Staff Engineer R&D Process Technology
About The Hershey Company
The Hershey Company is an industry-leading snacks company known for making more moments of goodness through its iconic brands. With a strong portfolio across chocolate, confectionery, and salty snacks, Hershey delights consumers every day. Beloved brands include Hershey’s, Reese’s, KitKat®, Dots Pretzels, Lesser Evil, Jolly Rancher, Twizzlers, and Ice Breakers.
Our culture is rooted in purpose and inspired by Milton Hershey’s enduring vision that business should create opportunity for others. Through corporate philanthropy, we support communities, help children thrive, and operate as a business for good, including a deep partnership with Milton Hershey School. Hershey is recognized as a top employer in the U.S., reflecting our commitment to people, culture, and purpose.
Guided by our employee value proposition, Lead Today. Create Tomorrow, we empower our people to drive impact now while shaping what comes next. Our One Hershey mindset fosters collaboration across functions, geographies, and businesses.
About the Role
The Staff Engineer, Process Technology R&D provides technical leadership for complex process development programs within Hershey’s Research & Development organization. Reporting to the Sr. Manager, Process Technology R&D, this role applies process engineering and food science expertise to develop scalable technologies supporting innovation, validation, and commercialization across key product platforms.
The primary focus is leading chocolate and process development for Salty Snacks, Better-for-You, CMG, Sweets & Refreshments, with an emphasis on Baking, Protein, Fiber, and Wafers. The role leads technical strategy and process development from early research through commercial implementation, ensuring solutions are scalable and aligned with business objectives.
Responsibilities
- Lead complex process development and validation programs across Better-for-You, Salty Snacks, CMG, and Sweets & Refreshments platforms.
- Identify, evaluate, and advance new process technologies that support innovation and business growth.
- Provide technical leadership for high-complexity projects in multitexture and baked products, including process development and commercialization across multiple platforms (Salty, Sweet, BFY, etc.).
- Drive scale-up from early development through pilot and commercial implementation.
- Partner with cross-functional teams to deliver commercially viable process solutions aligned with business objectives.
- Transfer technical knowledge, process learnings, and recommendations to Product Development, Commercialization, Operations, and Manufacturing teams.
- Mentor junior engineers and provide leadership and direction to technicians supporting development activities.
- Build and maintain external technical networks with suppliers, research institutes, universities, and industry experts.
Requirements
- BS in Chemical Engineering, Food Engineering, Biological Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related engineering field.
- 8 to 10 years of related experience.
- Experience in food processing, snacks, Fiber, Protein, Baking, Tortilla Chips, and Wafers is preferred.
Collaborators
- Technical and professional employees within Global R&D, including Product Development.
- Manufacturing, Operations, and Plant Quality Assurance.
- Quality and Regulatory Compliance.
- Sensory, Legal, Procurement, Marketing, Commercialization, and Engineering teams.
- External business partners, suppliers, research institutes, and universities.
Benefits
- Health & Wellbeing: Medical, dental, and vision coverage, plus wellness programs supporting physical and mental health.
- Financial Security: Competitive pay, annual incentive opportunities, and a 401(k) with company match.
- Time Off & Flexibility: Paid time off, company holidays, and flexible work arrangements where applicable.
- Growth & Development: Career development programs, learning opportunities, and internal mobility.
Benefits may vary based on role, location, and eligibility.