Beverage Production Engineer

A Food Production Engineer bridges the gap between food science and industrial engineering. This role is responsible for designing, implementing, and optimizing the processes that turn raw ingredients into finished consumer goods at scale.

Unlike a production operator, the engineer focuses on the systems, efficiency, and technical integrity of the entire manufacturing line.

Key Responsibilities

• Process Design & Optimization: Develop and refine manufacturing workflows to increase throughput, reduce waste, and minimize energy consumption.

• Equipment Integration: Oversee the installation, commissioning, and maintenance of specialized machinery (e.g., industrial ovens, extruders, high-pressure processing (HPP) units, and automated packaging systems).

• Quality & Safety Compliance: Ensure all processes meet stringent food safety standards, including HACCP, ISO 22000, and local regulatory requirements.

• Yield Analysis: Monitor mass balance to ensure raw material inputs align with finished product outputs, identifying and correcting points of loss.

• R&D Scaling: Work closely with Food Scientists to transition bench-top recipes into stable, large-scale production runs without compromising flavor or texture.

• Automation & Robotics: Implement PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) systems and robotic arms to automate repetitive tasks and improve precision.

Core Competencies

Technical Skills

Soft Skills

Thermodynamics & Heat Transfer

Critical Thinking & Troubleshooting

Fluid Dynamics

(for liquid/semi-solid foods)

Cross-functional Collaboration

CAD Software

(AutoCAD/SolidWorks)

Project Management

Lean Manufacturing

(Six Sigma/Kaizen)

Technical Reporting

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Food Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or Agricultural Engineering.

• Technical Knowledge: Deep understanding of thermal processing, dehydration, fermentation, or freezing technologies.

• Regulatory Expertise: Familiarity with Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) recognized schemes.

• Experience: 3-5 years in a food manufacturing environment, ideally with experience in a specific sector (e.g., beverages, plant-based proteins, or confectionery).

What Success Looks Like

• Minimized Downtime: Achieving high OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) scores through proactive engineering and maintenance.

• Cost Reduction: Identifying process tweaks that lead to significant savings in water, energy, or ingredient usage.

• Seamless Scaling: Successfully launching a new product line with zero production-run failures.