Full-Time
Mechanical Engineer
Technical Team
Updated on 8/25/2026
Fairlife
201-500 employees
Lactose-free dairy and protein drinks
Compensation Overview
$115k - $125k/yr
Coopersville, MI, USA + 2 more
More locations: Goodyear, AZ, USA | Webster, NY, USA
In Person
Travel averages 30% and may range from 30% to 75%, with minimal international travel for factory acceptance tests.
Bachelor's, Master's
 Mechanical Engineering (1) |
|---|
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- A bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or Chemical Engineering with experience in the dairy industry, or in Process Engineering with experience in the wider food industry.
- At least 5 years of progressive experience in utilities design, operations, and construction within milk, brewing or beverage, and chemical processing.
- Direct experience with the design, construction, commissioning, and troubleshooting of utilities.
- A proven track record of improving manufacturing processes through redesign, automation, and the introduction of new technologies.
- Data analysis and process modeling in Microsoft Excel.
- Strong communication and presentation ability.
- Ability to handle ambiguity and work effectively in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment.
- Ability to notify management of repairs or adjustments that may affect product quality or food safety.
- Ability to perform duties necessary to meet company, customer, and government requirements and standards.
- Ability to initiate action to prevent nonconformities relating to food safety, product quality, processes, quality systems, or safety systems.
- Develop predictive demand, situation analysis, and load management tools for utility systems based on forecasted plans for existing and new plants.
- Define standards for the design, automation, construction, and operation of plant utilities while meeting utility supply profiles, applicable laws and regulations, and sustainability goals.
- Document and communicate the basis of design for installed equipment to key plant stakeholders.
- Provide technical support for procurement of utilities from utility providers.
- Participate in utilities equipment vendor selection, contract negotiation, budgeting, and capital project justification.
- Lead the construction phase and collaborate with plant and project engineering teams to complete project work on time and within budget.
- Lead and support commissioning and validation activities.
- Review and execute Factory Acceptance Test and Site Acceptance Test protocols.
- Develop and deliver training materials.
- Provide technical oversight of new line and plant mechanical and utility design, including mass and media balances, utility process flow diagrams, functional specifications, Piping and Instrumentation Diagram approval, Hazard and Operability Studies, Factory Acceptance Tests, Design Qualification, Operational Qualification, Performance Qualification, training, and ramp-up.
- Maintain up-to-date technical documentation.
- Solve complex processing, mechanical, and utility problems escalated by plants to improve reliability, reduce downtime, improve load management, and reduce cost of ownership.
- Advanced degrees or other professional certifications.
- Experience with an engineering design and construction firm as a Professional Engineer.
- Process and utility modeling using software such as Aspen, SuperPro, or other comparable software.
Fairlife, a Coca-Cola subsidiary based in Chicago, makes lactose-free, real dairy beverages. Its products include fairlife ultra-filtered milk, Core Power High Protein Shakes, and fairlife nutrition plan shakes. A proprietary filtration process concentrates protein and reduces lactose to create protein-forward, lower-lactose drinks, distributed at scale. Its goal is to nourish consumers while caring for people, animals, and the planet, with commitments to animal welfare and responsible packaging.
Company Size
201-500
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
Chicago, Illinois
Founded
2012
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Webster opened August 20, 2026, creating 380 jobs and ramping output.
- Coopersville's $650 million expansion adds two lines and 200 jobs by 2028.
- Coca-Cola said Fairlife drove 18% volume growth in Q2 2026.
What critics are saying
- July 2026 ransomware halted U.S. production and exposed stolen data.
- Bhotiwihok v. Fairlife keeps animal-welfare false-advertising claims alive in California.
- Another cruelty scandal or plant outage destroys the premium brand's trust advantage.
What makes Fairlife unique
- Fairlife's ultra-filtered, lactose-free protein milk commands premium demand and pricing power.
- Webster, New York adds 5 million pounds daily, strengthening Northeast supply control.
- Coca-Cola backs Fairlife with capital, distribution, and national scale competitors lack.
