Process Development & Product Integration Manager – Hydrolysate & Coproducts

Tidal Vision • Beaumont, TX

25d • $130,000 - $160,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Process Development & Product Integration Manager is responsible for the production-aligned development, validation, and commercialization of hydrolysate and coproduct streams generated through shell processing and downstream operations. This role supports two primary focus areas: hydrolysate integration and validation, including incorporation of protein sludge into existing liquid fertilizer production systems, and development of a unified agricultural product derived from multiple coproduct streams. This is a hands-on industrial process development role that bridges research and production by applying established scientific principles and mass balance frameworks developed by the Bellingham R&D team to real-world plant conditions in Texas. The position leads applied validation, scale-up alignment, and commercial product integration to ensure process innovations and coproduct streams can be successfully implemented within production environments.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Biochemical Engineering, Process Engineering, or a related field preferred, or equivalent hands-on industrial experience, with 5–10+ years in industrial process development, chemical processing, bio-based manufacturing, or fertilizer production.
• Demonstrated ability to translate lab-scale work into pilot or production-scale validation.
• Strong understanding of mass balances and process flows.
• Experience working in active production environments alongside operators.
• Proven ability to design and execute practical, production-aligned experiments.
• Strong documentation discipline and ability to produce clear technical summaries.
• Comfortable operating independently in commissioning-stage or early-growth facilities.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot process variability and material handling challenges.
• Travel 10–20% as required.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with protein hydrolysates, enzymatic processing, or acid hydrolysis systems.
• Familiarity with wastewater sludge processing, DAF systems, or organic residual streams.
• Experience working with drying systems (fluid bed, rotary dryers, or similar equipment).
• Background in fertilizer production, agricultural inputs, soil amendments, or bio-based materials.
• Familiarity with break tank batch systems and staged blending operations.
• Experience building or outfitting a laboratory or pilot-scale facility.
• Supervision of small teams such as lab technicians or project execution teams.
• Coordination with external analytical laboratories.

Responsibilities

• Hydrolysate Integration & Sludge Validation
• Apply established hydrolysate process principles to Texas production systems.
• Lead validation trials incorporating protein sludge into existing liquid fertilizer production lines.
• Evaluate stability, filtration behavior, nitrogen reduction impact, storage performance, and agronomic metrics under production conditions.
• Document integration parameters including dosing ranges, mixing sequences, and break tank impacts.
• Provide feedback when plant conditions deviate from modeled assumptions.
• Coproduct Consolidation & Product Development
• Develop a unified agricultural product derived from shell fines, chito-fining streams, and other coproduct outputs.
• Validate drying parameters using fluid bed systems and future equipment installations.
• Establish baseline physical properties and agronomic performance metrics.
• Define blending strategies and application rate ranges.
• Ensure compatibility with fertilizer handling, storage, and distribution systems.
• Process Validation & Scale-Up Support
• Apply process flow and mass balance principles to production-scale conditions.
• Identify and document deviations between modeled process assumptions and plant performance.
• Support break tank trials, sludge testing, and dissolved air flotation (DAF) evaluations.
• Maintain detailed trial documentation tied to throughput, tank capacity, and yield performance.
• Serve as the Texas-based operational feedback loop for continuous process improvement.
• Laboratory Establishment & Industrial Experimentation
• Establish and equip a hydrolysate and coproduct testing laboratory in Beaumont, Texas.
• Develop an equipment procurement plan and commissioning timeline.
• Conduct plant-aligned experiments using real feedstocks and production systems.
• Support commissioning-stage troubleshooting and product validation activities.
• Maintain clear, production-relevant experimental documentation.
• Transitional Quality Leadership
• Develop and implement sampling protocols for new products and coproduct streams.
• Coordinate nutrient and quality validation with external laboratories.
• Establish baseline performance metrics for hydrolysate and dry coproduct products.
• Develop safety protocols related to newly established product offerings.
• Transition routine quality control responsibilities to trained operators and future lab technicians as production stabilizes.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance, optional FSA/HSA, 401k with 6% employer match, life and AD&D insurance, Employee Assistance Program, short & long term disability, tuition reimbursement, 21.67 days of paid time off + 10 holidays

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level