Process Engineer—Chemical Operations

Company Description

Join the Team Powering the Future of Sustainable Agriculture

Bend, OR | Onsite | Process Engineer—Chemical Operations

Suterra is the world’s leading provider of biorational products for crop protection and commercial pest control. The company is dedicated to researching, developing and commercializing environmentally‑friendly products using naturally occurring compounds such as pheromones. Suterra is growing rapidly and investing heavily in new product development and active ingredient chemical synthesis. The company’s parent, The Wonderful Company, has invested over $80 million in a modern, state‑of‑the‑art facility in Bend, Oregon to synthesize active ingredients and manufacture proprietary dispensing technologies.

In order to support Suterra’s continued investment in sustainable technology we are recruiting a Process Engineer in our Chemical Operations group. The Process Engineer will be responsible for validating and improving processes used to make chemicals at commercial scale, defining processes, specifying equipment and leading the launch process for new chemicals and production improvements. The role interfaces closely with chemical development, production, maintenance, and environmental, health and safety teams to achieve and sustain mass production of high‑quality chemicals safely and efficiently.

• Publish new and updated standard operating procedures (SOPs) to reflect agreed process changes.
• Publish new and updated batch records to reflect agreed process and BOM changes.
• Maintain the bill of material (BOM) for each production output for use across the organization.
• Secure approval for changes to SOPs and batch records from affected stakeholders prior to publishing.
• Define functional requirements for new equipment to achieve process performance.
• Prescribe criteria and run tests to confirm equipment changes or upgrades.
• Define maintenance required to maintain all aspects of process performance.
• Devise trials for demonstration of production process capability pertaining to new products.
• Analyze trial data to identify issues and propose improvements.
• Define material specifications, SOPs, and process parameters that are compatible with our goals for safety, quality, delivery and cost in mass production.
• Support production by determining the root cause of quality issues and working cross‑functionally to propose and implement solutions.
• Generate and assess proposals for process improvement including changes in procedures, equipment, and tools.
• Analyze production data to identify issues and propose improvements.

• A bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering.
• Three to five years of experience in an engineering role involving product development or manufacturing.
• Understanding of and experience with tools for characterizing and validating processes, including Statistical Process Control and Design of Experiments.
• Experience at a site under Process Safety Management and direct involvement in implementing the elements of the program.
• Ability to use lab equipment for testing chemicals and train other team members in the basic operation of lab equipment for in‑process quality control.
• Familiarity with programmable logic controllers and the ability to troubleshoot chemical, mechanical and electrical issues.
• Demonstrated ability to solve problems while mitigating risks to resources and deadlines.
• Enthusiasm for teamwork at multiple levels and across multiple functions of the organization.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.

The Wonderful Company is an Equality Opportunity Employer that provides opportunities for advancement. We are committed to creating a diverse workforce that embodies a deep culture of acceptance, equity, and inclusion. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, region, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

EEO is the law.