Process Improvement Engineer

Overview

At PepsiCo UK, we’re proud to make some of the nation’s favourite snacks and drinks—like Walkers, Quaker, Doritos, Pipers, and Monster Munch. With sites across the UK, including our Quaker mill in Cupar and Doritos factory in Coventry, we’re also home to one of the world’s largest crisp factories in Leicester.

The Process Improvement Engineer is responsible for ensuring productivity goals for current year are met through coordinating existing projects, analysing current practices, recommending improvements, and tracking cost management activities. The Process Improvement Engineer will be responsible for developing and delivering healthy pipeline of productivity projects, being part of CAPEX projects, supporting the commercial change agenda for site, providing operational support and identifying and conducting performance improvement initiatives.

Responsibilities

Key Accountabilities

• Process Improvement & Problem Solving
• Analyse performance reports to identify, recommend and implement methods to reduce waste, inefficiencies and non-value added activities.
• Analyse and understand principles of operations for processing and packaging system (process/equipment/methods) capabilities in order to identify, develop, and execute improvement opportunities via Project Management.
• Demonstrate exemplary problem solving skills; coach and lead others to execute problem solving using lean methodologies. Lead and facilitate Root Cause Analysis (RCA), SIPOC and DMAIC problem solving projects.
• Facilitate brainstorming meetings with Production work teams and functional team members to identify cost improvement projects.  Then, coordinate the development of execution timelines and action step accountabilities.
• Site Productivity Performance
• Identify and conduct productivity projects
• Maintain pipeline of future productivity projects
• Support annual budget for the department area.

Departmental Capital Planning

• Assist in the development of the department capital plans to support the delivery of business objectives.
• Coordinate and complete cost studies, work with the project team to identify capital requirements.
• Manage/lead operational projects via Project Plans.
• Support Commercial Change Agenda

Support R&D and Change Lead by:

• Involvement in Stage-gate process / conception of NPD
• Support / Planning of relevant Trials
• Involvement in commissioning process – Change of standard settings if appropriate.
• Training, Coaching and Mentoring
• Educate department employees on KPI's (key performance indicators) and other business information. Coach teams on the costs of the operation and how their actions can impact these costs.
• Responsible for IPS, Standard Settings and top losses for assigned area. Identifying opportunities and working with production teams and site teams to resolve issues using Focused Improvement Tools.

Qualifications

The Cupar facility consists of highly automated and complex machinery. The candidate must be knowledgeable concerning sophisticated processing and packaging machinery and materials being used. The Process Improvement Engineer must be able to coordinate daily activities with production, Operations Managers and other operating departments, staff groups, and/or suppliers. The Process Improvement Engineer is expected to develop, recommend, and implement productivity improvements.

Skills & Competencies - Required

• Self starter with the ability to think strategically and develop action plans through the prioritisation of work streams
• Strong technical knowledge and the ability to analyse data to optimise manufacturing processes.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with a co-operative style that builds strong relationships and respect for others
• Ability to apply technical knowledge in a consistent, methodical way when faced with problems
• Planning ability – complex trials, data collection and analysis
• A strong role model for Safety, Quality and Food Safety behaviours
• Microsoft Office
• Lean Six Sigma / DMAIC Principles
• Project Management Skills
• Communication Skills

Skills & Competencies – Desirable

• Engineering Background
• PLC Experience
• LSS Kaizen Leader or Above (Training to Green belt level will be provided as part of first year)
• Strong coach and facilitator with the ability to influence behaviour and identify training needs at all levels
• Financial Analysis
• Previous Food Industry Experience

Why Join Us? We offer a competitive salary, bonus, flexible working, and a wide range of benefits—from critical illness cover and discounted gym memberships to enhanced parental leave. Our commitment to wellbeing and career growth makes us a Top Employer for 14 years running. 

Equal Opportunities We’re an equal opportunity employer, committed to the Equality Act 2010. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and will provide any necessary adjustments to support you through the recruitment process. 

About PepsiCo  PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated nearly $92 billion in net revenue in 2024, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo’s product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.  

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with pep+ (PepsiCo Positive). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the centre of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com, and follow on X (Twitter), Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @PepsiCo.