Senior Thermal Process Leader - Food Safety & Innovation

Baxters North America Inc; Cincinnati (OH); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Baxters North America Inc. is seeking a Senior Manager of Thermal Processing to serve as the primary technical authority for all thermal operations, including retort, aseptic, hot-fill, and cook/chill. You will guide validation, documentation, and continuous improvement to ensure safe, compliant, and high-quality products.

You will mentor the Thermal Process Team, collaborate with plant leadership, and drive performance improvements across safety, quality, and efficiency.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or related discipline.
• BPCS certification and thermal process calculations knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Act as primary Thermal Process Authority (TPA) for Baxters North America.
• Oversee development, validation, and documentation of all thermal processes.
• Manage direct reports in the thermal process department.
• File all scheduled thermal processes to ensure safety.
• Guide Process Authority responsibilities and corrective actions.
• Train operators, supervisors, and quality personnel in thermal processing.
• Lead troubleshooting for retort performance and product quality issues.
• Support capital projects involving thermal systems and validation.
• Own HACCP, Preventive Controls, and related programs.
• Ensure audits are supported by the thermal process team.
• Validate changes affecting heat transfer or microbial safety.
• Lead root cause analysis of deviations and incidents.
• Drive continuous improvement to reduce cycle time and energy use.
• Provide leadership and developmental feedback to the team.
• Collaborate with production and supporting departments on food safety.

Skills

Regulatory compliance

Leadership

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Communication

Quality control

Continuous improvement

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Food Science/Engineering

BPCS certification

Job description

Baxters North America Inc. is seeking a Senior Manager of Thermal Processing to serve as the primary technical authority for all thermal operations, including retort, aseptic, hot-fill, and cook/chill. You will guide validation, documentation, and continuous improvement to ensure safe, compliant, and high-quality products.

You will mentor the Thermal Process Team, collaborate with plant leadership, and drive performance improvements across safety, quality, and efficiency.