Senior Process Engineer

About the role

Join FrieslandCampina as a Senior Process Engineer and become a key technical leader supporting our Darlington facility. In this role, you will leverage data, engineering expertise, and continuous improvement methodologies to enhance safety, quality, efficiency, reliability, and production performance across our ingredients and cheese operations. You will work cross-functionally with Operations, Quality, Maintenance, and Automation teams while serving as the Technology & Engineering representative on the Plant Management Team.

Responsibilities

• Lead process optimization initiatives that improve yield, throughput, product quality, reliability, and cost performance.
• Analyze process data and leverage engineering principles to identify bottlenecks, reduce variability, and drive sustainable improvements.
• Serve as the senior technical resource for process-related troubleshooting and root cause analysis.
• Support the introduction of new products, recipes, equipment, and manufacturing technologies into production.
• Provide process engineering expertise for capital projects, equipment upgrades, commissioning, and validation activities.
• Develop and maintain process standards, operating parameters, technical documentation, and work instructions.
• Ensure compliance with food safety, GMP, quality, environmental, and safety requirements.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on OEE, waste reduction, energy optimization, and operational effectiveness.
• Represent the Technology & Engineering function on the Darlington Plant Management Team, helping shape plant priorities and business decisions.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Food Process Engineering, Dairy Technology, or a related technical discipline.
• 7+ years of engineering experience within dairy, food, ingredients, or other complex manufacturing environments.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing processes, process optimization, and operational excellence.
• Proven success leading process improvement initiatives and solving complex technical challenges.
• Experience with Lean, Six Sigma, Root Cause Analysis, OEE improvement, or similar continuous improvement methodologies.
• Knowledge of GMP, food safety, quality management systems, and regulatory requirements.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence without direct authority.
• Experience with whey ingredients processing, membrane filtration, and spray drying technologies is highly desirable.

About the company

At FrieslandCampina, we live our values every day:

• We Act With Respect – fostering inclusion, integrity, and collaboration.
• We Aim Higher – continuously improving ourselves and our business.
• We Succeed Together – achieving results through teamwork and shared success.

We believe our greatest accomplishments happen when we support one another and work toward a common goal. We value talented people from any background who want to contribute to something bigger than themselves. We encourage all of our employees to make decisions that benefit our entire company. At FrieslandCampina, we own our own careers and act accordingly. We trust you to make a difference in your job and influence the bigger picture.

We’re more than a company—we’re a global cooperative, owned by over 14,000 dairy farmers who believe in sustainable, responsible nutrition. At FrieslandCampina Ingredients, we’re united by a shared mission to nourish people’s potential—naturally.

Benefits

• Join a team that values diversity, curiosity, and collaboration.
• Work in a dynamic, science-driven culture with a focus on growth and innovation.
• Be empowered to pursue your own growth, both personally and professionally.
• Opportunity to work on meaningful projects that improve manufacturing performance while supporting the production of high-quality dairy products enjoyed around the world.