Sr. Process Engineer / Production Engr / Production Sup positions (Rochester, MN)

Unclassified - Rochester, MN

Full-time - Mid Level

Rochester, MN

About the position

As a Production Supervisor, you will lead and coordinate the employee elements of your assigned work group to maximize efficiency. This role encompasses a variety of activities including hiring and termination of staff, implementing corrective actions, conducting annual reviews, and providing training, coaching, and counseling to team members. You will also be responsible for conflict resolution and other disciplinary actions as necessary. Your expertise will span across several departments including Fermentation, Cultures harvesting and packaging, Dry blend and packaging, Liquid Receiving and filtration and evaporation, Wet Blend operations, and Spray drying. You will need to understand and coordinate the operation of equipment, procedures, and compliance with SQF, HACCP, GMP, Safety, sanitation, and preventative maintenance programs, as well as personnel capabilities. In this role, you will utilize software such as Lotus Notes, SAP, and Mapics to perform transaction functions related to materials flow. You will train both new and existing team members on the operation of PCs, software, relevant PLC interfaces, and instrumentation, emphasizing the importance of adhering to JAMs and working instructions. Your goal will be to empower employees to perform their tasks independently by ensuring they have the necessary knowledge, training, and tools. You will also be responsible for ensuring that JAMs, working instructions, and process descriptions are up to date, accurate, and accessible to all team members. It is crucial that all procedures and instructions are followed during the production process. You will validate critical control point (CCP) instrumentation in the fermentation and cultures production process to ensure compliance with established quality assurance, GMP, and regulatory procedures. Additionally, you will report any equipment and instrumentation malfunctions immediately for repair and assist in troubleshooting and diagnosing problems to ensure timely repairs. As a Sr. Process Engineer, you will lead capital projects and continuous improvement initiatives focusing on sterilization, hydrolysis, fermentation, aseptic processing, centrifugation, filtration, lyophilization, spray drying, milling, and packaging. You will provide process technology support to TPMs and analyze project designs to ensure compliance with engineering principles, hygienic design standards, and HSE requirements. Your responsibilities will include overseeing all phases of assigned projects from inception to final operation, which encompasses project planning, cost estimating, scheduling, managing installation, supporting commissioning, operator training, and financial control. This role may require temporary relocation to complete projects at other Client locations, with the potential for permanent relocation, and travel requirements could be up to 50%.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate employee elements of assigned work group to maximize efficiency.
• Conduct hiring and termination of staff, implement corrective actions, and manage annual review processes.
• Train, coach, and counsel team members, and resolve conflicts as necessary.
• Become an expert in overseeing various production processes including fermentation, cultures harvesting, and packaging.
• Utilize software such as Lotus Notes, SAP, and Mapics for materials flow transactions.
• Empower employees to perform tasks independently by providing necessary knowledge and tools.
• Ensure JAMs, working instructions, and process descriptions are up to date and accessible.
• Validate critical control point (CCP) instrumentation in production processes to ensure compliance with quality assurance and regulatory procedures.
• Report equipment malfunctions and assist in troubleshooting and repairs.
• Lead capital projects and continuous improvement initiatives in various processing areas.
• Provide process technology support to TPMs and ensure compliance with engineering principles and standards.
• Oversee all phases of assigned projects from inception to final operation, including project planning and cost estimating.

Requirements

• Degree in engineering, food technology, or business preferred, or 5 years of production supervision experience with demonstrated leadership.
• Minimum 2 years of management/leadership experience in a dairy plant or related industry.
• Experience with SAP and a continuous improvement mindset is a plus.
• Flexibility to set a schedule for 24/7 operations, with occasional weekend work required.
• Familiarity with fermentation, spray drying, and powder processing is highly desirable.
• Strong communication, leadership, planning, and organizational skills are required.
• Minimum BS in Chemical Engineering with at least 5 years of process optimization experience in the food or pharmaceutical industry.
• Experience in process control systems and project management including schedules, cost estimates, and engineering documentation.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience in the food or pharmaceutical industry is preferred.
• Knowledge of HACCP studies and current good manufacturing practices (cGMPs).
• Strong problem-solving and organizational skills.
• Good interpersonal skills and ability to manage multiple priorities.

Benefits

• Full-time employment with competitive salary and benefits package.
• Opportunity to be part of a great culture and an awesome team.
• Challenging work environment with opportunities for growth.