Process Engineer

GEA Group•Oakdale, CA

10d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Process Engineer supports sales, engineering, commissioning, and optimization of GEA Process systems in the Sanitary Powder and Thermal Separations (PTS) Department. The role involves designing and improving equipment configurations, process flows, and systems, ensuring that developed processes meet or exceed GEA standards and customer objectives. The engineer is responsible for meeting company and client quality, safety, and environmental requirements. The position contributes to projects from execution hand-off through engineering, commissioning, and optimization, and may also support pre-award sales activities. It works closely with project teams, customers, suppliers, technology centers, and GEA centers of competence to develop technical solutions and complete projects within agreed specifications, schedules, budgets, and contract constraints. The engineer also provides site support, troubleshooting, training, and mentoring to other Process Engineers. The role offers a hybrid working schedule of up to two remote days per week and requires approximately 25% travel, potentially up to 40%, depending on project needs. The position is based in the United States and does not offer visa or work sponsorship.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Food Technology, or a similar related field.
Four to six years of experience.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work both collaboratively and independently.
Ability to be self-motivated, take initiative, make decisions, and demonstrate commercial or business acumen.
Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
Excellent time management skills, including the ability to meet deadlines and prioritize tasks.
Ability to function effectively in a fast-paced and sometimes stressful environment.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite or related software.
Willingness to travel approximately 25% of the time, potentially up to 40%, depending on project needs.
Authorization to work in the United States without current or future visa or work sponsorship.

Nice To Haves

Experience with evaporator design and/or operation.
Processing experience in the food, dairy, or beverage industry.
Experience with evaporation, spray drying, and powder handling.

Responsibilities

Participate in project phases from execution hand-off through engineering, commissioning, and optimization.
Occasionally support Technical Offer Management with initial customer meetings, pre-award sales support, cost estimation, and proposal generation.
Manage assigned technical areas of projects, follow design standards, and optimize designs to meet customer specifications within schedule, budget, and contract constraints.
Collaborate with project teams to achieve project milestones and goals.
Identify and justify scope changes affecting process design throughout the project life cycle.
Provide technical solutions that meet customer expectations and requirements.
Maintain accurate records of meetings, discussions, correspondence, and technical documents.
Develop Block Flow Diagrams, Process Flow Diagrams, Process and Instrumentation Diagrams, and heat and mass balances.
Develop process equipment specifications and specify or design utility consumption.
Contribute to general arrangement plot plans and elevation view drawings.
Evaluate and approve design changes, specifications, and drawing releases.
Develop process and functional descriptions of operation.
Lead and facilitate software factory acceptance testing (FAT) and confirm operation against process and functional descriptions.
Plan and implement test procedures and commissioning plans.
Troubleshoot equipment and system performance issues and provide technical support to resolve customer concerns.
Complete plant audits.
Ensure compliance with government regulations, safety and environmental requirements, and industry standards, including sanitary requirements.
Support safety evaluations, including HAZOP meetings.
Collaborate with team members, technology centers, and GEA European Centers of Competence on technology improvements and project execution.
Coordinate with other disciplines to reduce deficiencies, errors, and omissions in technical documents and specifications.
Develop relationships with technical stakeholders concerning process design and operation.
Provide pre-sale and post-sale support, including site evaluations, pilot trials, presentations, and training.
Technically evaluate third-party supplier proposals and equipment selections.
Work with customers in support of sales managers and build and maintain customer relationships.
Lead or support on-site commissioning activities and train customer personnel on GEA process systems during commissioning.
Provide ongoing troubleshooting support, train customer personnel, and report process improvement initiatives.
Mentor other Process Engineers.