Staff Engineer - SME Dryers

Agropur Inc.; Eden Prairie (MN); On-site; USD 124,200 - 155,300; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid time off

Holidays & floating holidays

Parental leave

Remote work

Travel up to 50%

Job summary

Agropur Cooperative in Eden Prairie, MN, is seeking a Staff Engineer to serve as the enterprise technical authority for membrane separation and industrial drying systems across its manufacturing network.

You will lead design, operation, optimization, troubleshooting, and strategic application of these technologies for dairy and food processing, partnering with Commercial, R&D, Operations and Engineering teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering (Chemical Engineering preferred).
• Minimum 10 years of experience in membrane system process engineering and capital projects.
• Experience designing, operating, and optimizing membrane and drying systems for dairy processing.
• Experience developing technical standards and enterprise guidelines.
• Strong communication and influence across facilities and stakeholders.
• Experience with whey processing and dairy ingredients preferred.
• French knowledge is required for Quebec-based positions.

Responsibilities

• Lead concept development, process design, equipment selection, and commissioning for membrane and drying projects.
• Establish enterprise standards, design guidelines, and technology roadmaps.
• Provide strategic insights on feasibility, investments, and product/process expansions.
• Act as final technical authority guiding cross-functional teams in Commercial, R&D, Operations and Engineering.
• Review major capital projects, vendor proposals, and process designs for safety and regulatory compliance.
• Address performance, quality, reliability, and capacity challenges; seek yield and energy efficiency improvements.
• Establish best practices for hygienic design, powder handling safety, and cleanability.

Skills

Membrane systems

Process engineering

Capital projects

Dairy processing

Technical standards

Change management

Cross-functional leadership

Technical reviews

Supplier OEMs

Safety and compliance

Education

Engineering degree (Chemical preferred)

Job description

Staff Engineer – Membrane and Drying Systems

The Staff Engineer serves as the enterprise technical authority for membrane separation and industrial drying technologies across Agropur’s manufacturing network. This role provides deep subject‑matter expertise in the design, operation, optimization, troubleshooting, and strategic application of membrane systems and drying systems supporting dairy and food processing operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead concept development, process design, equipment selection, detailed engineering, and commissioning/validation protocols for capital projects involving membrane and drying technologies.
• Establish and maintain enterprise technical standards, design guidelines, best‑practice documents, and technology roadmaps for membrane and drying systems.
• Provide strategic insight into current technical feasibility, future possibilities, and investment requirements for new products, ingredients, and manufacturing capabilities.
• Serve as the final technical authority for engineering decisions related to membrane and drying systems and guide cross‑functional teams in Commercial, R&D, Operations and Engineering.
• Conduct technical reviews of major capital projects, vendor proposals, and process designs to ensure compliance with safety, hygiene, and regulatory requirements.
• Support Operational Excellence initiatives by addressing performance, product quality, reliability, and capacity challenges; identify opportunities for yield improvement, energy efficiency, uptime, and product consistency.
• Establish best practices for food safety, hygienic design, powder‑hazard mitigation, dust‑explosion prevention, and cleanability (CIP). Focus on powder quality control including particle size distribution, bulk density, moisture, solubility, and thermal stability.
• Provide technical guidance on thermal efficiency, energy consumption, sustainability, and evaluation of emerging low‑energy drying technologies.
• Advise on thermal and mechanical safety, dust‑explosion considerations, ATEX zoning, and safe powder handling systems.
• Monitor emerging membrane and drying technologies and assess their potential to unlock new product platforms or improve cost, quality, safety, and sustainability performance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering (Chemical Engineering preferred).
• Minimum 10 years of experience in membrane system process engineering, capital project development, and/or execution.
• Demonstrated expertise in membrane and drying system design, operation, troubleshooting, and optimization, with strong understanding of dairy processing.
• Experience developing technical standards, specifications, and enterprise guidelines.
• Strong organizational and communication skills; ability to influence technical decisions across multiple facilities and stakeholder groups.
• Experience facilitating technical reviews, driving follow‑up actions, and implementing standards and change management for adoption.
• Experience with whey processing, protein concentration, and dairy ingredient manufacturing is preferred.
• Experience working with leading membrane and drying system suppliers and OEMs.
• For positions based in Quebec, adequate knowledge of French is required.

Benefits

• Competitive salary range: $124,200–$155,300 (based on skills, education, training, and experience).
• Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Short and Long‑Term Disability Insurance.
• 401(k) with 7% company contribution.
• 3 weeks paid time off, paid holidays, and 2 floating holidays.
• Paid parental leave and advancement opportunities.
• Remote work with 50% travel requirement.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Agropur welcomes people from all backgrounds and origins, and is proud to be an employer with a diverse community. We are committed to providing a respectful and inclusive experience for all employees and applicants. Candidates who request accommodations will be accommodated.