Research & Development Process Engineer, Pet Food Innovation

- Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Food Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, or a related field.

- 5+ years of experience in food and/or pet food manufacturing.

- Hands-on experience with food extrusion and process optimization.

- Experience leading pilot plant, scale-up, and commercialization trials.

- Knowledge of ingredient functionality, food safety, and process validation.

- Experience using DOE and statistical tools (JMP, Minitab, Aspen, etc.) to improve process performance.

- Proven success leading cross-functional projects and driving technical solutions.

Additional skills and experience that we think would make someone successful in this role:

- Experience in pet food, pet treats, animal nutrition, snacks, or cereal extrusion.

- Expertise in extrusion processing, including formulation, process settings, die design, and product quality optimization.

- Experience with thermal processing systems (retorts, hydrostats, continuous sterilization).

- Demonstrated success commercializing new products and technologies.

- Experience leading capital projects, equipment start-ups, and process improvements.

- Track record of delivering productivity gains, cost savings, or quality improvements through process innovation.