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Company News
Fairlife celebrates opening of $650M Webster processing plant, largest dairy facility in Northeast U.S. Fairlife opens its $650M milk processing plant in Webster, NY, creating 380 jobs in the largest dairy production facility in the Northeast U.S. Soft opening marks major expansion for Coca-Cola subsidiary with 380 jobs created and future capacity reserved for growing protein beverage demand. Fairlife CEO Becca Kerr joined New York Governor Kathy Hochul and local officials on Thursday, August 20, 2026, for a ceremonial ribbon-cutting to mark the soft opening of the company's new $650 million milk processing plant in Webster, Monroe County. Representing one of the largest capital investments in the history of The Coca-Cola Company, the 745,000-square-foot facility is the largest single industrial development in Monroe County history and the largest dairy production plant in the northeastern United States. Hiring at the plant has advanced ahead of initial projections, with Kerr announcing that Fairlife has already created approximately 380 full-time jobs in the region - surpassing the original 250-job target tied to state performance incentives and internal build-out forecasts. The facility is slated to operate continuous 24/7 shifts with all three core processing lines running during the second half of the year, manufacturing high-protein, lactose-free ultra-filtered milk, Core Power protein shakes, and Nutrition Plan meal replacement beverages. At full operational throughput, the Webster plant is expected to process roughly 5 million pounds of raw milk daily, sourcing directly from dairy farm cooperatives across the Rochester, Niagara, and Finger Lakes regions. The facility will generate approximately 200 semi-trailer and milk tanker movements per day, prompting public infrastructure upgrades including the planned extension of Boulter Industrial Parkway and local road widening around Tebor and Basket roads to accommodate heavy transport flows. The newly opened plant also features built-in shell space reserved for future industrial expansion. Addressing attendees, Kerr noted that soaring consumer demand for dairy-based protein formats makes the Webster site a central pillar for long-term national supply, calling the opening "one step in our Webster journey". Governor Hochul reaffirmed state and municipal backing for future phases, emphasizing that New York's agricultural policy and strong dairy infrastructure position the region as the primary hub for Fairlife's continuing production growth. The commissioning of the Webster plant represents a major structural shift in Northeast dairy processing, providing a high-volume processing outlet for regional raw milk pools amid broader market shifts. As consumer preferences increasingly pivot toward value-added, ultra-filtered functional beverages, the massive facility strengthens New York's farmgate processing capacity and expands Coca-Cola's dairy footprint across high-demand North American markets. You may be interested in. Legal Notice Related notes.
Morgan Stanley has reiterated its Overweight rating on Coca-Cola with an $89 price target, citing Fairlife as an underappreciated growth driver. The protein milk brand now represents 4% to 5% of Coca-Cola's total corporate sales and is growing at 20% to 25% annually, contributing 100 to 125 basis points to the company's organic sales growth. Fairlife's performance has accelerated sharply following a 30% capacity addition. Recent six-week scanner data shows 10% year-over-year sales growth, up from 2% in the prior 12 weeks. Morgan Stanley attributes this to constrained demand converting into revenue as new production capacity comes online. Coca-Cola shares have risen 20.48% year-to-date, outpacing the S&P 500's 6.42% gain. The stock traded around $83 on 10 June.
Fairlife breaks ground on $650 million facility expansion in Coopersville, Michigan. Fairlife broke ground on a $650 million Coopersville expansion, adding 245,000 sq ft, new production lines, and up to 200 jobs. Coca-Cola subsidiary adds 245,000 square feet, two high-speed production lines, and nearly 200 new jobs to boost ultra-filtered milk and protein shake output. Reporting details the official groundbreaking ceremony led by state leaders and company executives for Fairlife's massive $650 million expansion project at its Coopersville, Michigan facility. The investment represents a major milestone for Ottawa County's agribusiness sector, reinforcing West Michigan's status as a core manufacturing and dairy-processing hub. The ambitious infrastructure project adds 245,000 square feet of production space to the existing plant on West Randall Street, incorporating two advanced high-speed production lines. This significant capacity upgrade is designed to expand national output of Fairlife's signature ultra-filtered, lactose-free milk and Core Power protein shakes to meet rapidly accelerating consumer demand. Beyond physical plant enlargement, the expansion will create approximately 150 to 200 new full-time jobs, bolstering local employment and increasing raw milk procurement from regional dairy farms across Michigan. The facility already handles millions of pounds of milk daily, and the enhanced processing capacity will further solidify long-term supply contracts for local agricultural producers. The project has received robust state and local support, including an Alternative State Essential Services Assessment (ASESA) tax abatement valued at roughly $3.9 million and a $3.275 million grant from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD). Additionally, the city of Coopersville secured a $17 million Make It in Michigan Competitiveness Fund grant to upgrade vital regional water and municipal infrastructure systems. Coming on the heels of a brief, temporary operational pause in July due to external utility circumstances - which safely resolved without impacting store shelves - the groundbreaking marks a strong return to growth. With construction anticipated to run over the next 18 months and commercial production slated for 2028, the expansion cements Fairlife's long-term commitment to Michigan's rural economy. You may be interested in. Legal Notice Related notes.
