Process Improvement Engineer - Essentia

The purpose of this job is to provide process expertise and enable improvement in manufacturing productivity and efficiency through process optimization, equipment. This will be accomplished through cross-functional teamwork, systems utilization, data analysis, and innovation. This role provides support primarily to the Dalton, GA facility but may also support Essentia food plants in Iowa (Lytton and Harlan).

JOB QUALIFICATIONS:

Education:

B.S. in Chemical Engineering, Food Engineering, Industrial Engineering or related field and three years industry experience preferred. Minimum requirement of high school diploma (or equivalent) with at least five years of industrial processing experience.

Experience:

Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in a manufacturing environment with an understanding of process control and continuous improvement is required.

Working knowledge of food industry, manufacturing, food safety, and GMP is preferred.

Lean Six Sigma certification (green belt or black belt) preferred, but will train as needed.

JOB DUTIES:

Provide technical expertise and assistance to the plant in resolving process problems and equipment issues and develop appropriate reporting to enable institutional knowledge of issues.

Using data-driven continuous improvement techniques, recommend and implement improvements to existing production processes, methods, and controls to achieve continued improvements in plant efficiency, cost reduction, and energy savings. Plan and execute necessary plant trials and experiments to provide support for improvements.

Provide training on plant unit operations to plant employees, including operators and maintenance staff, in support of employee onboarding and operational success.

In partnership with R&D, lead post-start-up commercialization activities for innovation and other R&D projects, including interfacing with the plant teams, assessing process capability and ongoing operational sustainability of the product, and conducting formal post-launch reviews as part of the Essentia Stage Gate Process.

Work closely with the plant teams on improvement and innovation ideas, review, and provide engineering and project support for the capital process as needed.

Support process engineering initiatives for Essentia North America, including capacity/facility expansion projects as well as internal plant projects

Champion the use of data and data-driven decisions in pursuit of process improvements.

Other duties as assigned.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

Solid technical background in chemical engineering or food processing, especially in basic unit operations, such as heating, evaporation, separation, drying process, liquid transporting, etc.

Demonstrated problem-solving skills and familiarity with process capability tools to analyze complex manufacturing processes.

Creative thought leadership that can take ideas and provide alternatives for productivity improvement and cost reduction.

Familiarity with CAD (or engineering drawings) and demonstrated skills in Microsoft Excel and/or statistical software.

Experience with data collection and interpretation, case study and fact establishment, troubleshooting and diagnosing, drawing valid conclusions, and the ability to apply critical thinking skills. Must be detail oriented.

Strong communication skills (both oral and written) across multiple levels of the organization.

Ability to work independently but also have the ability and aspiration to be an accountable and open-minded team player.

Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.

Some experience in food manufacturing is preferred.

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