Principal Process Engineer
Trilliant Food & Nutrition is a leading manufacturer of premium coffees and powdered beverages, headquartered in Little Chute, Wisconsin. With a legacy rooted in quality, innovation, and service, Trilliant delivers branded and private-label solutions across retail, foodservice, and e-commerce channels. Horseshoe Beverage Company, based in Neenah, WI, is a leading ready-to-drink beverage manufacturer dedicated to delivering exceptional beverage experiences through industry-leading talent and cutting-edge equipment. Our brand portfolio includes Victor Allen’s, Dutch Bros beverages, and Nurri, our better-for-you protein beverage line.
About the role
The Principal Process Engineer is a senior technical leadership role responsible for supporting increasing operational complexity, production scale, and the rapid expansion of co-manufacturing. As volumes grow and product portfolios diversify, this role serves as the organization’s primary technical resource in dairy processing, providing strategic oversight across external partners, internal manufacturing facilities, and a broad range of product lines. The Principal Process Engineer directly enables performance optimization, risk mitigation, and the disciplined execution of growth initiatives.
Responsibilities
- Serve as the subject matter expert (SME) for dairy processing technologies (Aseptic, ESL, pasteurization, homogenization, emulsification, filtration, and liquid/dry blending).
- Provide technical guidance to internal and external operations teams.
- Troubleshoot complex process issues and lead root cause analysis efforts.
- Ensure all processes comply with applicable food safety standards (e.g., PMO, FDA, USDA, HACCP).
- Support validation and verification of critical control points (CCPs).
- Participate in co-manufacturer evaluations, gap identification, and provide solutions as the technical expert.
- Evaluate and implement emerging technologies to enhance production capabilities.
- Lead the scaling of new products from pilot to full production.
- Drive sustainability initiatives (water, energy, waste reduction).
- Lead initiatives to improve yield, throughput, and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
- Develop and implement standardized process designs.