Technical Manager, R&D Ops Excellence Carbs - Decatur, IL

Archer Daniels Midland; Decatur (IL); On-site; USD 92,800 - 171,600; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision benefits

401(k) with matching contributions

Paid time off including holidays

Tuition assistance

Job summary

Archer Daniels Midland in Decatur, IL is seeking a Technical Manager for R&D Operational Excellence. You will lead initiatives to enhance corn processing, improve cost efficiency, and collaborate with various departments to ensure financial success.

This role requires a strong technical background in chemical engineering or relevant fields and over 10 years of experience in manufacturing. The position offers competitive pay, bonuses, and comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Sciences, Technology, preferably in Chemical Engineering.
• 10+ years of experience in corn processing or similar manufacturing.
• Deep understanding of corn process manufacturing and scale-up methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Lead R&D initiatives to reduce costs across corn processing facilities.
• Drive waste elimination and optimize by-products through innovative solutions.
• Partner with Finance and Operations to validate and track R&D initiative savings.

Skills

Technical and scientific knowledge of corn processing

Advanced data analytics

Project management skills

Financial understanding of KPIs

Innovative technical solutions

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Sciences, or Food Science

Job description

Technical Manager, R&D Ops Excellence Carbs - Decatur, IL

Decatur

Research & Development

Job Description

ADM is seeking a Technical Manager of R&D Operational Excellence – Carbohydrates Solutions to support and influence corn processing cost margins by improving operational capability via R&D initiatives.

In this role, you will leverage deep technical and scientific knowledge of corn processing to develop R&D‑based initiatives that reduce unit cost and drive the adoption of cutting‑edge technologies.

Success in this position implements initiatives to create durable competitive advantage through higher asset productivity, lower variability, and improved cost discipline.

This role would partner with Operations (including Engineering and Technology center), Global Ops, Supply Chain, and Finance to reduce cost per unit, improve asset utilization, and embed a culture of continuous improvement. This role ensures that operational improvements translate into verified financial impact by bridging the scientific innovation of R&D with manufacturing execution.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and support R&D initiatives to reduce cost per ton/unit across corn processing facilities by applying scientific process knowledge and novel R&D technologies.
• Lead and support R&D initiatives on yield variance using scientific principles and advanced data analytics.
• Identify and drive implementation of R&D initiatives that directly improve OEE, yield, labor productivity, and overhead absorption through rigorous technical analysis and advanced manufacturing integration.
• Drive waste elimination and by‑product optimization through innovative technical solutions.
• Use standard productivity metrics and benchmarking across plants to evaluate the success of newly adopted technologies against established KPIs.
• Establish technical cost baselines and performance scorecards for R&D‑driven corn processing operational initiatives.
• Ensure R&D lead initiatives identify high level countermeasures to ensure sustainment for project scale up.
• Partner with Finance and Operations to validate savings, prevent double counting, and track sustainment of R&D driven initiatives.
• Network with similar corn processing locations to promote replication, implementation and sustainment of high‑impact R&D initiatives.

Qualifications & Competencies - Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Sciences, Technology, with a strong preference for degrees in Chemical Engineering, Process Engineering, Chemistry, or Food Science.
• 10+ years of experience in corn processing or similar manufacturing.
• Deep technical and scientific understanding of corn process manufacturing, reaction engineering, thermodynamics, and scale‑up methodologies.
• Financial understanding of corn processing operational KPIs and their impact on P&Ls to support R&D driven initiatives.

Compensation and Benefits

Base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience.

$92,800.00 - $171,600.00

The total compensation package for this position will also include an annual bonus and a long‑term incentive plan.

Benefits and Perks

Enriching the quality of life for the world begins by taking care of our colleagues. In addition to competitive pay, we support your diverse needs with a comprehensive total rewards package to enhance your well‑being, including:

• Physical wellness – medical/Rx, dental, vision and on‑site wellness center access or gym reimbursement (as applicable).
• Financial wellness – flexible spending accounts, health savings account, 401(k) with matching contributions and cash balance plan, discounted employee stock purchasing program, life insurance, disability, workers’ compensation, legal assistance, identity theft protection.
• Mental and social wellness – Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and Colleague Giving Programs (ADM Cares).

Additional Benefits

• Paid time off including paid holidays.
• Adoption assistance and paid maternity and parental leave.
• Tuition assistance.
• Company‑sponsored training and development resources, such as LinkedIn Learning, language training and mentoring programs.

#IncludingYou

Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging are cornerstones of ADM’s efforts to continue innovating, driving growth, and delivering outstanding performance. We are committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce and creating welcoming, truly inclusive work environments – environments that enable every ADM colleague to feel comfortable on the job, make meaningful contributions to our success, and grow their career. We respect and value the unique backgrounds and experiences that each person can bring to ADM because we know that diversity of perspectives makes us better, together.

We welcome everyone to apply. We are committed to ensuring all qualified applicants receive consideration for employment regardless of race, color, ethnicity, disability, religion, national origin, language, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, sexual orientation, age, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

About ADM

At ADM, we unlock the power of nature to provide access to nutrition worldwide. With industry‑advancing innovations, a complete portfolio of ingredients and solutions to meet any taste, and a commitment to sustainability, we give customers an edge in solving the nutritional challenges of today and tomorrow. We’re a global leader in human and animal nutrition and the world’s premier agricultural origination and processing company. Our breadth, depth, insights, facilities and logistical expertise give us unparalleled capabilities to meet needs for food, beverages, health and wellness, and more. From the seed of the idea to the outcome of the solution, we enrich the quality of life the world over. Learn more at www.adm.com.