El Segundo, CA
COMPANY DESCRIPTION
The PLANeT Partnership, a joint venture between PepsiCo and Beyond Meat, has joined to develop, produce and market innovative snack and beverage products made from plant-based protein to help save the planet. We are looking for driven and entrepreneurial professionals to join the new team, supported by two major CPG brands!! The joint venture leverages Beyond Meat’s leading technology in plant-based protein development and PepsiCo’s world-class marketing and commercial capabilities to create and scale new snacks and beverages.
OVERVIEW
TPP is dedicated to creating new snack and beverage products that are leading the gold standard in plant-based proteins and inspire positive choices for both people and the planet. As an integral part of the team in El Segundo, the Process Engineer will have hands-on experience with the ability to think beyond standard methods, independently lead projects, deliver and communicate results effectively and efficiently.
They are responsible for creating bench top processes, scaling up with pilot plant equipment, identifying required manufacturing equipment and related CapEx, conducting trials on industrial size equipment, commissioning production lines, and supporting production startup.
The ideal candidate should possess a keen interest in transferring bench-top processes to pilot and production-scale processes that may require developing sustainable processes on scale, optimization of production lines, and improving product quality, and taking own initiatives in organizing, executing, and delivering value-added results and process engineering deliverables that are aligned with assigned project objectives and scope.
TASKS, DUTIES, & GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES
Effectively communicate, coordinate, and execute within process engineering and the cross-functional commercialization team
Work collaboratively to ensure the product and its production-intent processes meet program objectives, manufacturability, timelines, and cost targets
Effectively execute assigned process engineering work in the development of product-by-process, the scale-up and commissioning of manufacturing processes and equipment, and the final verification of their capabilities and readiness
Organize and conduct process engineering development, process and equipment trials, process design, specification, commissioning, and verification of food manufacturing processes and equipment for production-intent capability, scale, and readiness
Execute and complete process engineering projects and activities required for the successful development and commercialization of food manufacturing processes and equipment which include:
o Assess and identify existing or new food manufacturing process equipment and technology solutions
o Advance product-by-process development from the feasibility stage to final new product introduction and production launch
o Design and run effective DOEs, sensitivity, scaling, and process capability trials
o Develop and achieve product-by-process viability and design-for-manufacturability at pilot scale which is scalable and capable of meeting project objectives.
o Identify key product and process parameters and scaling factors necessary for production scale-up and success.
o Ensure quality and food safety critical control points and requirements are built into the equipment and processes.
Establish engineering specifications and provide engineering oversight for equipment and associated tooling selection, procurement, installation, and commissioning
Develop cost estimates, budgets (capital and expense), and associated plans for the process engineering portion of project activities, equipment, and tooling requirements
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
Lead Root-Cause-Analysis of complex problems
Collect and lead data analysis to ensure efficiency; look to improve product yield
Establish parameters for each processing step at bench-top and optimize for larger scale runs
Perform other responsibilities and tasks as assigned
Supervisory Duties (if applicable)
None
QUALIFICATIONS: Education, Technical Skills, and/or Previous Experience
4+ years of relevant food and/or beverage process engineering experience in NPI process development, production scale-up, optimization/commissioning of new production lines, and commercial launches
BS or MS in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Process Engineering, Biosystems Engineering or Food Process Engineering required
Process engineering development, scale-up, and commissioning skills with a successful track record of establishing and executing high value-add work output, trials, and production launches
Relevant process engineering experience in R&D, Commercialization and Operations required
Demonstrated engineering experience in an aggressive growth business environment with a track record of overcoming difficult challenges in achieving business and project objectives
Demonstrated process scale-up predictive modeling experience including geometric design and similitude, energy and mass balance; computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a plus
Key Competences: Analytical, independent and manage multiple projects at one time, solution oriented, organized, critical, team player
Strong verbal, oral presentation, and written communication skills, data documentation for collaboration across the organization
WORK ENVIRONMENT/PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
Position requires the ability to stand or sit for prolonged periods, climb, kneel, bend, and potentially lift up to 25-50 pounds
Position located in a mix of typical laboratory, pilot lab and office environments, and requires a tolerance for high worker traffic, close quarters, noise, odors, dust, periodically wet and dirty floors, and varying room temperatures and lighting
Able to work in a cold environment for extended periods of time while maintaining food safety protocols
Frequent travel to facilities and suppliers in North America, and at times internationally, may be necessary and/or travel on non-regular intervals. (up to 50% of time)
The PLANeT Partnership 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. The PLANeT Partnership reserves the right to defer or close a vacancy at any time.
