Process Engineer

$95,000 - $105,000/Yr

Beyond Meat - El Segundo, CA

Full-time - Entry Level

El Segundo, CA

Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods

About the position

At Beyond Meat, we are committed to revolutionizing the way we think about meat by creating plant-based alternatives that allow families to enjoy their favorite dishes while promoting health, sustainability, and animal welfare. The Process Engineer I will play a crucial role in this mission by collaborating closely with the Pilot Plant Manager and the Commercialization team. This position is designed for an engineer who will guide new product innovations from the feasibility stage through to production-scale capability and readiness, ensuring that we achieve successful and timely production launches. The Process Engineer I will focus on food process engineering, development, and scale-up, ensuring that our production lines deliver high-quality products that meet our specifications. This role will involve developing and implementing new processes at the feasibility and pilot stages, followed by the scale-up and commissioning of production-ready manufacturing processes. The ideal candidate will have 2-5 years of successful experience in food process engineering, demonstrating strong process capabilities and a keen interest in scaling up bench-top processes to pilot or production levels, particularly for innovative food products. A collaborative, team-oriented perspective is essential for success in this role. In addition to technical expertise, the Process Engineer I will be expected to apply robust science and data capture in executing food process development work. The individual must demonstrate self-initiative in organizing, executing, and delivering value-added results that align with project objectives and scope. Frequent travel may be necessary, and the candidate should be prepared for travel on non-regular intervals.

Responsibilities

• Assist in ideation, design, set up, and execution of pilot-scale experiments.
• Identify and test new equipment for the development of new products in the pilot plant.
• Optimize and troubleshoot equipment and processes to ensure desired product quality attributes are achieved.
• Communicate, coordinate, and execute within process engineering and cross-functional product commercialization teams to align and deliver process engineering learnings and results.
• Collaborate with R&D and Operations teams on new and renovated product development programs to meet objectives, manufacturability, timelines, and cost targets.
• Conduct process engineering development, including PFDs, energy and mass balance, process and equipment trials, process design, specification, and commissioning.
• Verify food manufacturing processes and equipment for production capability, scale, and readiness.
• Identify key product and process parameters and scaling factors necessary for production scale-up and success.
• Assess and identify existing or new food manufacturing process equipment and technology solutions for new or renovated products.
• Suggest creative ideas for future commercialization.
• Advance product and process development from feasibility stage to new product introduction and production launch, collaborating with R&D, Manufacturing, Quality, and Supply Chain teams.
• Develop and achieve product and process viability and design-for-manufacturability at pilot scale, ensuring scalability and meeting project objectives.
• Ensure quality and food safety critical control points and requirements are built into the equipment and process specifications.
• Establish engineering specifications and provide oversight for equipment and associated tooling selection, procurement, installation, and commissioning.
• Inform the development of cost estimates, budgets (capital and expense), and associated plans for the process engineering portion of project activities.
• Maintain and follow GMP and Lab safety protocols in compliance with EH&S guidelines.

Requirements

• BS in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Process Engineering, Biosystems Engineering or Food Process Engineering - required.
• 2-5 years of relevant food process engineering experience working with R&D, Commercialization, and Operations in NPI process development, production scale-up, and commercial launches - required.
• Experience in the food industry - required.
• GMP and SQF experience - preferred.
• Computer literacy in Microsoft 365 (Office, Teams, Outlook, etc.), DOE software, AutoCAD, CFD - preferred.
• Proven engineering experience in a growth-oriented business environment, with a track record of overcoming difficult challenges to achieve business and project objectives.
• Demonstrated success in process engineering development, scale-up, and commissioning including high-impact work output, trials, and production launches.
• Strong problem-solving ability to simplify complex processes and implement practical solutions.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Customer service orientation, with the ability to understand and anticipate needs, practice active listening, and adapt to changing situations.

Nice-to-haves

• GMP and SQF experience
• Computer literacy in DOE software, AutoCAD, CFD

Benefits

• Base salary between $95,000 and $105,000 annually, depending on experience and skills.
• Potential eligibility for bonuses, equity, and benefits.