Process Engineering Manager

About Kerry

Kerry is the world's leading taste and nutrition company for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. Every day we partner with customers to create healthier, tastier and more sustainable products that are consumed by billions of people across the world. Our vision is to be our customers' most valued partner, creating a world of sustainable nutrition. A career with Kerry offers you an opportunity to shape the future of food while providing you opportunities to explore and grow in a truly global environment.

About the role

This role will provide leadership and direction to the Fleischmann’s Vinegar Process Engineering team with responsibility for process optimization and new product/process introductions from design through installation. The Process Engineering Manager will also oversee the SAP Plant Maintenance system to manage planned preventative maintenance compliance, urgent work, and spare parts inventories.

Key responsibilities

1.  Leads the Fleischmann’s Vinegar process engineering team that identifies opportunities to improve equipment overall equipment effectiveness (availability – unplanned downtime, performance – grain gallons/day, quality - rework), increase grain acidity, reduce 8 forms of waste, reduce process variability, and decrease costs.

2.  Development of appropriate capital plans to deliver on these improvements ensuring alignment with the overall capital strategy for the business.

3.  Conducts feasibility studies and develops business cases accounting for costs vs payback for new or existing systems and suggests the most cost-effective approach for a project. Provides engineering support to R&D activities during pilot and production trials.

4.  Lead capital projects typically under $500k using traditional project management from project initiation/scope, requirements capture, design, cost estimation, equipment procurement, and installation with subcontractor management to meet scope, schedule, and cost. Responsible in assuring compliance with safety, environment, quality, and food safety. Assures that projects have detailed project specifications, process flow diagrams (PFD’s), piping and instrumentation drawings (P&ID’s), site and floor plans, elevation drawings, utilities matrices, and other project documentation, as applicable. Process engineering team typically supports engineering on larger projects greater than $500k.

5.  Process engineering team will lead the development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) that detail operations of new equipment and revises SOP’s to reflect changes to operations.

6.  Oversees site maintenance teams that manage the day to day operations of the plant. Provides plant support on systemic unplanned downtime events using continuous improvement tools and the 1 Kerry Plant System 8 step problem solving process to drive to root cause and eliminate future occurrences through corrective actions. Maintains the plant’s process failure mode and effects analysis that manages the plants highest risks in terms of several, detection, and probability calculating a risk priority number. Provides oversight of work order performance, service parts, urgent work orders, and key maintenance initiatives to improve reliability.

7.  Lead Kaizen events when applicable to gather team of experts to solve large scale problems and for conceptual design.

8.  Promotes projects to reduce water, electricity, carbon burning fuels, and waste to meet Kerry’s sustainability targets.

9.  Regularly explores new technology and equipment and subsequently develops projects to drive process improvement. Fosters a culture of process innovation with key partners in R&D, Quality, Operations and Finance. Key technologies include fermentation, filtration, concentration, and clean-in-place (CIP) systems.

10.  Leads team in accordance with the Kerry values and with a growth mindset to direct energy into identifying new solutions instead of wasting energy justifying why process improvements are not possible. Holds the team accountable to using the scientific method and making data-based decisions using statistics and lean six sigma tools such as gage R&Rs, hypothesis testing, capability analysis, design of experiments, etc.

11.  Builds a high performing team through talent management that includes employee development, succession, and retention planning.

•  Travel required and variable based on business demands, up to 50% at various Fleischmann’s Vinegar sites.

Qualifications and skills

A.     EDUCATION:  Minimum BS in Engineering with at least 10 years of engineering experience preferably in the food, chemical, or pharmaceutical industry.
B.  EXPERIENCE:  Must have expert knowledge of manufacturing systems including evaporative cooling, refrigeration, wet scrubbers, high voltage power, electric motors/drives, standby power, fluid dynamics with pump/piping/filtration, programmable logic controller (PLCs), supervisory control and data acquisition systems (SCADA) and demonstrated aptitude to quickly learn new processes. 

C.  SKILLS  
1.  Continuous improvement experience
2.  Strong problem solving and organizational skills. Good interpersonal skills.
3.  Able to manage multiple priorities.
4.  Good written and verbal communication skills.
5.  Able to work and achieve results under pressure.
6.  Must be able to work independently, without direct supervision.
7.  Able to translate a concept into a workable manufacturing process.

Compensation Data

The typical hiring range for this role is $105,000 to $160,000 annually and is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, certifications, location, etc.  In addition to your pay, Kerry offers benefits such as a comprehensive benefits package, incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase and retirement contribution (all benefits and incentives are subject to eligibility requirements).