Principal R&D Process Engineer - Dairy Foods

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Principal R&D Process Engineer to lead scale-up, foundational research, and process technology innovation that advances the development and commercialization of dairy-based products, translating bench and pilot results into robust commercial processes. The ideal candidate will have strong technical problem‑solving skills, using engineering fundamentals, statistical design, and modeling to inform approaches. The individual will serve as a technical leader in Process Technology for the Dairy Foods organization, defining and driving research pipelines related to process technologies to enable innovation, strengthen technical capability, and support business growth.

Job Description:

• Lead and coordinate project activities related to scale-up from bench/and or pilot plant to commercial scale. Define process design for new, improved, or revised products and processes and support implementation of commercial designs. Evaluate project progress and lead team members towards the achievement of tactical project/business objectives. Use sound experimental methodology, statistics/modeling, and scale-up methodologies to drive results.
• Build and execute foundational research pipelines. Propose and lead foundational learning projects that align with business needs and R&D and Dairy Foods’ strategy. Develop sound research plans, leverage emerging process technologies, and incorporate new methodologies to achieve desired results.  
• Apply deep understanding of engineering principles (mass & energy balances, thermodynamics, and fluid dynamics) to inform scale-up, process design, and process improvement/troubleshooting.
• Lead collaboration and leverage relationships with cross-functional R&D and non-R&D teams, including Product Development, Food Chemistry, Manufacturing, Project Engineers, Marketing, Sales, Quality, Operations, and external parties on moderately complex projects and initiatives. 
• Mentor and train other team members, including process engineers, scientists, and technologists, fostering a culture of continuous learning and development.

Skills and Competencies

• Demonstrated experience with membrane filtration and/or spray drying required. Additional expertise in other dairy unit operations related to separation, fractionation, evaporation, fermentation, and/or crystallization is desired.
• Deep understanding of dairy chemistry and dairy processing techniques and unit operations is required.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously. 
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, ability to clearly communicate scientific and engineering concepts to non-technical stakeholders and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams. 
• Ability to apply statistical design, process analytics, modeling, and emerging tools in artificial intelligence.  
• Experience in evaluating new process technologies and emerging trends within and outside Dairy to drive innovation and maintain competitive edge.

Experience and Education

• BS degree in Chemical, Mechanical, or other related engineering discipline - required
• 10 or more years of progressive technical (engineering or science) experience in R&D and/or manufacturing environments - required
• 5 or more years of dedicated process engineering experience, including leadership in scale‑up, process design, and optimization across pilot and commercial setting - required
• Proven track record of leading successful R&D research and process development projects and driving technical innovation in the food industry - required
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously - required
• Experience clearly communicating scientific and engineering concepts to non-technical stakeholders - required
• Ability to apply statistical design, process analytics, modeling, and/or emerging tools in artificial intelligence- required  
• Ability to travel 10-25% of time – required
• Demonstrated experience with membrane filtration and/or spray drying - highly preferred
• Additional expertise in other dairy unit operations related to separation, fractionation, evaporation, fermentation, and/or crystallization - preferred
• Graduate Degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) – preferred
• Understanding of dairy chemistry and dairy processing techniques and unit operations - preferred
• Experience working in Dairy manufacturing and pilot plant environments is highly preferred

Salary range: $123,920 - $185,880 (in most cases, candidates offered employment can expect to be hired at a pay rate near the middle of our salary ranges) 

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About Land O'Lakes, Inc.

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