Principal Engineer, R&D - Process Technology

Job Description

As a Principal Engineer on the Process Technology group within R&D Central Processing, you will serve as a deep technical processing expert responsible for exploring and developing new process technologies, building our internal processing capabilities, and hands-on execution of complex, high-impact processing projects from concept through commercialization. You will own the technical delivery of assigned initiatives, partnering closely with cross-functional stakeholders to translate processing concepts into manufacturable, Right-First-Time solutions. This role prioritizes technical rigor, executional excellence, and applied engineering expertise over portfolio strategy or people management.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities

• Identify, evaluate, and prioritize emerging process technologies (equipment, automation, digital, etc) aligned to business needs.
• Develop scale up strategies from prototyping, to pilot plant, and right the first time commercialization to drive optimal project execution.
• Execute end-to-end technical delivery across assigned complex processing projects, including technical briefing, concept development, technical design, learning plans, pilot runs, capital design, and commercialization handover to Operations/Supply Chain.
• Develop and maintain detailed technical documentation including Manufacturing Procedure Specifications, Transformation Flowsheets, and Process Design Scopes, ensuring processing parameters meet defined quality, shelf-life, consumer experience, and manufacturing performance requirements.
• Apply processing commercialization tools (CQV, FMEA, CPRA) to systematically identify and mitigate technical risks, drive design decisions, and ensure Right-First-Time launch readiness.
• Partner with Platform R&D, GDI R&D, Packaging R&D, Quality, Operations, and external suppliers to define processing requirements and success criteria, resolve technical trade-offs, and maintain project timelines and milestones.
• Lead and support pilot line trials and scale-up activities, translating learnings into robust commercial processing solutions.
• Contribute to STAR and Tech Review Board processes, preparing and presenting technical content that clearly communicates design rationale, risk status, and commercialization readiness.
• Maintain compliance with all regulatory and safety requirements throughout project execution.
• Support cost optimization and value engineering efforts that improve margin, sustainability, and reinvestment priorities.
• Serve as an informal technical mentor to junior processing engineers on the team, sharing applied expertise and supporting capability development.

Key Outputs & Deliverables

• Deliver successful technical execution across concurrent complex processing projects within innovation and platform portfolios, meeting committed timelines, budgets, and technical performance targets.
• Achieve and sustain >95% Right-First-Time (RTF) launches across assigned projects, ensuring processing solutions meet manufacturability, quality, regulatory, and supply chain readiness criteria at first commercial production.
• Produce high-quality processing technical deliverables — including Manufacturing Procedure Specifications, Transformation Flowsheets, Process Design Scopes, FMEAs, and CQV documentation — that meet enterprise engineering standards.
• Generate clear, data-driven technical recommendations and risk assessments that enable informed go/no-go decisions at governance milestones.
• Contribute to team capability by sharing technical learnings, best practices, and processing expertise across the broader E2E projects organization.

Expected Experience & Required Skills

• BS/MS/PhD degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related discipline.
• Minimum 6 years of experience in R&D or Engineering roles within consumer goods, food & beverage, pharma, or a similar industry (5 years with a Master’s or 4 years with a PhD) demonstrating increasing scope of responsibility.
• Demonstrated experience in emulsions / shear processing, fermentation, extrusion, thermal processing & validation, aeration, drying, or powder mixing preferred.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience executing end-to-end processing development projects, including pilot trials and scale-up to industrial production.
• Strong applied knowledge of processing commercialization tools including CQV, FMEA, CPRA, Process Design Scopes, and Transformation Flowsheets.
• Solid project management skills, with experience maintaining detailed project plans, schedules, and risk logs on multi-stakeholder initiatives.
• Proficiency with project tools (MS Project, Smartsheet,