Research & Development Process Engineer, Pet Food Innovation

The J.M. Smucker Company; Orrville (OH); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Hybrid work arrangement

Job summary

The J. M. Smucker Co. in Orrville, OH is seeking an R&D Process Engineer for Pet Food Innovation. You will design and interpret trials, lead scale-up, and mentor teams in a hybrid work setting with travel up to 30% as needed.

You will guide cross-functional projects, apply DOE and statistical tools, and drive capital projects to commercialize new products while advancing SME-level capability over five years.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food/ Chemical Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in food and/or pet food manufacturing.
• Hands-on experience with extrusion and process optimization.
• Experience leading pilot plant, scale-up, and commercialization trials.
• Knowledge of ingredient functionality, food safety, and process validation.
• Experience using DOE and statistical tools (JMP, Minitab, Aspen) to improve process performance.

Responsibilities

• Design, execute, and interpret trials for food processing innovations.
• Lead the scale-up and commercialization of new products and technologies.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship; develop training programs.
• Collaborate across departments to identify process improvements and align with business goals.
• Participate in die and manifold design; apply CAD tools as needed.
• Analyze processing data using modeling and simulation to guide decisions.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and manage capital projects with vendor coordination.
• Lead DOE efforts and encourage cross-functional contributions to improvements.
• Manage projects with minimal supervision while promoting a collaborative team environment.

Skills

Technical leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

DOE and statistics

Project leadership

Pilot plant experience

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science/Engineering or related field

Tools

JMP

Minitab

Aspen

Job description

Your Opportunity as the R&D Process Engineer, Pet Food Innovation

Location: Orrville, OH

Competitive relocation package is available for qualifying candidates.

Work Arrangements: Hybrid, 60% in office with varying travel up to 30% annually

In this role you will:

• Design, execute, and interpret trials for food processing innovations, facilitating knowledge sharing and collaboration among teams.
• Lead the successful scale-up and commercialization of new products and technologies by fostering teamwork and effective communication demonstration of CQV tools and principles.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship, guiding lab activities, supporting onboarding, and developing technical training programs for team members at all levels.
• Collaborate across departments to identify opportunities for process improvements, solve technical challenges, and ensure alignment with business goals.
• Participate in die and manifold design, applying or learning CAD tools.
• Analyze processing data using advanced modeling and simulation tools to establish specifications and guide team decision-making.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and support organizational change management, ensuring all stakeholders are engaged and informed throughout transitions.
• Manage capital projects including equipment installation, layout planning, and vendor coordination, while leading project teams and maintaining collaborative vendor relationships.
• Lead Design of Experiments (DOE) efforts, encouraging creative problem-solving and cross-functional contributions to system and process enhancements.
• Operate independently and efficiently, managing projects with minimal supervision, while promoting an inclusive and cooperative team environment, including up to 30% seasonal travel as needed.
• Engage in structured development to build SME-level capability over the next five years, including extended learning.

What we are looking for:

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in food and/or pet food manufacturing.
• Hands-on experience with food extrusion and process optimization.
• Experience leading pilot plant, scale-up, and commercialization trials.
• Knowledge of ingredient functionality, food safety, and process validation.
• Experience using DOE and statistical tools (JMP, Minitab, Aspen, etc.) to improve process performance.
• Proven success leading cross-functional projects and driving technical solutions.

Additional skills and experience that we think would make someone successful in this role:

• Experience in pet food, pet treats, animal nutrition, snacks, or cereal extrusion.
• Expertise in extrusion processing, including formulation, process settings, die design, and product quality optimization.
• Experience with thermal processing systems (retorts, hydrostats, continuous sterilization).
• Demonstrated success commercializing new products and technologies.
• Experience leading capital projects, equipment start-ups, and process improvements.
• Track record of delivering productivity gains, cost savings, or quality improvements through process innovation.

The Right Place for You

We are bold, kind, strive to do the right thing, we play to win, and we believe in a strong community that thrives together. Our culture is rooted in our Basic Beliefs, and we believe in supporting every employee by meeting their physical, emotional, and financial needs.

Stay connected with us on LinkedIn.

We're an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, age, national origin, disability status or protected veteran status.

We’re a community of passionate, talented professionals dedicated to creating food people and pets love—while supporting the communities in which we work and live. We value what makes each person unique, champion growth and development, and foster collaboration that fuels productivity and drives our shared success.

Learn more about our Thrive Together purpose At Smucker, we're passionate about creating a workplace where you truly belong. With a culture rooted in our Basic Beliefs and a competitive Total Rewards program, we aim to support every employee by meeting their physical, emotional, and financial needs. Learn more about working at Smucker Our culture is sustained and brought to life every day by the people of Smucker and our hiring process is designed to identify the right candidate for every position at our company. Learn more about our hiring process

The J. M. Smucker Co. (the “Company”) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. No person will be discriminated against in hiring or in any other aspect of their employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, transgender status, marital status, familial status, disability, genetic information, protected veteran/military status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law.