Process & Controls Engineer - Proliant Dairy Ingredients

JOB QUALIFICATIONS:

Education and Experience Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Food Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related discipline.
• Minimum 2 years of experience in the food or beverage manufacturing environment, ideally dairy.
• Strong understanding of unit operations: thermal processing, evaporation, drying, filtration, separation, pumping, CIP and sanitation.
• Working knowledge of FDA/USDA regulations and food safety systems.
• Proficiency in data analysis tools (Excel, Power BI, Minitab, or similar).
• Familiarity with Allen-Bradley's ControlLogix 5000 programming software and/or Ignition. 

Preferred Experience:

• Experience with Dairy processes, including evaporation, drying and membrane filtration (UF/RO/NF), or spray drying.
• Lean/Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification.
• Experience working in high-volume Dairy processing environments.
• Familiarity with AutoCAD, or other process modeling tools.
• Strong project management experience.

This role may be fully remote when not traveling, with regular travel to company manufacturing sites (approximately 60%). Candidates located within driving distance of Melrose, MN or St Johns, MI are preferred.

JOB DUTIES:

Process Design and Optimization

• Analyze, develop, and optimize unit operations such as evaporation, drying, filtration, membrane processing, and thermal treatment.
• Conduct time, yield, and mass‑balance studies to identify inefficiencies and implement solutions.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives using Lean, Six Sigma, or similar methodologies.
• Support capacity expansion projects by providing process calculations, equipment specifications, and line balancing.
• Create, edit, and update Process Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs) in alignment with engineering and operational requirements.
• Identify and implement process improvements that reduce energy consumption, improve thermal efficiency, and lower utility costs.

Technical Leadership

• Provide input and expertise for Dairy processing technologies, including equipment CIP, Process improvement via equipment optimization.
• Collaborate with R&D to scale new products—from bench to pilot to full commercial scale.
• Troubleshoot process deviations and performance bottlenecks.

Data Performance and Analysis

• Utilize statistical tools to track process KPIs such as yields, moisture, solids content, viscosity, and other key process metrics.
• Interpret manufacturing data to make recommendations for efficiency improvement or quality enhancement.
• Support implementation and refinement of MES/SCADA systems for process monitoring.

Quality, Food, and Safety Compliance

• Ensure all processes comply with HACCP, USDA, FDA, and SQF/BRC requirements.
• Maintain documentation including process flow diagrams (PFDs), SOPs, and control plans.
• Work with QA to resolve customer complaints, deviations, and audit findings.

Project and Equipment Support

• Assist with equipment evaluation, FAT/SAT testing, commissioning, and startup.
• Manage small‑to‑medium capital projects, including scope, budget, timeline, and contractor coordination.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to lead cross‑functional teams and influence without authority.
• Excellent communication—both technical and operational.
• Continuous improvement mindset with a focus on safety and quality.
• Hands‑on, plant‑floor‑focused approach.
• Ability to travel and work at company facilities for extended hours as needed. Expected travel at least 60%.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.