Process Engineer, Food & Beverage Automation

Finlays Solutions; San Antonio (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, Dental, Vision Insurance

401(k) Company Matching

Eligibility for Monthly / Annual Bonus

Paid Time Off (PTO) plus 10 Paid H ol

Volunteer / Community Involvement

Job summary

Finlays Solutions is seeking a Process Engineer to drive operational excellence at the San Antonio site. You will optimize liquid-process operations, manage capital projects, and lead safety and compliance initiatives across extraction, blending, CIP, and packaging.

You will commission and validate new equipment, develop robust business cases, and partner with R&D, Commercialization, and NPD teams to scale sound manufacturing solutions while upholding food safety standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, process engineering, or a related discipline; broad applied experience across chemical, mechanical, and process engineering.
• 3–5 years of practical experience in a production environment in Food & Beverage, CPG, or related sectors.
• Experience with World Class Manufacturing, Lean, or similar methodologies, with a proven track record of driving measurable change.
• Technical experience with high-speed packaging lines, thermal processing systems, blending systems, and CIP systems.
• Demonstrated competence in Safety Management within continuous processing and packaged goods environments.
• Strong understanding of Quality Assurance systems and GMP environments, preferably within the food and beverage industry.
• Proficiency in MS Office, AutoCAD, and MS Project.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; fluency in English required.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate and improve key manufacturing processes—including extraction, blending, CIP, and packaging—using sound engineering principles and data‑driven analysis.
• Assess current and emerging technologies to identify opportunities for process enhancement, automation, and cost reduction.
• Develop and maintain P&IDs for existing and evolving processes.
• Lead projects from concept through capital proposal, approval, installation, and implementation.
• Build robust business cases in partnership with Finance and cross‑functional stakeholders, including cost‑benefit analyses and ROI justification.
• Ensure all engineering solutions meet the highest standards of process safety, occupational safety, and sanitary design.
• Manage internal and external resources to deliver projects on time and within budget.
• Lead all Process Safety activities for the Site, including PHR, LOPA and HCA analysis for all process safety critical equipment.
• Collaborate closely with the Global Process Safety Team to evaluate and enhance process safety systems and standards.
• Ensure compliance with food safety, quality assurance, and regulatory requirements across all process improvements.
• Lead commissioning, qualification, and startup of new equipment and processes.
• Conduct rigorous process and equipment trials, documenting results and ensuring readiness for full‑scale operation.
• Establish and maintain systems for ongoing process performance evaluation, reporting, and optimization.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives aligned with World Class Manufacturing principles.
• Manage change control processes, ensuring traceability, documentation, and verification of expected vs. actual benefits.
• Partner with Commercialization, R&D and NPD teams to translate concepts into scalable, efficient, and sustainable manufacturing solutions.
• Provide engineering expertise to internal teams and external business partners.
• Review new and existing packaging formats to ensure compliance with food safety and quality standards.
• Build a strong knowledge base and network to serve as a subject matter expert.

Skills

Excellent verbal and written comms

Fluency in English

Education

Bachelor’s degree in chemical/process engineering

Tools

MS Office

AutoCAD

MS Project

Job description

Finlays Solutions is seeking a Process Engineer to drive operational excellence at the San Antonio site. You will optimize liquid-process operations, manage capital projects, and lead safety and compliance initiatives across extraction, blending, CIP, and packaging.

You will commission and validate new equipment, develop robust business cases, and partner with R&D, Commercialization, and NPD teams to scale sound manufacturing solutions while upholding food safety standards.