Senior Process Engineer - TSO

The J.M. Smucker Company; New Orleans (LA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The J.M. Smucker Company is seeking a Senior Process Engineer in New Orleans, LA. This role focuses on driving a high-performance culture and engaging with technicians to solve problems and implement engineering designs that improve processes.

Ideal candidates hold a Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Food Science with 2+ years of relevant experience. Strong communication skills and the ability to lead projects are essential. Competitive salary and benefits offered for this on-site position.

Qualifications

• 2 years of Engineering, Operations, R&D and/or TSO experience.
• Demonstrated ability to define a problem statement and develop corrective actions.
• Ability to work effectively with individuals and teams across the organization.

Responsibilities

• Drive high-performance work culture by engaging with floor technicians.
• Organize and prioritize initiatives with plant leadership.
• Develop and implement engineering designs specific to coffee processing.

Skills

Engineering knowledge

Problem solving

Team collaboration

Communication skills

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Food Science

Tools

Prodika

TraceGains

JMP

Excel

Job description

Senior Process Engineer - Technical Services Organization (TSO)

The Senior Process Engineer will drive high-performance work culture by engaging with floor technicians, coaching to problem solve, make decisions, and become self-reliant. Organize and prioritize initiatives with plant leadership to help achieve master plan and long‑term vision. Act as a liaison between R&D and the plant.

Location: New Orleans, LA

Work Arrangements: 100% on‑site

Typical schedule: Monday - Friday 8am - 4pm

Willingness to work off shift (including nights, weekends, and/or holidays) and flow to the work as needed

Travel: up to 20%

In this Role You Will:

• Understand fundamentals of coffee drying, roasting, and grinding and can apply knowledge to troubleshooting and operational improvements
• Develop and implement engineering designs specific to coffee processing (drying, roasting, grinding, transport) that will improve efficiencies, increase capacity, and reduce costs
• Lead projects and initiatives while building consensus across functions as project team leader
• May act as a Technical Readiness Leader for new product initiatives
• Apply knowledge of coffee processing equipment to new initiatives and to equipment changes
• Write and secure approval to test plans required for initiatives and other improvements; execute plans; report on results
• Develop project plans that define scope, schedule, budget, business impact, and risks; execute plans to identify obstacles; gain alignment and bring issues to resolution
• Be a technical member of multiple project teams with responsibility for final performance of project
• Develop plans for or support vendor acceptance testing and for on‑site commissioning, qualification, and verification of equipment; lead VATs and startups
• Apply logic in problem solving and analysis of alternatives to assess the financial and operational impact of business initiatives; assess critical information to make effective decisions or recommendations
• Lead investigation, testing, and validation of new technologies
• Develop consensus agreement amongst the project teams, research and development, quality, engineering leadership, operations, and plant leadership
• Build technical skills for the technology within Engineering & TSO and the broader Operations team
• Create and apply technical standards across equipment categories
• May manage interns

What We are Looking For:

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Food Science
• 2 years of Engineering, Operations, R&D and/or TSO experience
• Demonstrated ability to define a problem statement, identify root cause, and develop/implement systemic corrective actions
• Demonstrated ability to lead work effectively and independently given basic coaching and guidance
• Ability to work effectively with individuals and teams across the organization
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively

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

• Prior manufacturing operational experience
• Data driven and strong analysis skills
• Capital project and/or start‑up management experience
• Fundamental understanding of food science / ingredient chemistry
• Experience developing and executing CQV plans and qualifying ingredients / recipes / processes
• Proficient with Prodika and TraceGains
• Proficient with JMP, Excel, or other data analysis tools

We are 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.

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 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.