Associate R&D Process Engineer - Food Industry

About Kerry

Kerry is the world's leading taste and nutrition company for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical industries. Every day we partner with customers to create healthier, tastier and more sustainable products that are consumed by billions of people across the world. Our vision is to be our customers' most valued partner, creating a world of sustainable nutrition. A career with Kerry offers you an opportunity to shape the future of food while providing you opportunities to explore and grow in a truly global environment.

About the role

Join Kerry's dynamic RD&A team to lead the advancement of our drying optimization processes, with a specialized focus on spray drying technologies. This role combines process engineering expertise with hands-on optimization of critical unit operations including heat transfer, fluid mechanics, and mass transfer. You'll work at the intersection of research, development, and manufacturing to drive process performance improvements and ensure exceptional product quality.

As a key contributor to our cross-functional teams, you'll innovate new techniques, modify existing processes, and develop unique product functionalities that support Kerry's market leadership. This position offers the opportunity to evaluate and implement cutting-edge technologies while establishing best practices across our global operations.

Key responsibilities

Process Monitoring & Analysis

Lead comprehensive analysis of production data to investigate productivity and yield variance, identifying optimal drying conditions for continuous improvement initiatives

Apply fluid dynamics and heat transfer expertise to design effective data capture systems and optimize process parameters for maximum production performance

Monitor and benchmark process performance across multiple facilities to identify improvement opportunities

Analyze physical and chemical characteristics of products to predict dryability and determine optimal drying conditions that maximize both product performance and production throughput

Process Modification & Improvement

Review and update processing conditions based on product characterization and formulation insights to implement targeted process improvements for productivity and yield enhancement

Develop comprehensive product and process cost analysis frameworks to evaluate cost-benefit ratios of process modifications both pre- and post-implementation

Drive systematic approach to process optimization using data-driven methodologies

Process Development & Scale-up

Capture and analyze pilot-scale data to develop robust scaling models for commercial implementation

Establish and maintain best practices for data capture, analysis, and continuous process review

Utilize baseline data from both pilot and plant scales to correlate process parameters with product characteristics, improving "Right First Time" success rates

Collaborate closely with RD&A, Engineering, and Manufacturing teams to support successful scale-up, technology transfer, and optimization of powder manufacturing processes

Partner with internal and external subject matter experts for technology benchmarking and future-focused automation strategies, developing product-specific models aligned with Kerry's diverse portfolio.

Qualifications and skills

Education

Master’s degree in food engineering, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, or related engineering discipline

Experience

Strong foundation in heat transfer, fluid mechanics, and mass transfer principles

Proficiency in data analysis and statistical methods

Experience with process modelling and simulation tools preferred

Knowledge of powder characterization techniques and analytical methods

Willingness to travel to production facilities across the US (approximately 25%)

Ability to work in manufacturing environments and pilot facilities

The typical hiring range for this role is $75,602 to $123,432 annually and is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, certifications, location, etc. In addition to your pay, Kerry offers benefits such as a comprehensive benefits package, incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase and retirement contribution (all benefits and incentives are subject to eligibility requirements).