Fairlife breaks ground on $650M expansion in West Michigan: 'A win for all' Posted: Aug 5, 2026 / 03:10 PM EDT Updated: Aug 5, 2026 / 04:20 PM EDT COOPERSVILLE, Mich. (WOOD) - Dairy company Fairlife broke ground Wednesday on a $650 million expansion of its Coopersville plant, which will nearly double the plant's square footage and add hundreds of jobs. Fairlife, which is owned by the Coca-Cola Company, is adding two high-speed production lines and a total of 245,000 square feet at the Coopersville site. The expansion will help Fairlife meet demand that "has never been higher," CEO Becca Kerr said ahead of Wednesday's groundbreaking ceremony. Work got underway this year and is expected to wrap up in early 2028. Once it's done, the Coopersville plant will become Fairlife's largest plant in the Midwest, a company representative told News 8. The expansion is expected to add about 200 full-time jobs. The plant already employs nearly 450 people, making it the largest employer in Coopersville besides the school, according to Mayor Brian Mooney. "Today we're talking about a groundbreaking, but this is really about a lot more than just turning dirt. Today is about strengthening an industry that has helped define West Michigan for generations," Mandy Cooper, interim president of economic development agency Lakeshore Advantage, told attendees. "Agriculture and food production have been part of this region's story for generations, and today's groundbreaking helps ensure that story is able to continue for years to come." After the expansion, Fairlife says it will bring in 4 million additional pounds of milk each day. "This is a big deal for Michigan agriculture," Tim Boring, director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, told News 8. "It's fantastic for the farmers here in Michigan. We're going to see a lot of increased demand for dairy within the state, and that drives a whole series of economic development activities within that agriculture community." Roger Victory, a farmer and Republican state senator from Hudsonville, called the expansion "a win for all." "It's not just one entity that benefits," the senator explained. "When you have the stronger dairy industry, that means we have a stronger network of our machinery dealerships, our fertilizer supply systems. We all win. Regardless of if you're in the dairy industry, the beef industry (or) swine industry, we need a robust industry for agriculture for West Michigan." Fairlife's expansion is supported by multiple grants, including a $5 million Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant and a $2.3 million MDARD grant for wastewater infrastructure. "When we think about why we made this investment in Michigan, it was very intentional," Kerr said. "We know that this state has deep dairy roots. Michigan has a workforce that always shows up and delivers. And Michigan gave us a business environment that made this an easy decision." The city of Coopersville is also getting $17 million from the state to improve its water system. "The city needs (the grant) to support Fairlife," the mayor told News 8. "They wouldn't have the water supply they need if we didn't get that grant." Last month, Fairlife announced it had experienced a cyberattack, which temporarily halted production at its U.S. facilities. By late July, production had largely resumed. A Fairlife representative declined to comment Wednesday on how the cyberattack had affected the Coopersville plant.
Coca-Cola reveals subsidiary Fairlife suffered Data Breach. 2026-07-30 16:07 Coca Cola claims data was stolen from its Fairlife business after a recent ransomware attack Read the original article: Coca Cola claims data was stolen from its Fairlife business after a recent ransomware attack Information security training July 28, 2026 The Anubis cybercrime group has taken credit for the attack and is threatening to leak data. This article has been indexed from SecurityWeekRead the original article:Coca-Cola Confirms Data Breach After Fairlife Ransomware Attack July 27, 2026 Coca-Cola has confirmed data was stolen in the ransomware attack on Fairlife after the Anubis gang published allegedly stolen files, escalating the... July 28, 2026