Process Engineer - R&D

Colgate; Topeka (KS); On-site; USD 83,000 - 118,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative global company is seeking a Process Engineer for their R&D team to support the technology transfer of premium wellness and therapeutic pet foods. This role involves collaborating with various departments to ensure successful product development and launch, focusing on ingredient characterization and process optimization. Join a team committed to creating high-quality nutrition for pets, where your contributions will directly impact the well-being of animals worldwide. This position offers a unique opportunity to work in a dynamic environment that values creativity and teamwork, making a meaningful difference in the lives of pets and their owners.

Benefits

Comprehensive benefits package

401(k) retirement plan with company matching

Paid parental leave

Minimum 15 vacation/PTO days

13 paid holidays

Disability coverage

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in wet pet food processing and formulation.
• Demonstrated ability to design and run scientific experiments.

Responsibilities

• Optimize product and process development with manufacturing colleagues.
• Lead development of nutritional solutions through pilot plant tests.

Skills

Food Technology

Food Engineering

Biological Sciences

Communication Skills

Analytical Skills

Problem-Solving Skills

Education

BS in Food Technology

MS in Food Science

Job description

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A part of Colgate-Palmolive since 1976, Hill's Pet Nutrition offers the highest-quality pet nutrition available through product lines Prescription Diet and Science Diet. Veterinarians worldwide recommend and feed their own pets Hill's products more than any other brand of pet food.

Available in approximately 80 countries around the world, our extensive line of products includes more than 60 Prescription Diet brand pet foods and more than 50 Science Diet brand pet foods.

We believe all animals should be loved and cared for during their lifetimes. That is why we are proud our pet foods can make a difference in your pet's life.

A career at Hill’s Pet Nutrition or Colgate-Palmolive is an excellent opportunity if you seek a global experience, constant challenge, and development opportunities in an environment that respects work/life effectiveness.

Job Title: Process Engineer - R&D

Travel Required?: Travel - 25% of time

Date: May 5, 2025

On-site

Relocation Assistance Offered Within Country
Job Number#166787 - Topeka, Kansas, United States

Who We Are

Colgate-Palmolive Company is a global consumer products company operating in over 200 countries specializing in Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care, Skin Care, and Pet Nutrition. Our products are trusted in more households than any other brand in the world, making us a household name!

Join Colgate-Palmolive, a caring, innovative growth company reimagining a healthier future for people, their pets, and our planet. Guided by our core values—Caring, Inclusive, and Courageous—we foster a culture that inspires our people to achieve common goals. Together, let's build a brighter, healthier future for all.

Job Summary

The Implementation & Support group is responsible for adapting and geographically expanding innovative products across our premium wellness and therapeutic product portfolios. The engineer position will be responsible for supporting the technology transfer including ingredient characterization, product design, process development and production scale implementation of complete nutrition wellness & therapeutic foods for dogs and cats at Hill’s manufacturing facilities. This will require working closely with quality, regulatory, supply chain, manufacturing technology, procurement, packaging, external ingredient suppliers and internal manufacturing colleagues to ensure successful development and launch. Collaboration on product design with our claims and clinical studies group will help ensure final formulas deliver required efficacy and claims.

Principle Duties and Responsibilities:

Partner with manufacturing colleagues to optimize product and process development.

Lead the process and formula development of sole-source nutritional solutions that deliver against specified nutrient, ingredient, quality & cost requirements through pilot plant and manufacturing tests.

Validate product and process performance through coordination & interpretation of product analytical, biological, palatability, sensory, and stability testing.

Development of ingredients, finished product specifications, process specifications, and other project documentation.

Budgets and tracks project costs for initiatives.

Ongoing quality, safety, and related training

Required Qualifications:

Required: BS in Food Technology, Food Engineering, Biological Sciences or equivalent.

3+ years of complete wet pet food processing and formulation experience.

Preferred qualifications:

Demonstrated understanding of process and formula development and basic food engineering principles for thermally processed wet foods

Preferred: MS in Food Science, Nutrition, Food Engineering or related field

Possesses basic understanding in regulatory, product safety and quality requirements relevant to functional responsibilities

Demonstrated ability to design and run scientific experiments

Demonstrated ability to plan and execute projects

Excellent communication skills (written and oral)

Excellent interpersonal and team skills; ability to communicate and lead in a cross-functional environment. Strong analytical, problem-solving and conceptual skills.

Compensation and Benefits
Salary Range $83,220.00 - $117,500.00 USD

Pay is determined based on experience, qualifications, and location. Salaried employees may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses, profit-sharing, and long-term incentives for Executive-level roles.

Benefits: Salaried employees enjoy a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, basic life insurance, paid parental leave, disability coverage, and participation in the 401(k) retirement plan with company matching contributions subject to eligibility requirements. Additional benefits include a minimum of 15 vacation/PTO days (hourly employees receive a minimum of 120 hours) and 13 paid holidays (vacation days are prorated based on the employee's hire date within the calendar year). Paid sick leave is adjusted based on role and location in accordance with local laws. Detailed information regarding paid sick leave entitlements will be provided to employees upon hiring and may be subject to adjustments based on changes in legislation or company policies.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Achieving our purpose starts with our people — ensuring our workforce represents the people and communities we serve —and creating an environment where our people feel they belong; where we can be our authentic selves, feel treated with respect and have the support of leadership to impact the business in a meaningful way.

Equal Opportunity Employer
Colgate is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, marital status, veteran status (United States positions), or any other characteristic protected by law.

Reasonable accommodation during the application process is available for persons with disabilities. Please complete this request form should you require accommodation.

For additional Colgate terms and conditions, please click here .

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