Regional Technical Manager

REFRESCO; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

REFRESCO is seeking a Regional Technical Manager to provide multi-site technical leadership across plants in the assigned region, focusing on end-to-end process auditing, QMS execution, sanitation, water treatment, startups, and corrective action. The role partners with Quality, Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, and Corporate teams to ensure controls and testing are executed as designed.

The position emphasizes root-cause analysis, practical solutions, and training to build plant capability

Qualifications

• Beverage production and packaging knowledge across processing steps.
• Experience with SQF, HACCP, and food-safety systems.
• Ability to lead investigations, validate corrective actions, and monitor outcomes.
• Strong data-driven problem solving and trend analysis.

Responsibilities

• Provide multi-site technical leadership and hands-on support.
• Lead root-cause investigations and corrective actions for high-impact issues.
• Partner with plant teams to implement sustainable technical solutions and standardize practices.
• Perform end-to-end process audits and ensure QMS compliance.

Skills

Beverage processing

Root cause analysis

Data analysis

Trend SPC

Leadership

Tools

SAP

Excel

Word

PowerPoint

P&IDs

Job description

Our vision is both simple and ambitious: to put our drinks on every table.

We are the leading global independent beverage solutions provider. We serve a broad range of national and international retailers as well as Global, National and Emerging (GNE) brands. Our products are distributed worldwide from our production sites in Europe, North America, and Australia. Although our own branding may not appear on the labels of the beverages we produce, there is a good chance you are reading this while sipping one of our drinks.

Our ambition is to continually improve and it’s what keeps us at the top of our game. We are solutions-based. We are innovative. We seek out new challenges and conquer them. This is our company ethos, but it’s our people’s too: Refresco is at the cutting edge of a fast-moving industry because we have passionate people pushing the boundaries of what’s best.

Stop and think: how wouldYOU put our drinks on every table?

Summary Description:

Reporting to the Senior Regional Technical Manager, the Regional Technical Manager provides multi-site technical leadership and hands‑on support across an assigned region, with primary focus on end‑to‑end process auditing, QMS execution, process performance, sanitation, water treatment, startups, and sustainable corrective action. The role partners with Quality, Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, and Corporate teams to verify that required controls and testing are executed as designed, solve recurring manufacturing issues, close audit findings, improve process capability, and build plant capability through training and standardization.

Essential Job Functions:

• Regional Technical Support:
  • Provide hands‑on technical support across assigned plants and prioritize work based on food safety, quality, customer, operational, and financial risk.
  • Lead complex root‑cause investigations and corrective actions for recurring or high‑impact technical issues.
  • Partner with plant teams, Engineering, suppliers, and OEMs to implement sustainable technical solutions and standardize best practices.
• Food Safety & SQF Support:
  • Support site SQF Practitioners and HACCP teams in the validation and verification of prerequisite programs, process controls, sanitation systems, water systems, and significant process changes.
  • Has authority to escalade food safety and quality risks and recommend stopping production, placing product on hold, or delaying startup when technical controls are not capable, not validated, or not being executed as designed.
• Process Audits & QMS Compliance:
  • Plan, schedule, and conduct comprehensive end‑to‑end process audits at all assigned plants, covering receiving; raw‑material and ingredient storage; water treatment; batching and blending; processing; filling; packaging; in‑process and finished‑product testing; palletizing; warehousing; and shipping.
  • Verify, through direct observation, record review, and independent checks, that operators and technicians complete required inspections, tests, sampling, measurements, documentation, verification, and escalation in accordance with QMS requirements, approved procedures, product specifications, regulatory requirements, and customer standards.
  • Document objective evidence, identify control gaps and systemic risks, communicate results to plant and regional leadership, and establish clear ownership and due dates for corrective action.
• Audit Findings & Corrective Action:
  • Partner with plant leadership and functional owners to develop, implement, and close corrective and preventive actions arising from process audits, internal audits, certification audits, customer audits, regulatory inspections, and other assessments.
  • Evaluate root‑cause and action‑plan adequacy; track actions and due dates; verify implementation, effectiveness, and sustainability; and escalade overdue or high‑risk findings.
• Process:
  • Lead root‑cause analysis for filling, blending, and processing systems and recurring plant losses.
  • Troubleshoot fill control, carbonation, Brix, pH, thermal processing, mixing, flow, pressure, and package‑performance issues.
  • Use process data and trends to reduce variability, improve First Time Right, increase yield, reduce waste, and minimize downtime.
• Sanitation:
  • Lead and support CIP/COP validation and sanitation‑effectiveness verification across regional plants.
  • Evaluate cleaning critical factors including time, temperature, chemical concentration, flow/turbulence, cleanability, and hygienic design.
  • Support investigations of microbiological excursions, biofilm, and recurring sanitation failures and verify corrective actions.
• Water Treatment:
  • Provide technical support for chlorination, media filtration, GAC, RO, UV, ozone, and treated‑water storage/distribution systems.
  • Troubleshoot water chemistry, microbiological control, membrane performance, scaling/fouling, and treatment‑system efficiency.
  • Support online monitoring, manual verification, calibration, data integrity, trending, and validation of new or modified water systems.
• Startups, Trials & Change Management:
  • Support new lines, major equipment installations, product trials, launches, and significant process changes.
  • Participate in technical risk assessments and readiness/Go‑No‑Go reviews; verify process, sanitation, water, and testing controls before commercialization.
  • Provide on‑site technical support during startup and stabilization and document lessons learned.
• Technical Training & Standardization:
  • Partner with plant leadership and subject‑matter experts to identify training needs and develop and deliver required classroom and hands‑on training for operators, technicians, supervisors, and Quality personnel.
  • Coach plant teams at the point of execution and conduct follow‑up observation and verification to confirm processes are consistently followed and improvements are sustained.
  • Develop and standardize SOPs, work instructions, troubleshooting guides, qualification materials, and technical training; share proven solutions and lessons learned across the network.

Required Skills:

• Strong knowledge of beverage processing and packaging systems, including filling, blending, carbonation, thermal processing, and process controls.
• Strong working knowledge of CIP/COP, sanitation validation, microbiological controls, cleanability, and hygienic design.
• Working knowledge of SQF food safety systems, HACCP principles, prerequisite programs, validation, verification, and corrective‑action expectations.
• Strong working knowledge of beverage water‑treatment systems, including GAC, RO, UV, chlorination/oxidation, storage, distribution, and online instrumentation.
• Excellent root‑cause problem‑solving, process troubleshooting, data analysis, and trend/SPC skills.
• Proficient in SAP, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and technical data tools; able to interpret process flow diagrams, P&IDs, and equipment documentation.
• Leadership - Foster a culture of empowerment by building