Principal Wastewater Engineer

About the role

This role provides enterprise-wide technical leadership, strategic planning, and operational support for wastewater treatment systems across Land O'Lakes business units. The Principal Wastewater Engineer ensures regulatory compliance, optimizes treatment system performance, mitigates long-term wastewater risks, supports capital projects, and advances corporate wastewater management strategies that promote safe, reliable, and compliant operations.

As a key member of the Corporate Environmental Health & Safety team, this role serves as the company's technical wastewater expert, partnering with plant operations, engineering, environmental professionals, regulators, consultants, and business leaders. This position is based in Arden Hills, MN and requires approximately 50% travel to Land O'Lakes facilities.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and support for wastewater treatment operations across multiple manufacturing facilities.
• Ensure compliance with wastewater permits, discharge agreements, sludge management requirements, and environmental regulations.
• Establish and manage wastewater performance metrics, scorecards, reporting systems, and leading indicators.
• Develop and maintain wastewater operational standards, SOPs, playbooks, best practices, and emergency response procedures.
• Analyze operational and laboratory data to identify trends, optimize process performance, and proactively address treatment challenges.
• Provide onsite technical support during wastewater treatment upsets and lead root cause investigations.
• Support wastewater-related capital projects including design review, construction, startup, commissioning, and training.
• Develop and implement Wastewater Management of Change (WWMOC) processes.
• Identify long-term wastewater treatment capacity constraints, compliance risks, and improvement opportunities.
• Develop and deliver wastewater training programs and facilitate network-wide operator meetings.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Environmental, Chemical, Civil Engineering, Environmental Science, or related field.
• 7+ years of industrial wastewater treatment experience.
• Food, dairy, agricultural, or industrial manufacturing experience.
• Experience supporting multi-site or corporate environmental programs.
• Experience with WWTP operations, optimization, and capital projects.

Skills

• Strong technical expertise in industrial wastewater treatment and environmental regulations.
• Strong data analysis and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent project management and communication skills.
• Ability to influence and collaborate across multiple stakeholders.
• Strategic thinking and risk management capabilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in related discipline.
• Knowledge of POTW discharge programs and high-strength waste management.
• PE license or wastewater operator certifications.

Pay

Salary Range: $107,680 - $161,520. In most cases, candidates offered employment expect to be hired at a pay rate near the middle of the salary range.

About the company

Join Land O'Lakes, a Fortune 250, farmer- and member-owned cooperative reimagining the business of food. The company has been named a Top Workplace by Indeed and LinkedIn and recognized on the TIME 100 Most Influential Companies list. Land O'Lakes provides a broad portfolio of benefits to support employees and their families.