Process Engineer - Food Manufacturing

Hunter the Headhunter; Columbus (OH); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Hunter the Headhunter in Columbus, OH seeks a Process Engineer to support process development, equipment trials, and commercialization in a high-volume food manufacturing setting.

Collaborate with Operations, R&D, Engineering and Quality to optimize processes, improve throughput and yield, troubleshoot production issues, and transition new products into full-scale production. This role requires hands-on work in manufacturing facilities and occasional travel to supplier and pilot sites.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Food Science, or a related technical discipline.
• 3+ years of experience in food manufacturing.
• Hands-on experience with manufacturing equipment, process optimization, troubleshooting, and plant trials.
• Strong continuous improvement, root-cause analysis, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience analyzing manufacturing performance and cost drivers, including yield, throughput, efficiency, and variance.
• Proficiency with Excel and/or Minitab for data and statistical analysis.
• Experience with CAD and manufacturing/production line layouts.

Responsibilities

• Develop, configure, and implement manufacturing processes, equipment, and production workflows.
• Lead plant trials, equipment testing, and process validation to establish optimal operating parameters.
• Support new product commercialization and scale-up from development through production.
• Analyze throughput, yield, waste, downtime, and process variance to identify improvement opportunities.
• Lead continuous improvement and cost-reduction initiatives across manufacturing processes.
• Troubleshoot production, equipment, process, and quality issues.
• Support equipment installations, line modifications, and manufacturing improvement projects.
• Lead or support projects involving budgets, timelines, vendors, resources, and cross-functional teams.
• Ensure processes meet applicable food safety, quality, and workplace safety requirements.
• Utilize data and statistical analysis to drive process improvements and manufacturing decisions.

Skills

Process optimization

Continuous improvement

Root-cause analysis

Data analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

Troubleshooting

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Food Science, or related field

Tools

CAD

Excel

Minitab

Job description

We are seeking aProcess Engineer to support process development, equipment trials, commercialization, and continuous improvement within a high-volume food manufacturing environment.

This role will work closely with Operations, R&D, Engineering, Quality, and other cross-functional teams to optimize manufacturing processes, improve efficiency and yield, troubleshoot production issues, and successfully transition new products and processes into full-scale production.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, configure, and implement manufacturing processes, equipment, and production workflows.
• Lead plant trials, equipment testing, and process validation to establish optimal operating parameters.
• Support new product commercialization and scale-up from development through production.
• Analyze throughput, yield, waste, downtime, and process variance to identify improvement opportunities.
• Lead continuous improvement and cost-reduction initiatives across manufacturing processes.
• Troubleshoot production, equipment, process, and quality issues.
• Support equipment installations, line modifications, and manufacturing improvement projects.
• Lead or support projects involving budgets, timelines, vendors, resources, and cross-functional teams.
• Ensure processes meet applicable food safety, quality, and workplace safety requirements.
• Utilize data and statistical analysis to drive process improvements and manufacturing decisions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Food Science, or a related technical discipline.
• 3+ years of experience in food manufacturing or a related processing environment.
• Hands-on experience with manufacturing equipment, process optimization, troubleshooting, and plant trials.
• Strong continuous improvement, root-cause analysis, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience analyzing manufacturing performance and cost drivers, including yield, throughput, efficiency, and variance.
• Proficiency with Excel and/or Minitab for data and statistical analysis.
• Experience with CAD and manufacturing/production line layouts preferred.
• Strong project management and cross-functional communication skills.
• Ability to work hands-on within manufacturing facilities and travel as needed.