Process Engineer

Danone•Louisville, CO

11d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Process Engineer is responsible for optimizing and scaling up manufacturing processes, improving efficiency, ensuring product quality, and supporting continuous improvement initiatives across dairy and plant-based beverage and yogurt production lines. This role partners with Operations, QFS, R&I, and Engineering to deliver safe, cost-effective, consumer preferred and scalable processes. The ideal candidate will bring strong communication skills, a proactive mindset, and the ability to adapt in a dynamic environment.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree or higher in Chemical/Process engineering, Food Engineering or related field
1-5 years of manufacturing or process engineering experience
Experience in CPG, food, or beverage manufacturing
Strong understanding of: Fluid flow, heat transfer, shear rates and mass balance
CIP and Sanitation systems
PLC/SCADA
MES or manufacturing data systems
Data analysis skills (excel, Minitab, Power BI, Historian trending)
Statistical Process control (SPC)
Understanding of ingredient variability (e.g. plant vs dairy proteins)
Experience dealing with: Viscosity differences in different product matrices
Ingredient functionality (e.g stabilizers, emulsifiers) and shelf-life considerations
Fermentation cycles

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of thermal processing (HTST/UHT)
Exposure to aseptic/ ESL processing and/ or packaging
Experience with: Dairy processing (milk, cream, yogurt)
Plant Based Beverages (almond, oat, coconut, soy)
Fermentation systems
Membrane filtration expertise a plus

Responsibilities

Monitor and optimize unit operations such as: Batching, Pasteurization / UHT processing, Homogenization, Fermentation (yogurt, cultured products), Filling, Equipment controls and automation
Co-lead new process development & validation together with R&I PD leads & Ops Engineering
Identify process bottlenecks and implement efficiency improvements
Support line trials, scale-ups, and product commercialization activities
Lead or support Lean / Six Sigma initiatives (waste, yield, downtime, process capability)
Perform root cause analysis (RCA) on production issues
Drive OEE improvement projects
Develop and maintain industrial trial reports, SOPs, etc.
Ensure compliance with: GMPs, HACCP, and food safety plans, Pasteurization and thermal validation requirements
Partner with QFS to resolve deviations and maintain regulatory compliance and deliver against consumer key criteria elements
Troubleshoot processing equipment (tanks, mixers, heat exchangers, fillers) during new process design and scale-up
Support design, commissioning, and startup of new equipment at both Pilot and Industrial sites
Work with vendors and contractors during capital projects for both Pilot plant and Industrial scale
Project Management of capital projects being implemented in Pilot Plant
Collaborate with: R&I on new product scale-up and experimental design, Pilot Operations on scale-up
Occasionally provide technical training to operators and supervisors
Process Equipment SME