Process Engineer, Spray Drying

TreeHouse Foods; Wayland Township (MI); On-site; USD 86,000 - 129,000; Full time

Job summary

TreeHouse Foods in Wayland, MI is hiring a Process Engineer for Spray Drying to provide technical process engineering support, optimize spray drying operations, and improve yield, throughput and energy efficiency. You will partner with Operations, Engineering, EH&S, Maintenance and QA teams to drive safety, quality and reliability.

Requires a Bachelor's in Chemical Engineering or related field, 4+ years in food manufacturing process engineering, and 2+ years spray drying experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering or related field.
• Minimum 4 years of food manufacturing process engineering experience.
• 2+ years of direct spray drying experience strongly preferred.
• Strong knowledge of data-driven optimization, heat/mass transfer and process control.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the technical SME for spray drying operations and related processes.
• Collaborate with Operations, Maintenance, EH&S, and FSQ to troubleshoot issues.
• Develop, validate and standardize process parameters and procedures.
• Lead root cause investigations on process variation, product quality, and downtime.
• Improve process capability, first-pass quality, yield and energy efficiency.
• Support capital projects, equipment installations and scale-up activities.

Skills

Data-driven optimization

Heat and mass transfer

Process control

Psychometrics

Drying processes

Agglomeration

Bulk powder processing

Manufacturing systems

Education

Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering

Bachelor’s in Food Engineering

Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering

Bachelor’s in Process Engineering

Job description

Employee Type:Full timeLocation:MI WaylandJob Type:Engineering ManufacturingJob Posting Title:Process Engineer, Spray DryingAbout Us:TreeHouse Foods is a leading manufacturer of private label packaged foods and beverages, operating a network of over 20 production facilities and several corporate offices across the United States and Canada. At TreeHouse Foods, our commitment to excellence extends beyond our products and revolves around our people. We are investing in talent and creating a performance-based culture where employees can do their best work and develop their careers, directly impacting our mission to make high quality, affordable food for our customers, communities, and families. We hope you will consider joining the team and being part of our future.Named one of America’s Best Large Employers by Forbes Magazine, we are proud to live by a strong set of values and strive to \"Engage and Delight – One Customer at a Time.\" Guided by our values— Own It, Commit to Excellence, Be Agile, Speak Up, and Better Together. We are a diverse team driven by integrity, accountability, and a commitment to exceptional results. We embrace change, prioritize continuous learning, and foster collaboration, transparency, and healthy debate. Together, we set each other up for success to achieve enterprise-wide goals.What You Gain:Competitive compensation and benefits program with no waiting period – you’re eligible from your first day!401(k) program with 5% employer match and 100% vesting as soon as you enroll.Comprehensive paid time off opportunities, including immediate access to four weeks of vacation, five sick days, parental leave and 11 company holidays (including two floating holidays).Leaders who are invested in supporting your accelerated career growth, plus paid training, tuition reimbursement and a robust educational platform – DevelopU – with more than 10,000 free courses to support you along the way.An inclusive working environment where you can build meaningful work relationships with a diverse group of professionals. Take advantage of opportunities to build on our team-oriented culture, such as joining one of our Employee Resource Groups.Access to our wellness and employee assistance programs.Job Description:About the Role:Join our team at TreeHouse Foods' non-dairy creamer manufacturing facility in Wayland, Michigan. As a Process Engineer, Spray Drying, you will provide technical process engineering support for spray drying operations, partnering closely with Operations, Engineering, EH&S, Maintenance, and Food Safety & Quality teams to optimize process performance, improve yield and throughput, reduce process variation, troubleshoot technical challenges, and implement sustainable process improvements that enhance safety, quality, reliability, and operational efficiency.You’ll add value to this role by performing various functions including, but not limited to:· Serves as the technical subject matter expert for spray drying operations and related manufacturing processes.· Partners with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, EH&S, and FSQ to troubleshoot process issues and implement sustainable corrective actions.· Develops, validates, and standardizes process parameters, operating procedures, and best practices.· Leads root cause investigations related to process variation, product quality, equipment performance, waste, and downtime.· Drives improvements in process capability, first-pass quality, reliability, throughput, yield optimization, energy efficiency, and OEE.· Supports capital projects, equipment modifications, process trials, and start-up activities to improve safety, quality, capacity, and cost performance.· Partners with FSQ and EH&S to ensure compliance with food safety, quality, and regulatory requirements.· Supports product commercialization, plant trials, commissioning, process validation, and scale-up activities.· Coaches' operations teams on process fundamentals, troubleshooting, and standard work.· Leads structured problem-solving efforts using data-driven methodologies and continuous improvement tools.· Shares best practices across both spray drying facilities and supports replication of successful improvements.· Travels to the secondary site as required to support operations, projects, and technical initiatives.Important Details:· This is a full-time, on-site role on First Shift. Occasional flexibility is required to support alternate shifts.· The anticipated compensation for this position ranges from $86,100.00 - 129,000.00 USD annually. This is the lowest to highest salary that we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, specific competencies, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, geographic location, performance, shift, travel requirements, sales or revenue-based metrics and business or organizational needs. For certain roles, the successful candidate may be eligible for annual discretionary merit compensation award, bonus and equity pay.You’ll fit right in if you have:· Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Food Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Process Engineering, or related technical field.· Minimum 4 years of food manufacturing process engineering experience.· 2+ years of direct spray drying experience strongly preferred.· Strong understanding of data-driven process optimization, heat and mass transfer, process control, psychometrics, drying processes, agglomeration, bulk powder processing, and manufacturing systems.· Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot complex technical and operational issues related to spray drying, including particle size distribution, product sticking, nozzle plugging, and moisture variability in a manufacturing environment.· Experience leading cross-functional projects and influencing teams without direct authority.· Experience supporting capital projects, equipment installations, and process improvements.· Ability and willingness to travel between assigned manufacturing locations as business needs require.Your TreeHouse Foods Career is Just a Click Away!Click on the “Apply” button or go directly to www.treehousefoods.com/careers to let us know you’re ready to join our team!At TreeHouse Foods, we embrace diversity and inclusion for innovation and growth. We are committed to building inclusive teams and an equitable workplace for our employees to bring their true selves to work to help us “Engage and Delight – One Customer at a Time”. TreeHouse Foods is an Equal Opportunity Employer that prohibits discrimination or harassment of any type. All qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Applicants who require an accommodation to participate in the job application or hiring process should contact [e-mail] Use Only: #IND1