Industrialization and Technical Support Engineer

This role supports industrialization efforts by managing industrial trials and delivering technical support across departments. You will guide projects from pilot through launch, improve formulations and processes, and strengthen R&D execution, reporting, and communication systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage industrial trials aligned with the R&D roadmap, including formulations, process charts, related paperwork, recording documents, and process documentation.
• Provide technical support and troubleshooting to all departments.
• Autonomously follow up assigned projects according to R&D management guidelines and decisions.
• Develop new products and processes, and optimize current solutions using development procedures while respecting the stage gate process.
• Propose continuous improvements to process, products, and programs.
• Ensure new product and new equipment qualifications align with the R&D program and management priorities.
• Organize opening and closing reviews with quality, purchasing, and industrial teams.
• Build development plans, manage milestones, and maintain project timelines.
• Prepare documentation for trial formulations and process flow charts.
• Validate trials against chemical specifications, yields, and palatability.
• Report conclusions to the manager through trial reports.
• Support production follow-up after product validation, including the first 10 production batches.
• Schedule trials with production to keep projects on time.
• Create and manage Bills of Material in ERP.
• Validate and update formulas and process charts, including modifications to address temporary raw material, ingredient, or base run-outs.
• Ensure formulation and process compliance, and adapt products and processes to industrial constraints.
• Provide formulas for rework.
• Manage new product implementation from pilot through industrialization and all the way to launch, covering performance, cost, time, return on investment, process capability, and quality control.
• Own project execution for pilots, coatings, and tests planning, including project traceability and paperwork management.
• Interpret PAL tests and analytical results, synthesize findings for management, and share outputs during project reviews.
• Coordinate scale-up and industrialization of new products.
• Handle portfolio projects as needed, serving as the local point of contact for global projects, proposing action plans, and providing regular team updates.
• Interact with suppliers, outside parties, and customers when requested.
• Lead actions to improve the R&D organization.
• Report system malfunctions to management, implement relevant short-term corrective actions, and propose long-term options.
• Continuously improve the communication system, including paperwork and computer-related processes.
• Independently manage and decide on the direction of own R&D projects.

Industrialization Focus

• Ensure new product and new equipment qualifications align with the R&D program and management priorities.
• Organize opening and closing reviews with quality, purchasing, and industrial teams.
• Build the development plan, manage milestones, and timelines.
• Prepare documentation for trial formulation and process flow charts.
• Validate trials based on chemical specifications, yields, and palatability.
• Communicate trial conclusions to the manager via trial reports.
• Support follow-up in production after product validation, including the first 10 production batches.

Production Recipes and Formulation Management

• Schedule trials with production to keep projects on time.
• Create Bill of material in ERP.
• Validate and update formulas and process charts.
• Modify formulas to address temporary run-outs of raw materials, ingredients, and bases.
• Ensure the formulation and process are respected.
• Adapt products and processes to industrial constraints.
• Provide formulas for rework.

Project Management and Formulation

• Manage new product implementation from pilot phase through industrialization and to launch, including performance, cost, time, return on investment, process capability, and quality control.
• Execute projects including pilots, coatings, and tests planning, with project traceability and paperwork management.
• Interpret PAL tests and analytical results, synthesize project outcomes for management, and share results during project reviews.
• Coordinate scale-up and industrialization of new products.
• Lead portfolio projects when needed, including acting as the local point of contact for global projects, proposing action plans, and providing regular updates.
• Coordinate with suppliers, outside parties, and customers when requested.

Initiatives

• Propose and lead actions to improve the R&D organization.
• Report system malfunctions, take relevant short-term corrective actions, and propose long-term options.
• Improve the communication system, including paperwork and computers.
• Follow up independently on own R&D projects and make decisions on how to pursue them.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required in food processing, food sciences and technologies, or chemistry.
• Master’s degree preferred in food processing, food sciences and technologies, or chemistry.
• 1 to 5 years of work experience required.
• Strong communication skills.
• Strong project management skills.
• Industrial environment background (production management, production optimization, process engineering) is a plus.

Location and Work Setting

• Location: Hodges, SC
• Work model: Onsite

Tools and Technologies

• ERP

Minimum Experience

• Minimum experience: 1 years