At Danone, Manufacturing the best products and supplying them to meet demand is a key driver for our plant teams. We are currently looking to hire a Plant Industrialization Engineer based in Portland, Oregon!   

The Process Engineer will perform a combination of the Project Engineer (PE) and Plant Industrialization Manager (PIM) job functions. The Process Engineer will be responsible for the execution of capital projects and lead industrialization of packaging, product, productivity, innovation, and renovation projects at the manufacturing facility.

As the Project Engineer (PE), he/she will be responsible for executing projects in processing, packaging and utilities areas of the facility. He/she will lead small, medium, and large-scale projects that will deliver business needs using sound project management, knowledge, and tools.  They will coordinate all project efforts between contractors and the manufacturing facility.   The project engineer is accountable for project capital management, project execution, hand-off to the maintenance and operations teams.  The project engineer will be involved in all aspects of capital projects from project investigation and recommendations to project execution.  The project engineer will make sure all applicable Danone standards are met, including requirements of personnel safety, food safety, energy and water conservation

The PIM is the single point of contact between the manufacturing plant and cross functional teams (PMO, Research & Innovation (R&I), Quality, etc.) working closely with the Innovation and Engineering Team for all product and package industrialization projects. The PIM represents the plant in the industrialization process making sure the plant capabilities are taken into account in the validation process; as well as making sure the plant is ready to supply the product. In order to achieve that, the PIM owns the trial management program as well as the Industrial qualification process for their plant.  They are the bridge between the corporate and plant locations to ensure project success and elevate risks / breakdowns when appropriate. 

Responsibilities:

• Participate in and manage requisition and capital authorization requests and be accountable for project spending and providing technical and management expertise on engineering projects as assigned by the Plant Engineering Manager.
• Ensure that the business needs are well validated by a cross-section of the business and translated into equipment requirements for improving or expanding the plant operations (including new product launches and innovations) and making major repairs to systems and buildings.
• Interact with plant teams (Packaging, Processing, Quality, Finance, Management, etc.), Corporate Engineering, Sourcing & Supplier Development, R&D, Danone Engineering Worldwide, and appropriate vendors, suppliers, contractors, operators, and auditors.
• Coordinate and direct the activities of the necessary resources to ensure the safe, timely and successful completion of projects.
• Establish strong, professional relationships with vendors and suppliers, Danone North America sister companies, and other sources of applicable technologies.
• Writing specifications and referencing Global Danone Standards.
• Preparing technical proposals for feasibility study of new concepts, launch of new products, and improvement of current products.
• Assist in development of a master and strategic plan for both packaging and processing departments such as layout, material handling, and utilities needed for project growth
• Continuous improvement of methods and tools used for engineering and execution of project phases, including current equipment and process specifications
• Deliver technical guidance and engineering support to consumer business units
• Administer technical guidance on new projects to ensure processes, equipment, and site are capable of meeting standards for quality, food safety, and operating efficiencies.
• Single point of contact for coordinating and prioritizing the weekly trial schedule for the plant; including monthly and future forecast

• Ensures pre-trial tasks are completed and aligned to: pre-trial meeting with clearly defined success criteria, internal and external trial resource availability, test material-ingredient arrival into plant
• Trial leader during the actual trial ensuring objectives are being met within approved downtime schedule and manages root cause / next steps if breakdowns occur
• Ensure post-trial tasks are completed and aligned to: provide industrial results to be included in final R&I trial report including: success criteria results, data collection summary, recommendation on next steps/needs, and elevate and follow through any risks identified.   
• Gatekeeper for plant to ensure qualification trial standards are being followed and validated on each project.
• Provides technical oversight during initial product production and ensures proper transition of ownership to plant quality and production teams.
• Provide industrial input and approval on all packaging and product specifications – utilizing plant subject matter experts as needed.

The salary range for this position is $ $80,000 - $110,000 USD. The exact salary offered will depend on several factors, including the candidate’s relevant experience, geographic location, internal equity, and market conditions.  Danone North America additionally offers a performance-based bonus and has a strong benefits package including Medical, Dental, Vision, Prescription Drug Coverage, 401k Plan, Wellness Program, Life Insurance, Tuition Reimbursement, Flexible Time Off, and Paid Parental Bonding Leave, among other benefit plan options. To give our employees flexibility, Danone is a hybrid work environment.

Education and Experience (Requirements): The following combination of education and experience is required for this position.

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Industrial, Manufacturing, Chemical or related engineering science.
• 3 to 5 years relevant experience in engineering systems design for the manufacturing environment. 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge of high-speed packaging systems design and integrated automation and controls technology.
• Knowledge of dairy process engineering and PMO, 3A standards
• Project management skills and knowledge of the project management process, tools and tasks associated with preparation and execution of capital projects, financial and analytical skills.
• Strong computer skills including: Microsoft Office, Autocad and MS project
• The ability to work with clients, vendors, and other team members at all levels.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• The ability to rapidly assess, analyze, and quickly resolve complicated problems with little initial information or direction and with varying degrees of ambiguity.
• Must be proactive and professional and able to take direction effectively.
• The ability to prioritize and meet deadlines within specified time constraints.
• The ability to lead multiple projects simultaneously, to establish and adapt to changing priorities.
• The ability to work flexible hours, including weekend or late shifts, during installation periods.
• Must have the leadership, interpersonal and communication and self-management skills required to interact with all levels of plant personnel and be comfortable working with minimal supervision.
• Experience with TQM, Six Sigma, and Team Building skills preferred
• Experience developing plans within regulatory compliance (e.g. OSHA, FDA)

Travel: Up to 15% Annually

Life at Danone
With approximately 5,000 employees and 13 production locations across the U.S., our vibrant culture and endless growth opportunities are just a couple of the reasons our employees call themselves “Proud Danoners.” 

Learn more about Life at Danone

Our Brands
When you join us, you’ll work with some of the best-known food and beverage brands in the world, including Activia®, DanActive®, Danimals®, Dannon®, evian®, Follow Your Heart®, Happy Family® Organics, International Delight®, Light + Fit®, Nutricia ®, Oikos®, Silk®, So Delicious® Dairy Free, STōK® Cold Brew Coffee ®, Too Good & Co™, and YoCrunch®.

Our Purpose
We’re committed to making a positive impact on our world. Rooted in our mission to bring health through food to as many people as possible, we’re proud to be the world’s largest B Corp.

Learn more about our mission. 

Our Benefits
Our commitment to making the world healthier starts with our employees.

• Physical Wellbeing: We pay for the majority of your medical benefits – which include medical, dental and vision – with our competitive 80%/20% cost-sharing model
• Mental Wellbeing: Danoners receive fitness discounts, unlimited flexible time off and hybrid work schedules. We also have a range of programs that support mental health and substance abuse.  
• Financial Support: We offer a performance-based bonus, a 401(k) plan, tuition reimbursement, employee discount programs and voluntary perks.
• Family Care: We offer caretaker benefits, 18 weeks of parental bonding, fertility, surrogacy, adoption benefits and pet insurance. 

Learn more about our benefits.

Equal Opportunity Employer
Danone North America is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. It is our policy to give equal employment opportunities to all qualified persons without regard to legally protected characteristics, or any other consideration made unlawful by applicable federal, state/provincial and/or local law. For our EEO policy statement and your EEO rights under law click here.

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