Sr. Food Process Engineer
71 Days Old
Top reasons to work for our client:
- Great team environment!
- Manager is well respected by team!
- Inclusive Workplace
- Awesome career development opportunities!
- Competitive Rates
Join a dynamic and forward-thinking food manufacturing team leading innovation in frozen recipe meal production. We're seeking a Senior Food Process Engineer with 7-10+ years of experience in food manufacturing-ideally frozen meals-who can design, develop, and optimize high-speed, automated processing systems in compliance with FDA and USDA regulations. This role is key to launching a cutting-edge facility in East Chicago, IN, with a focus on sanitary design, advanced automation, and operational excellence.
What you will be doing:
- Lead design, installation, and commissioning of food processing and packaging systems (e.g., VFFS baggers, multi-head weighers).
- Ensure compliance with FDA/USDA regulations and food safety standards including GMP, HACCP, and SQF.
- Apply sanitary equipment design principles to layouts and system installations.
- Troubleshoot automated lines and collaborate with cross-functional teams on new product launches and process improvements.
- Manage capital projects from concept through vendor selection, procurement, and startup.
- Develop documentation such as PFDs, SOPs, sanitation protocols, and validation reports.
- Support automation system design and integration with control vendors.
- Track key metrics like throughput, yield, and waste to drive continuous improvement.
- Interface with contractors on utilities and infrastructure needs during commissioning.
- Collaborate with Finance and Operations to establish labor models and cost routings.
Experience you will need:
- Bachelor's degree in engineering, food science, or related field.
- 7-10+ years in food process engineering, preferably in frozen meal manufacturing.
- Expertise in FDA and USDA food safety regulations.
- Experience with high-speed packaging and processing equipment (e.g., VFFS, Yamato scales, conveyors).
- Proficiency in AutoCAD and process flow design.
- Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.
- Knowledge of GMP, HACCP, SQF, Lean Manufacturing, and Six Sigma.
- ERP familiarity (e.g., Plex, SAP, Oracle).
- Preferred: experience scaling from pilot to commercial, understanding of IQF processing, and utility systems knowledge.
- Location:
- Chicago