Whey & Ingredient Process Optimization Lead

Valley Queen Cheese Factory, Inc.; Milbank (SD); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Valley Queen Cheese Factory, Inc. in Milbank, SD, is seeking a Technical Services Manager for Whey and Ingredients to lead process optimization across whey and ingredient manufacturing.

You will set in-process targets, monitor performance, and drive improvements in yield, throughput, and product quality in collaboration with Operations and Quality teams. The role requires strong leadership, deep dairy processing knowledge, and the ability to manage capital projects, vendor coordination, and

Qualifications

• Required education includes a Bachelor’s degree in dairy or related field; master’s preferred.
• Five to ten years of relevant dairy processing/ingredient manufacturing experience.
• Leadership, supervisory, project management or significant functional leadership experience.
• Working knowledge of whey and ingredient manufacturing processes and quality requirements.
• Experience leading process-improvement initiatives or capital projects.
• Understanding of food safety, GMP, sanitation, and manufacturing documentation.
• Strong computer, communication, documentation, and data-analysis skills.

Responsibilities

• Owns day-to-day performance of the department, ensuring safety, quality, and operational standards.
• Executes departmental goals and aligns with company strategy.
• Establishes and monitors KPIs
• Leads and develops Supervisors and Leads for strong execution.
• Drives culture, accountability, and performance.
• Ensures role clarity and accountability across the team.
• Builds a high-engagement, performance-driven environment.
• Supports talent development and coaching.
• Drives project execution and budget adherence.
• Coordinates cross-functional collaboration for improvements.
• Ensures regulatory compliance and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Uses data to improve decision-making and performance.
• Manages resources and supports project timelines.
• Communicates effectively across departments.

Skills

Leadership / Accountability

Problem Solving / Analysis

Technical Capacity

Business Acumen

Communication Proficiency

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Dairy Science, Dairy Manufacturing, Food Science, Food Technology, Chemistry, Engineering, or a related field

Master’s degree in Dairy Science, Food Science, Engineering, Chemistry, or a related field

Job description

Valley Queen Cheese Factory, Inc. in Milbank, SD, is seeking a Technical Services Manager for Whey and Ingredients to lead process optimization across whey and ingredient manufacturing.

You will set in-process targets, monitor performance, and drive improvements in yield, throughput, and product quality in collaboration with Operations and Quality teams. The role requires strong leadership, deep dairy processing knowledge, and the ability to manage capital projects, vendor coordination, and