Your Opportunity as the Process Development Engineer, Pet Research & Development
Drive process development for innovation from concept through commercialization, resulting in the launch of new pet food and snacks. Support the improvement of existing processes, value engineering, and technology development to enable new product development or cost improvement.
Location: Orrville, OH
Work Arrangements: Hybrid, 60% or more in office presence as business need requires and travel up to 30%
In this role you will:
Lead the development of robust processes to deliver the required finished product attributes, guardrails, and metrics (i.e. design criteria, consumer preference, cost, feasibility, timeline, etc.).
Efficiently design, plan, coordinate, and execute experiments from benchtop through manufacturing scale (i.e. creating test plans/experimental design, developing process flow diagrams, designing equipment and tooling, analyze and interpret data, etc.).
Lead technical and cross-functional teams to successfully develop and launch new innovation/renovation/business support/value engineering projects at JMS and/or co-manufacturing facilities.
Apply fundamental engineering/processing principles in combination with a creative mindset and critical thinking to develop novel process solutions.
Communicate project updates, review and summarize experimental results, provide go/no-go recommendations, and provide general technical updates to pet leadership and additional internal and external stakeholders.
Participate, and often lead discussions, as an active member of cross-functional project teams comprised of individuals from various disciplines, including Operations, Quality, Marketing, Finance, Procurement, and Co-Manufacturing to successfully commercialize new products or commission new processes.
What we are looking for:
Minimum Requirements:
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering
5+ years relevant experience in Research and Development or similar technical role.
Experience with experimental design (DoE) and execution.
Demonstrates knowledge and expertise; still acquiring higher-level knowledge and skills.
Strong organizational, critical thinking and creativity skills.
Effective presentation, verbal, and written communication skills.
Ability to work under moderate supervision within guidelines and processes.
Strong time management skills.
Strong cross-functional collaboration with technical teams (Operations, etc.) to influence shared goals and objectives.
Additional skills and experience that we think would make someone successful in this role:
Advanced Engineering degree and Chemical/Food Engineering.
Experience with rotary molding or baking.
Experience with pet food/snack production and/or human biscuit/cookie production.
Experience in food manufacturing environment.
Experience with statistical analysis/software.
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The Right Place for You
We are bold, kind, strive to do the right thing, we play to win, and we believe in a strong community that thrives together. Our culture is rooted in our Basic Beliefs, and we believe in supporting every employee by meeting their physical, emotional, and financial needs.
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We're an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, age, national origin, disability status or protected veteran status.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering
- 5+ years relevant experience in Research and Development or similar technical role
- Experience with experimental design (DoE) and execution
- Demonstrates knowledge and expertise; still acquiring higher-level knowledge and skills
- Strong organizational, critical thinking, and creativity skills
- Effective presentation, verbal, and written communication skills
- Ability to work under moderate supervision within guidelines and processes
- Strong time management skills
- Strong cross-functional collaboration with technical teams
- Advanced Engineering degree and Chemical/Food Engineering
- Experience with rotary molding or baking
- Experience with pet food/snack production and/or human biscuit/cookie production
- Experience in food manufacturing environment
- Experience with statistical analysis/software
The J.M. Smucker Co. Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about The J.M. Smucker Co. and has not been reviewed or approved by The J.M. Smucker Co..
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Retirement Support — Retirement programs are described as strong, with a company 401(k) match, immediate vesting in some materials, and access to an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. These elements contribute to a favorable view of total compensation value.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid parental leave for all parents and on-site childcare at key locations signal a family-forward approach. Additional supports such as adoption assistance and pet-related leave reinforce this emphasis.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid time off, seasonal compressed schedules, and flexibility options are highlighted across materials. The ability to start with substantial PTO and buy additional time enhances perceived time-off breadth.
The J.M. Smucker Co. Insights
What We Do
Each generation of consumers leaves their mark on culture by establishing new expectations for food and the companies that make it. At The J.M. Smucker Co., it is our privilege to be at the heart of this dynamic with a portfolio that appeals to each generation of people and pets with products found in 90 percent of U.S. homes and countless restaurants. This includes a mix of iconic brands consumers have always loved such as Folgers®, Jif® and Milk-Bone® and new favorites like Café Bustelo®, Smucker’s® Uncrustables® and Rachael Ray® Nutrish®. By continuing to immerse ourselves in consumer and pet parent preferences for food, how it’s purchased and how the companies that make it should operate, we will maintain the important role we play in their lives. This will allow us to continue growing our business and the positive impact we have on all of those who count on us.
