Regional Technical Manager

Refresco Careers•Chicago, IL

About The Position

The Regional Technical Manager provides multi-site technical leadership and hands-on support across an assigned region, reporting to the Senior Regional Technical Manager. The role focuses on end-to-end process auditing, QMS execution, process performance, sanitation, water treatment, startups, and sustainable corrective action. It partners with Quality, Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, suppliers, OEMs, and Corporate teams to verify controls and testing, resolve recurring manufacturing issues, close audit findings, improve process capability, and build plant capability through training and standardization. The role supports food safety and SQF programs, including validation and verification of prerequisite programs, process controls, sanitation systems, water systems, and significant process changes. It may escalate food-safety and quality risks and recommend stopping production, holding product, or delaying startup when technical controls are inadequate or not being executed as designed. The manager plans and conducts comprehensive process audits across assigned plants, evaluates execution against QMS and applicable requirements, documents objective evidence and control gaps, and works with plant owners to implement and verify corrective and preventive actions. Technical scope includes beverage filling, blending and processing; CIP/COP and sanitation effectiveness; water-treatment systems; and support for new lines, equipment installations, product trials, launches, and process changes. The role also develops and delivers technical training and standardizes procedures and troubleshooting materials across the network. This is an exempt position with a stated pay range of $122,360–$149,995, plus eligibility for performance-based bonuses. Travel is 50%–75% or more within the assigned region and other North American locations, including frequent overnight travel and extended plant support as business needs require.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering, Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, or a related technical field.
At least 5 years of technical, engineering, quality, or manufacturing experience in food or beverage manufacturing.
Demonstrated experience with end-to-end process auditing, corrective action and effectiveness verification, process troubleshooting, CIP/sanitation validation, water treatment, and equipment or line startups.
HACCP trained or certified.
Working knowledge of SQF, cGMPs, FDA/CFIA requirements, and GFSI schemes.
Strong knowledge of beverage processing and packaging systems, including filling, blending, carbonation, thermal processing, and process controls.
Strong working knowledge of CIP/COP, sanitation validation, microbiological controls, cleanability, and hygienic design.
Strong working knowledge of beverage water-treatment systems, including GAC, RO, UV, chlorination/oxidation, storage, distribution, and online instrumentation.
Excellent root-cause problem-solving, process troubleshooting, data analysis, and trend/SPC skills.
Proficiency in SAP, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and technical data tools; ability to interpret process flow diagrams, P&IDs, and equipment documentation.
Strong auditing, communication, training, facilitation, coaching, and influencing capabilities across plant and corporate functions.
Demonstrated ability to plan and conduct end-to-end manufacturing process audits, evaluate execution against QMS requirements, and turn findings into effective, sustainable corrective and preventive actions.
Ability to build credibility and influence plant-level leaders through technical expertise, clear communication, collaboration, and sound recommendations without direct reporting authority.
Ability to travel 50%–75% or more within the assigned region and other North American locations, including frequent overnight travel and extended plant support.
Regularly stand, walk, and conduct plant-floor inspections; work in environments that may include wet areas, elevated temperatures, noise, chemicals, moving equipment, and required PPE; maintain close attention to process conditions, product attributes, equipment performance, and technical data.
Manage pressure associated with urgent technical issues, startups, travel, and deadlines.

Nice To Haves

Multi-site support experience.
SQF Practitioner training.

Responsibilities

Provide hands-on technical support across assigned plants and prioritize work according to food-safety, quality, customer, operational, and financial risk.
Lead root-cause investigations and corrective actions for recurring or high-impact technical issues; partner with plant teams, Engineering, suppliers, and OEMs on sustainable solutions and best-practice standardization.
Support site SQF Practitioners and HACCP teams with validation and verification of prerequisite programs, process controls, sanitation systems, water systems, and significant process changes.
Escalate food-safety and quality risks and recommend stopping production, placing product on hold, or delaying startup when technical controls are inadequate or not executed as designed.
Plan, schedule, and conduct end-to-end process audits at assigned plants, covering receiving through shipping and the related processing, testing, packaging, and warehousing stages.
Verify through observation, record review, and independent checks that required inspections, tests, sampling, measurements, documentation, verification, and escalation meet QMS, procedure, specification, regulatory, and customer requirements.
Document audit evidence and control gaps, communicate results to plant and regional leadership, and assign clear corrective-action ownership and due dates.
Partner with plant leadership and functional owners to develop, implement, track, close, and verify corrective and preventive actions arising from audits, inspections, and assessments; escalate overdue or high-risk findings.
Lead root-cause analysis for filling, blending, and processing systems and recurring plant losses; troubleshoot fill control, carbonation, Brix, pH, thermal processing, mixing, flow, pressure, and package-performance issues.
Use process data and trends to reduce variability, improve First Time Right, increase yield, reduce waste, and minimize downtime.
Lead or support CIP/COP validation and sanitation-effectiveness verification; evaluate cleaning factors and support investigations of microbiological excursions, biofilm, and recurring sanitation failures.
Provide technical support for water-treatment systems, including chlorination, media filtration, GAC, RO, UV, ozone, and treated-water storage and distribution; troubleshoot chemistry, microbiological control, membranes, scaling, fouling, and system efficiency.
Support online monitoring, manual verification, calibration, data integrity, trending, and validation of new or modified water systems.
Support new lines, major equipment installations, product trials, launches, and significant process changes; participate in risk assessments and readiness/Go-No-Go reviews and verify controls before commercialization.
Provide on-site technical support during startup and stabilization and document lessons learned.
Identify training needs and develop and deliver classroom and hands-on training for operators, technicians, supervisors, and Quality personnel; coach teams and verify consistent execution and sustained improvement.
Develop and standardize SOPs, work instructions, troubleshooting guides, qualification materials, and technical training, and share proven solutions across the network.