Quality & Process Engineer – Food/Beverage Ingredient Manufacturing

CS Recruiting; Chicago (IL); Remote; USD 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading food ingredient manufacturer seeks a Quality & Process Engineer to lead the validation of manufacturing processes and collaborate across teams to ensure product safety and efficiency. The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor's degree in a relevant field and 3-10+ years of experience in food manufacturing. This position offers a competitive base salary and the opportunity for remote work.

Benefits

Competitive base salary

Qualifications

• 3-10+ years of experience in process engineering or product commercialization.
• Experience in food and beverage, chemicals, or consumer goods.
• Knowledge of food manufacturing technologies and regulatory requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead assessment and validation of manufacturing processes.
• Collaborate to transition products from prototype to production.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives for plant productivity.

Skills

Problem-solving skills

Analytical skills

Communication abilities

Teamwork skills

Project management skills

Education

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

Master’s degree (preferred)

Tools

Minitab

JMP

SAP

Oracle

Job description

Overview

Founded in 1986, our client is a leading developer and manufacturer of custom-formulated specialty ingredients & flavors. They develop tailored solutions for its diverse customer base of brands, retailers, and co-manufacturers across numerous food products and channels. With world-class facilities in California and Indiana, our client has served as a leading partner and innovator of industry-leading flavors and formulations for nearly four decades.

Quality & Process Engineer – Food/Beverage Ingredient Manufacturing

Job Type: Full-time; Remote

Responsibilities

• Lead technical assessment and validation of various manufacturing processes and equipment (e.g., low and high acid aseptic technology, low to high viscosity products, low water activity products) and innovation on products/processes for customized customer applications.
• Collaborate with Quality, Operations, R&D and other cross-functional teams to transition products from prototype to commercial production, ensuring scalability, cost-effectiveness, efficiency and alignment with market demands.
• Drive plant productivity projects and continuous improvement initiatives to optimize throughput, reduce waste, and maintain quality standards for high-risk processes and materials.
• Lead troubleshooting efforts and conduct root cause analysis for process deviations, quality issues, or formulation challenges, implementing corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) to ensure product safety, integrity and prevent issue recurrence.
• Provide hands-on technical expertise to plant quality and operations teams, resolve equipment and process issues, supporting CAPA implementation, and training staff on new processes or equipment.
• Manage timelines, budgets, and resources for commercialization and process improvement projects, coordinating with suppliers, vendors, and internal stakeholders to meet deadlines and objectives.
• Analyze process data, perform risk assessments, and maintain detailed documentation (e.g., SOPs, reports) to support regulatory audits, quality assurance, and process capability studies.

Experience & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Food Science or related Science field; Master’s degree is preferred.
• 3-10+ years of experience in process engineering, process authority work in food manufacturing or product commercialization.
• Experience in industries such as food and beverage, chemicals, or consumer goods is preferred.
• Knowledge of statistical analysis tools (e.g., Minitab, JMP) and ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle).
• Familiarity with food manufacturing technologies, thermal processes, filling technologies, automation, and control systems.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Excellent communication and teamwork abilities to collaborate across multiple departments and project leads.
• Project management skills with a focus on meeting deadlines and budgets.
• Understanding of regulatory requirements specific to the industry (e.g., FDA, CFIA, USDA Organic, HACCP) and hygienic design for food manufacturing.
• Ability to adapt to fast-paced environments and manage multiple priorities.

This position offers a competitive base salary.