Manufacturing Process Engineer

Position Title Manufacturing Process Engineer
Location Phoenix, AZ
Classification Exempt (Salaried)
Work Schedules Full-Time, Shift 1 (5am - 2:00pm) or Shift 2 (3:00pm - 12:00 am)
Summary
The client is a specialty food manufacturer and custom copacking partner for a diverse range of dry goods (seasonings/mixes) to liquid/viscous products (sauces/dressings). The Manufacturing Process Engineer plays a critical role in designing, optimizing, and implementing new food manufacturing processes to improve efficiency, cost, quality, and reliability. This position is central to the plant's continuous improvement efforts, focusing on improving throughput, reducing waste, and implementing automation and process control systems to support high-quality food production and meet regulatory compliance. This engineer will serve as the technical lead for scaling new products from R&D into full commercial production.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Process Optimization and Continuous Improvement
• Design, optimize, and implement new food manufacturing processes and equipment configurations that improve throughput, efficiency, cost, quality, safety, and reliability.
• Analyze and improve existing manufacturing processes to increase overall efficiency, reduce material waste, and enhance product quality consistency.
• Review and optimize existing manufacturing processes and production routes to identify bottlenecks and implement continuous improvement projects, in collaboration with the Production team.
• Assist in the development and scaling of new products and processes, assessing the scalability and feasibility of R&D projects for commercial implementation.
• Maintain documentation for equipment, processes, and validations to ensure repeatability and compliance.
System Reliability and Compliance
• Ensure all mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems operate at optimal levels, providing expert technical support to production and maintenance teams for troubleshooting complex system issues and minimizing unplanned downtime.
• Develop and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and work instructions for all optimized and new processes.
• Ensure rigorous compliance with food safety regulations (e.g., FDA, USDA, HACCP, and GMP) is built into all process designs.
• Foster an environment that supports an engaged safety culture by designing safe processes and providing technical training.
Collaboration and Support
• Collaborate with Production to build and implement continuous improvement projects which address immediate operational opportunities.
• Provide ongoing technical support to production teams for troubleshooting and training on equipment and processes.
• Perform other duties as assigned to support plant efficiency and operational goals.
Qualifications and Requirements
• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or Manufacturing Engineering.
• 2+ years of experience in food or beverage production industries.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with practical experience in process mapping and optimization.
• Ability to work effectively and autonomously in fast-paced, high-pressure manufacturing environments.
• Familiarity with automation, process control systems, and engineering software is highly desirable.
• Excellent communication skills for cross-functional collaboration and technical training.