Regional Technical Manager

Refresco•Fort Worth, TX

2d•$122,360 - $149,995

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 position supports food safety and SQF systems, conducts comprehensive manufacturing process audits, and works with plant leaders to develop, implement, and verify corrective and preventive actions. It troubleshoots beverage processing and packaging systems, sanitation and water-treatment systems, and supports new lines, equipment installations, product trials, launches, and significant process changes. The manager also develops and delivers technical training and standardizes procedures and troubleshooting materials across the network. The position regularly involves manufacturing environments, including plant-floor inspections, wet areas, elevated temperatures, noise, chemicals, moving equipment, and required PPE. It requires 50%-75% or more travel within the assigned region and other North American locations, including frequent overnight travel and extended plant support as business needs require.

Requirements

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.
Working knowledge of SQF food safety systems, HACCP principles, prerequisite programs, validation, verification, and corrective-action expectations.
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 translate findings into effective, sustainable corrective and preventive actions.
Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering, Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, or a related technical field.
Minimum of 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/certified.
Working knowledge of SQF, cGMPs, FDA/CFIA requirements, and GFSI schemes.

Nice To Haves

Multi-site support experience.
SQF Practitioner training.

Responsibilities

Provide hands-on technical support across assigned plants, prioritizing work based on food safety, quality, customer, operational, and financial risk.
Lead complex root-cause investigations and corrective actions for recurring or high-impact technical issues.
Partner with plant teams, Engineering, suppliers, and OEMs to implement sustainable technical solutions and standardize best practices.
Support site SQF Practitioners and HACCP teams in validating and verifying 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 not capable, validated, or executed as designed.
Plan, schedule, and conduct end-to-end process audits at assigned plants, covering receiving through shipping.
Verify through observation, record review, and independent checks that required inspections, tests, sampling, measurements, documentation, verification, and escalation comply with QMS requirements, approved procedures, specifications, regulations, and customer standards.
Document objective evidence, identify control gaps and systemic risks, communicate audit results, and establish corrective-action ownership and due dates.
Partner with plant leadership and functional owners to develop, implement, and close corrective and preventive actions arising from audits, inspections, and other assessments.
Evaluate root causes and action plans; track due dates; verify implementation, effectiveness, and sustainability; and 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 and 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 and troubleshoot water chemistry, microbiological control, membrane performance, scaling, fouling, and treatment efficiency.
Support 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.
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 plant teams at the point of execution and conduct follow-up observation and verification to confirm processes are followed and improvements are sustained.
Develop and standardize SOPs, work instructions, troubleshooting guides, qualification materials, and technical training; share proven solutions and lessons learned across the network.