Senior Process Engineer

Hilmar Cheese Company Inc.•Dodge City, KS

9d•$87,865 - $131,798

About The Position

At Hilmar Cheese Company we improve lives around the world through wholesome dairy products. Since our founding in 1984, Hilmar Cheese Company has been committed to innovation and sustainability. Our state-of-the art production facilities convert an abundance of locally sourced high-quality milk into a variety of nutritious cheeses, whey protein and lactose. The Cheese and Ingredients that we produce create a wide variety of retail and food service products from sliced and shredded cheeses, to protein supplements and infant formula. We are a trusted partner to premier food and beverage brands in more than fifty countries helping bring their vision into reality. Throughout our decades of success and growth we have remained committed to our mission and values and these principles unite our people and guide all that we do. A Typical DayThe Senior Process Engineer is responsible for supporting the Company’s strategic objectives through development of the optimum, most cost-effective process technologies used to manufacture Hilmar’s products to enhance profitability, market position, and growth. This position will provide subject matter expertise on Process Engineering aspects of the manufacturing process: maximizing productivity, reducing operating costs, and improving process sustainability through energy and water usage reduction. Through the understanding of engineering and technology, the Senior Process Engineer drives the continuous improvement of Hilmar’s process capabilities by providing short and long term direction for technical investment. The position will support multiple manufacturing sites as well as specialize in a specific manufacturing area, CIP/sanitation systems, or utility systems.

Requirements

B.S. in Chemical, Biochemical, or Environmental Engineering, or other Engineering field plus 5 years’ manufacturing experience, or M.S. in Chemical, Biochemical, or Environmental Engineering, or other Engineering field plus 4 years’ manufacturing experience
Ability to complete mass and energy balances and collect and analyze production data using statistical techniques
Ability to effectively summarize and present technical information to a variety of audiences
Ability to develop operational models of plant processesExperience with writing functional descriptions of physical processes
Experience with clean-in-place (CIP) system design and operational principles
Certification or direct experience with Problem Solving methodologies (ex: Root Cause Analysis)
MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint at intermediate level
Leadership and teambuilding skills

Nice To Haves

B.S. in Chemical, Biochemical, or Environmental Engineering, or other Engineering field plus 8 years’ manufacturing experience, or M.S. in Chemical, Biochemical, or Environmental Engineering, or other Engineering field plus 6 years’ manufacturing experience
3+ years’ experience with process optimization in the Food and/or Dairy industry
Knowledge of wastewater treatment systems in the dairy industry
Knowledge of integrated water reclamation/reuse within a manufacturing facility
Project Management certifications, such as PMP or CAPM
Experience with statistical analysis or process modeling software
Knowledge of CQV (Commissioning, Qualification, Validation) criteria development and implementation

Responsibilities

Be a critical owner and technical leader within Process Improvement teams by using end-to-end thinking and delivering Process Engineering solutions company-wide.
Develop and set direction for initiative roadmaps that improve yield, quality, throughput, and sustainability of Hilmar’s manufacturing processes.
Lead troubleshooting of complex operational issues to find win:win solutions that balance multiple KPIs and optimize total cost of ownership. Provide subject matter expertise and resource prioritization direction.
Support strategic initiatives by providing early engineering solution concepts to business stakeholders.
Identify new technology opportunities, define their business value and connection to company strategy, and usher initiatives from feasibility testing through plants trials and implementation.
Provide technical design decisions and outcome ownership within cross-functional project teams.
Ability to coach, mentor others, and deliver technical training while also directly managing specific areas of work with a hands-on approach where necessary.
Manage and contribute content to Hilmar’s knowledge base for Manufacturing, Sanitation, Utility, and/or Water Reclamation processes. Develop and deploy roadmaps to transfer learnings across all sites.
Stay up to date on latest available technologies, industry direction, and voice of customer to continuously improve HCC’s technology portfolio to sustain and grow our competitive advantage. Manage Hilmar’s trade secrets and competitive advantage appropriately.
Supporting multiple manufacturing sites, this role should expect an average of 20 – 40% travel.