Process Development & Product Integration Manager – Hydrolysate & Coproducts

Tidal Vision•Beaumont, TX

24d•$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.