Senior Scientist Process Engineer - Pet Food R&D

Your Opportunity as the Senior Scientist Process Engineer - Pet Food Research & Development

Play a critical role in advancing our thermal processing capabilities in canning and extrusion (twin screw) for our pet treats division. Leverage your technical expertise to drive data driven results across our Pet Operations teams both in our Orrville pilot facilities as well as our out of state Pet facilities.

Location: Orrville, OH - Hybrid 60% or more in office presence as business need requires

Work Arrangements: domestic travel up to 30% annually

In this role you will:

• Champion process development and optimization for thermal processing and twin-screw extrusion, driving innovation and best practices within cross-functional teams.

• Design, execute, and interpret trials for food processing innovations, facilitating knowledge-sharing and collaboration among teams.

• Lead the successful scale-up and commercialization of new products and technologies by fostering teamwork and effective communication demonstration of CQV tools and principles.

• Provide technical leadership and mentorship, guiding lab activities, supporting onboarding, and developing technical training programs for team members at all levels.

• Collaborate across departments to identify opportunities for process improvements, solve technical challenges, and ensure alignment with business goals.

• Analyze processing data using advanced modeling and simulation tools to establish specifications and guide team decision-making.

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and support organizational change management, ensuring all stakeholders are engaged and informed throughout transitions.Manage capital projects including equipment installation, layout planning, and vendor coordination, while leading project teams and maintaining collaborative vendor relationships.

• Lead Design of Experiments (DOE) efforts, encouraging creative problem-solving and cross-functional contributions to system and process enhancements.

• Operate independently and efficiently, managing projects with minimal supervision, while promoting an inclusive and cooperative team environment, including up to 30% seasonal travel as needed.

What we are looking for:

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelors in chemical engineering, food science, mechanical engineering, or related field is required.

• 5+ years' experience with advanced degree, or 10+ years with Bachelor's; experience in food manufacturing, thermal processing, and extrusion.

• Demonstrated knowledge of food safety standards and validation practices.

• Successful cross-functional project leadership and change management.

• Skilled in process modeling/simulation (i.e. JMP, Aspen, Minitab) for throughput and quality optimization.

• Understanding of ingredient functionality and its effect on food quality.

• Experienced in scaling up and commercializing (CQV) processes.

• Strong communication, collaboration, and problem-solving abilities.

• Able to work independently and lead projects from planning through delivery.

Additional skills and experience that we think would make someone successful in this role:

• Advanced degree in Chemical Engineering, Food Science, or Mechanical Engineering.

• Experience in twin-screw extrusion of pet treats, including formulation development, die design, and post-extrusion handling.

• Proven ability to innovate treat formulations through ingredient experimentation and process optimization.

• Experience designing and executing pilot-scale trials with thorough documentation of process parameters.

• Experience with operation and validation of thermal processing systems such as retorts, hydrostats, and continuous sterilizers.

• Effective collaboration & strong communication within the cross-functional teams, including R&D, quality assurance, and production-based roles.

• Maintain strong professional relationships through gathering & providing feedback to strengthen the seamless technical community dynamics.

• Commitment to continuous improvement and implementation of research findings in commercial production environments.

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