Process Engineer
Full-TimeDeadline 9/4/27
No salary listed
Mid
Bachelor's
South Sioux City, NE, USA
In PersonOccasional travel required.
Manufacturing & Process EngineeringProcess Engineering
About the job
Requirements
- A bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Food Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related engineering field is required.
- Strong understanding of manufacturing processes and food safety regulations.
- Experience with process mapping, capacity analysis, and equipment validation.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and data analysis tools.
- Experience with food or beverage manufacturing is highly desirable.
- Experience with food processing operations such as mixing, cooking, baking, packaging, pasteurization, filling, or thermal processing is highly desirable.
- Proven success leading continuous improvement and operational excellence initiatives.
- Ability to perform all essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodation.
- Ability to maintain regular and punctual attendance.
- Ability to work in a manufacturing environment with exposure to noise, temperature variations, and food production areas.
- Ability to stand, walk, and climb stairs for extended periods.
- Ability to lift up to 60 pounds occasionally.
Responsibilities
- Analyze manufacturing processes to identify opportunities for increased efficiency, yield, throughput, and cost savings.
- Monitor and evaluate production metrics, including overall equipment effectiveness, downtime, waste, yield, and labor efficiency.
- Develop and implement corrective actions to address process inefficiencies and production issues.
- Support new product launches by evaluating process capabilities and required equipment modifications.
- Collaborate with production teams to identify and troubleshoot process deviations, quality concerns, and operational challenges.
- Conduct root cause analysis and implement sustainable solutions for recurring manufacturing issues.
- Develop, update, and maintain process documentation, standard operating procedures, work instructions, and process flow diagrams.
- Establish and monitor process control parameters to ensure product consistency and quality.
- Ensure manufacturing processes comply with FDA, USDA, Good Manufacturing Practices, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, Safe Quality Food, BRC, and other applicable food safety standards.
- Support food safety and quality audits by providing process documentation and technical expertise.
- Participate in risk assessments and validation activities for process changes and new equipment installations.
- Assist with the design, selection, installation, and commissioning of manufacturing equipment and systems as needed.
- Manage engineering projects related to process improvements, capacity expansion, automation, and facility upgrades.
- Work with equipment vendors and contractors to ensure successful project execution within timeline expectations.
- Collect, analyze, and interpret process performance data.
- Present findings and recommendations to leadership teams.
- Use statistical tools to identify trends and opportunities for improvement.
- Perform all other duties as assigned.
- Travel occasionally as required.
Desired Qualifications
- Experience with an enterprise resource planning system or similar manufacturing system.
- Food or beverage manufacturing experience.
- Experience with food processing operations such as mixing, cooking, baking, packaging, pasteurization, filling, or thermal processing.
About the company
Empirical Foods processes beef to produce lean ground beef and other protein products for food service and retail. It uses an in-house proprietary process that warms beef trimmings, centrifuges fat, and treats the product to kill bacteria to yield about 95% lean ground beef. They also offer boxed beef and pork, portioned steaks and roasts, and fully cooked seasoned items under brands like Noble Valley, Two Rivers Meat Co, and Dos Rios Taco Meat. They differentiate themselves by owning the technology to turn by-products into high-value protein and serving large packers, ground beef producers, fast-food chains, and grocers, with capacity expansion including a new plant in Garden City, Kansas.
Company Size
201-500
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
N/A
Headquarters
Dakota Dunes, South Dakota
Founded
N/A
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Garden City opened April 8, 2026, adding more than 250 jobs and new volume.
- Record-high beef prices strengthen Empirical’s pitch for cheaper lean ground beef.
- Phase II at Garden City targets 80 million pounds annually if demand supports it.
What critics are saying
- USDA forecast tighter calf supplies in late 2026 squeeze Empirical’s input volumes.
- Ground beef remains haunted by pink slime stigma, threatening restaurant and retail demand.
- A major food-safety incident at Dakota Dunes or Garden City would devastate the brand.
What makes Empirical Foods unique
- Garden City’s 280,000-square-foot plant doubled lean ground beef capacity in 2026.
- Empirical’s proprietary centrifuge process extracts 95% lean beef from trimmings, not cattle expansion.
- Forty-five years of technology claim 21 extra pounds of beef per head.
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Benefits
Flexible Work Hours