lives better by making delicious food accessible for all. For more information about our brands, visit www.postconsumerbrands.com and follow us on LinkedIn or Facebook for the latest news.

Location Description

Post Consumer Brands corporate headquarters in Lakeville, Minnesota, is about 20 miles south of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Lakeville has all the benefits of smaller town living with access to everything a large metropolitan area has to offer. Join more than 400 team members collaborating on the two-building campus to help put breakfast on the tables of millions of consumers in North America.

Responsibilities

Big company opportunity. Small company attitude. At Post Consumer Brands, you’ll have the resources to do big things and the close-knit culture to see your handprint on the work. Our pet portfolio is an exciting part of how we make delicious food accessible for all.

As a Process Development Engineer - Pet R&D, you’ll develop, optimize, and implement proprietary process technologies and equipment that advance our innovation roadmap. You’ll also improve existing processes through value engineering and technology development, moving work from concept through commercialization to support pet food and snack innovation, cost savings, and quality improvements.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and support the development, scale-up, and commercialization of innovation, renovation, and value engineering initiatives, ensuring process activities meet cost, capacity, quality, marketing, and product development requirements.
• Lead commissioning and support Operations with qualification of new product and process technologies, as well as improvements to existing process technologies.
• Develop standard operating procedures, manufacturing specifications, and related documentation that enable repeatable execution across manufacturing partners and co-packers.
• Apply mass and energy balances, heat transfer principles, designed experiments, data analysis, and process flow diagrams to guide decisions and capture technical knowledge.
• Partner with equipment suppliers, service providers, manufacturing facilities, Marketing, Supply Chain, and other business partners to achieve project goals.
• Assess legal and environmental considerations and, with guidance, potential patent opportunities related to new technologies and processes.
• Collect and analyze data from suppliers, plant operations, customers, and consumers to identify opportunities and guide problem solving.
• Design and execute experiments at supplier sites and manufacturing facilities, then validate improvements and corrective actions against targeted benefits.

Why You’ll Love This Role

• Make a visible impact by helping bring new processes, technologies, and scaled products to life.
• Turn ideas into commercial reality for products families trust and pets love, with a focus on quality and accessibility.
• Work with strong resources and cross-functional partners in a culture that values flexibility, inclusion, and collaboration.
• Use experimentation, engineering fundamentals, and creative problem solving to tacklecomplex process challenges.

Location & Travel Requirements

• Lakeville, Minnesota, with hybrid and on-site expectations that may vary based on project needs.
• Travel is expected at 40% to 50% during onboarding and up to 30% at steady state to support plants, suppliers, and partner sites.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering is required; Chemical Engineering is preferred.

Required Qualifications

• More than 5 years of relevant Research and Development experience.
• Demonstrated problem-solving capability and an ability to develop innovative, practical solutions.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a team-based, cross-functional environment.
• Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced setting.
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in pet food processing, including extrusion and retorted food products.

Success in This Role

• Uses engineering fundamentals and data to turn complex process questions into clear actions.
• Collaborates effectively across R&D, Operations, suppliers, manufacturing sites, and business partners.
• Communicates technical information clearly and creates documentation that supports consistent execution.
• Balances multiple priorities while maintaining attention to quality, cost, capacity, and commercialization needs.

Ready to Make an Impact?

If you’re excited to turn innovation into scalable, reliable pet food processes and want big company opportunity with a small company attitude, we’d love to meet you. Bring your curiosity, engineering fundamentals, and drive to improve how great pet food gets made.

The pay range for this position is $70,386 - $98,541 per year.