Staff Process CI Engineer — Remote Option; 70% Travel

Hershey Company; Oregon; Hybrid; USD 119,000 - 149,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health & Wellbeing

Financial Security

Time Off & Flexibility

Growth & Development

Job summary

The Hershey Company is seeking a Staff Process CI Engineer to advance our multi-year improvement plan across the manufacturing network. You will identify, develop, and implement product and process optimization opportunities in collaboration with plant teams, engineers, and cross-functional partners.

You will lead complex projects from concept through handoff, applying Lean, Six Sigma, TPM, and sound engineering judgment to improve cost, quality, safety, and supply continuity.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master's degree in Food, Chemical, Mechanical, or Biological Engineering, or another relevant technical field.
• Minimum 5 years of relevant experience in food science, engineering, or a related field. Confectionery and manufacturing plant experience are strongly preferred.
• Six Sigma Green Belt required; Six Sigma Black Belt preferred. Working knowledge of Lean manufacturing and TPM.
• Strong project planning, prioritization, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills; ability to work independently in a flexible environment with changing priorities.
• Ability to support unusual or extended work hours when project delivery requires it, travel up to 70%, and work in manufacturing environments with regulated food allergens while following all food-safety and site requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex product and process optimization projects, from opportunity identification and technical design through installation, startup, commissioning, training, and performance stabilization.
• Apply food science, confectionery manufacturing knowledge, process engineering, and structured problem solving to recipe, ingredient, equipment, and process improvements.
• Plan and execute proof‑of‑principle tests, bench and pilot work, scale‑up, manufacturing trials, sensory testing, and product‑sample generation.
• Develop specifications, formulations, project scope, schedules, cost estimates, process‑flow diagrams, and piping and instrumentation diagrams.
• Evaluate technical and financial feasibility, interpret results, manage risks and resources, and recommend whether projects should proceed, change, or stop.
• Coordinate supplier evaluation, installation, validation, documentation, training, and transition to plant operating teams so improvements are sustained.
• Lead focused‑improvement and root‑cause problem‑solving efforts using Lean, Six Sigma, TPM, and practical engineering judgment.
• Collaborate with R&D, Engineering, Finance, Quality and Regulatory Compliance, Manufacturing, and Marketing, while mentoring technicians and professionals assigned to projects.

Skills

Six Sigma Green Belt

Lean manufacturing

TPM

Project planning

Cross-functional collaboration

Process engineering

Troubleshooting

GMP knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Food, Chemical, Mechanical, or Biological)

Master's degree in Engineering

Job description

The Hershey Company is seeking a Staff Process CI Engineer to advance our multi-year improvement plan across the manufacturing network. You will identify, develop, and implement product and process optimization opportunities in collaboration with plant teams, engineers, and cross-functional partners.

You will lead complex projects from concept through handoff, applying Lean, Six Sigma, TPM, and sound engineering judgment to improve cost, quality, safety, and supply continuity.