Process Engineer

Purpose

Support the Head of Product Development in delivering an ambitious product strategy aligned with growth and sustainability goals. Work across cultures and functions, collaborating with regional and external partners to drive innovative solutions and best practices.

Key Areas of Focus

• Process development and scale-up: Translate product designs into manufacturing process flows, trial plans, equipment requirements, operating windows, and scale-up strategies.
• Process validation and capability: Define critical process parameters and quality attributes; execute statistically sound trials to confirm repeatability, capability, and control.
• Product Commercialization: Compose test run protocols outlining test parameters and objectives; prepare data sheets for gathering test data to validate new products; collect samples and perform statistical analysis of SPC weights/measurements and analytical studies using programming software.
• Production support: Support Reading production for technical troubleshooting for chocolate, caramel, tempering, moulding, enrobing, and other available technologies.
• Technical troubleshooting: Diagnose and resolve issues across chocolate handling, tempering, moulding, enrobing, caramel and filling preparation, cooling, demoulding, and related technologies.
• Quality support: Support definition of Visual Standards for new products; create and maintain product standards; complete New Product "workbook" for Commercialization scale-up and Sales samples, including Preliminary documentation for Pricing Studies and Bill of Material set up.
• Product Testing: Support set up and validate shelf life for new products industrialized.
• Process Optimization: Work closely with engineering and production teams to ensure continuous improvement and waste reduction.

Key Accountabilities and Deliverables

• Own the process engineering workstream for assigned innovation, renovation, value optimisation, and productivity projects from technical brief through factory implementation and post-launch stabilisation.
• Convert product concepts and recipes into defined process flows, unit operations, equipment requirements, mass balances, operating parameters, and scale-up plans.
• Design and execute factory trials using clear hypotheses, protocols, acceptance criteria, sampling plans, and data sheets.
• Lead technical trial readiness reviews covering materials, equipment, line availability, safety, food safety, specifications, test methods, resources, and contingency plans.
• Provide hands-on process support during commissioning, first production, ramp-up, and troubleshooting for chocolate preparation, tempering, moulding, enrobing, filling and caramel systems, cooling, demoulding, and associated packaging interfaces.
• Apply structured root-cause analysis and problem-solving tools to resolve process losses, quality defects, and reliability issues; translate findings into sustainable corrective and preventive actions.
• Commercialize product platforms surrounding innovation opportunities in Reading.
• Apply robust scientific methodologies to develop research hypotheses and execute bench and pilot plant experiments/trials.
• Analyse and interpret analytical data with full ability to implement results and provide next steps recommendations.
• Collaborate with Godiva chefs to assess the impact of ingredient, supplier, recipe, equipment, or parameter changes through risk assessment and controlled validation before implementation.
• Develop and maintain process specifications, centreline settings, process control plans, standard operating parameters, trial reports, product standards, and technical handover packages.
• Complete technical governance deliverables at each project gate, including product and ingredient specifications, HARA inputs, process risk assessments, quality attributes, bills of material, and commercialisation workbooks.
• Plan and participate in pilot plant and factory trials (pladis and suppliers), and present samples to stakeholders.
• Support shelf-life validation by ensuring that manufacturing conditions and process variation are represented in study design and sample selection.
• Build effective partnerships with R&D, Culinary, Quality, Operations, Engineering, Procurement, Marketing, suppliers, and co-manufacturers to deliver manufacturable solutions.
• Ensure all work is completed in accordance with site safety, food safety, hygiene, GMP, and change-management requirements.
• Draw up product specs to final status, ensuring effective handover of development to regional Categories Product Development Teams.
• Contribute to Godiva and pladis Innovation strategy through support of conceptualisation and proactive NPD.
• Work with colleagues to ensure product development facilities are maintained to a safe and hygienic standard and operate using lean principles; drive continuous improvement.

Skills and Experience Required

• BS degree level qualification in Food Science/Technology or related field (MS in Food Science ideal).
• 3+ years of experience in chocolate or confectionery product development.
• Sound technical knowledge of food ingredients, functionalities, formulation, and processing.
• Problem-solving ability using innovative thought and good scientific judgement.
• Proven track record of technical positions in food companies.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills; ability to work well with others and plan/execute work independently with minimal supervision.
• Passion for science and food.
• Validated experience in product development.
• Project management experience, including good understanding of roles and responsibilities of project team members.
• Demonstrable success in supporting product launches.
• Technical approaches to problem solving.
• Driven with outstanding decision-making skills.
• Good understanding of health and safety requirements.

Desirable Criteria

• Understanding of Lean principles/Lean Sigma.
• Process knowledge outside of ambient chocolate (cakes/biscuits/snacks).
• Knowledge of global pladis brands, business, key competitors, and key markets.