Sr. Process Engineer

About the role

At Lactalis Midwest Yogurt in Reed City, Michigan, we’re hiring a Senior Process Engineer to own the yogurt-making process from Milk Receiving through finished yogurt delivery to packaging. You’ll work on site with operations, quality, and engineering teams to continuously improve performance and provide technical leadership for equipment and processes on your systems. This role offers the opportunity to see the product you make every day on store shelves.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrate clear understanding and execution of human and food safety practices in a food manufacturing plant.
• Demonstrate expertise in manufacturing information systems, quality metrics, analysis methods, and procedures.
• Leverage and advance system capability through people, process, and technology.
• Lead and support technical improvements on your systems.
• Coach and provide technical expertise on problem solving and continuous improvement activities.
• Provide leadership support for technical resources, including maintenance technicians and controls technicians.
• Identify, vet, and implement productivity solutions on your system.
• Partner with R&D, Quality, Operations, and Engineering/Maintenance to drive system improvements and reduce losses.
• Lead development of the future state of your systems and provide technical expertise in developing improvement plans.
• Develop and champion a system vision, technical road map, and capital needs to support the Long Range Plan for your systems.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical, Ag/Food Process Engineering or a related degree with extensive food manufacturing experience.
• 3+ years of relevant manufacturing experience.
• Strong ability to work hands-on in a manufacturing plant environment with operators, mechanics, and other departments in the plant and business teams.
• Strong interpersonal skills, effective written and oral communication, strong listening skills, and strong coaching/teaching skills.
• Ability to learn quickly and have curiosity to dig into challenges to identify and correct root cause.
• Demonstrated technical leadership, adaptability, analytical and problem-solving skills, decision making, troubleshooting, communication, team management, and human relations skills.
• Innovative, resourceful, and able to work with minimal direction.
• Excellent organization, problem solving, communication, and team leadership skills.
• Ability to multi-task, prioritize work, and make data-driven decisions.
• Good understanding of mechanics, fluid dynamics, and heat transfer.
• Ability to read and develop equipment and process flow diagrams.
• Experience using and developing mass balance for systems.
• Ability to work well with computer Office applications, particularly Microsoft Excel.

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ years in relevant food manufacturing with engineering experience.
• Experience working in dairy manufacturing and demonstrated understanding of PMO Dairy and 3A Sanitary Design Standards.
• Experience working with CIP systems and sanitation.
• Strong mechanical and electrical aptitude.

Benefits

• Comprehensive Total Rewards Program with a variety of affordable benefits and coverage options.
• Significant support for insurance costs.
• Generous contributions to retirement plans.
• Paid Time Off from day one.
• Training and development opportunities, including Education Reimbursement.
• Commitment to professional growth.