El Segundo, CA
COMPANY DESCRIPTION
At Beyond Meat, we started with simple questions. Why do you need an animal to create meat? Why can’t you build meat directly from plants? Thus, we make plant-based meats that allow families to eat more, not less, of the traditional dishes they love while feeling great about the health, sustainability, and animal welfare benefits of plant protein. Our goal is to bring exciting change to the plate—and Beyond.
OVERVIEW:
As an integral part of the Innovation team at our Innovation center in El Segundo, California, you will unlock new categories and product lines that will inspire positive choices for the world.
The Pilot Lab Manager will leverage their expertise in food and beverage scale-up, responsible for the safe and efficient design and development of new food and beverage processes at the Pilot Lab. The ideal candidate will be familiar with pilot or manufacturing scale food and beverage engineering systems, have a broad skill set and a hands on approach. This is an exciting opportunity to be an integral part of the commissioning of new food and beverage manufacturing equipment and bring creative engineering solutions to the current and brand new Innovation Pilot Lab. The ideal candidate will be a problem-solver and have a keen interest in transferring bench-top processes to pilot- or production-scale processes for innovative food products that may require implementing new processes on scale.
TASKS, DUTIES, & GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES
Ensure a safe working environment in compliance with good manufacturing practices as well as all guidelines. This includes continual development of standard operating procedures for all processes
Contribute to the design, build out, commissioning, and improvement of both research and Pilot Plant/Lab level food and beverage equipment supporting Product Development and Commercialization. This would include facilitating process development from formulation to commercialization.
Work with vendors and suppliers, negotiating pricing and lead times to handle all project management with equipment installation and set up
Working knowledge and hands-on operation of savory and plant based food manufacturing equipment
Work with a team of Research Scientists and R&D Operators on the Pilot Lab Team in research, enabling pilot-scale scale up success
Work with Process Engineers and oversee and lead a new portfolio of scale-up development projects to improve quality, productivity and/or COGS of plant-based processes with a focus on, but not limited to: MicroThermic equipment installation and grinding equipment
Leverage process/product CAPEX and OPEX cost modeling to guide project prioritization and scale-up recommendation
Manage the Pilot Lab schedule, operations, new equipment installation, maintenance and troubleshooting with engineers/developers as needed
Daily dedication to GMP’s and ensure Safety standards are maintained
Implement and verify production-scale process capability. Establish the production process parameters, criteria, and capabilities for materials, processes, and equipment for production readiness and launch
Achieve reliable, scalable, and cost-effective processes and equipment solutions in the commercialization of new and renovated products launched into production
Problem solving ability to simplify complex processes/situations and figure out the steps to get things done in practice
Prepare raw materials for process testing
Assemble, run, disassemble and sanitize most equipment used in manufacturing of Beyond Meat food products
Assist with shipping and receiving of incoming raw materials and outgoing finished products
Assist Process Engineers testing which may include operating equipment, taking data, pre-weighing, batching, etc
Assist Process Engineers with communication and guidance of installation; assist contractors in the installation of new/rented Beyond Meat equipment
Calibrate equipment and meters
Work with the Process Engineering team on proactively improving the Process Improvement Program
Write-up standard operating procedures (SOPs), safety SOPs and Preventive Maintenance SOPs for new machinery acquired by Beyond Meat
QUALIFICATIONS – EDUCATION, TECHNICAL SKILLS, and/or PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE:
BS, MS, Engineering, or Chemical Engineering or related field with 5+ years’ experience in Food and Beverage R & D
2-5 years of experience managing a team of 5+ individuals in a manufacturing setting
Minimum of 5 years experience at a product development lab, Pilot Lab, or commercial capacity plant in a food and/or beverage manufacturing environment
Demonstrated ability to lead a group of people
Experience building out a Pilot Lab facility and/or installation of brand new processing line and working in a newly built Pilot Lab facility with experience commissioning new equipment
Experience working with Pilot Plant vendors, Lab vendors, and co-manufacturers
Excellent knowledge of food and beverage processing equipment and scale-up
Knowledge of food safe production practices and regulations
Ability to think independently and manage multiple projects with an entrepreneurial mindset
Prior work with plant-based food and/or beverages is preferred
Experience operating mixing equipment for liquids, powders, and thick paste-like materials
Experience batching complex formulations
Ability to multi-task with strong attention to detail
WORK ENVIRONMENT
Pilot Lab and Office Environments with some travel (5%)
Ability to work for long periods of time in a cold room environment
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
Frequent standing, bending, kneeling, climbing and sitting at a desk
Position requires the ability to stand or sit for prolonged periods of time
Communicate using a computer and phone
Beyond Meat is an equal employment opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, ancestry, veteran status, marital status, gender identify, sexual orientation, national origin, liability for military service, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. If you are interested in learning the status of your application, please note you will be contacted directly by the appropriate human resources contact person if you are selected for further consideration. Beyond Meat reserves the right to defer or close a vacancy at any time.
Please note that Beyond Meat has adopted a COVID-19 vaccination policy to safeguard the health and well-being of our employees. All U.S. employees who (a) physically enter a Beyond Meat facility in the United States, (b) represent Beyond Meat at work-related events, including but not limited to trade shows and product demonstrations, or (c) physically enter customer or potential customer sites in connection with their work for Beyond Meat must take all necessary steps to be Fully Vaccinated as a condition of employment, unless a reasonable accommodation is approved.