Process Engineer - UHT Operations

Darigold is seeking an experienced and motivated Process Engineer – UHT Operations to join our growing team. The Process Engineer is a key technical resource for Darigold’s retail facing operations - UHT, Aseptic, ESL, Culture and Fresh milk, responsible for improving process performance, reliability, efficiency and innovation in a fast‑paced manufacturing environment.

This role operates as a shared site resource, partnering with Operations, Quality, Maintenance, Engineering and R&D to stabilize processes, lead trials and change and convert data into sustainable improvements that protect food safety, quality and cost. The ideal candidate brings strong floor presence, analytical rigor and a continuous improvement mindset, with the ability to translate complex process behavior into practical solutions.

Darigold is the fifth largest dairy cooperative in the United States based on milk volume and one of the largest privately held organizations headquartered in the state of Washington. Since 1918, our producers have taken pride in producing dairy products with unsurpassed quality. Today, we are one of the nation's largest agricultural cooperatives, producing over 8.5 billion pounds of milk every year.

Through innovative technology and our efficient, flexible production capabilities, we deliver value added products and customer-driven solutions. Darigold is now known throughout the world for bringing fresh, wholesome dairy products and ingredients from the Northwest to people all around the globe.

What You Will Do:

• Subject matter expert on UHT, Aseptic, ESL, Culture and HTST processing functions across product portfolios and cleaning matrices.
• Provide support to Product Development on processing functions in conjunction with formulation to achieve intended finished product characteristics.
• Plan and execute process trials, line trials and validations in partnership with PD, QA, OT and Operations.
• Provide technical leadership for process changes, ensuring risks are assessed, mitigated and embedded.
• Support startup, scale-up and post-trial stabilization to sustain improvements.

Process Performance & Optimization -

• Drive improvements in yield, throughput, loss reduction and process stability across B2C operations.
• Analyze process data, trends, and KPIs to identify constraints and prioritize improvement opportunities.
• Lead structured problem solving for chronic and complex process issues impacting safety, quality or performance.
• Establish, monitor and improve critical operating parameters and control strategies.

Quality, Food Safety & Compliance -

• Ensure compliance with GMP, SQF, HACCP and aseptic requirements.
• Partner with Quality on investigations, product holds and corrective actions.
• Support audits through strong technical process knowledge and documentation.

Continuous Improvement & Capability Building -

• Provide technical support to Processing operators to troubleshoot and resolve issues.
• Translate operational challenges into measurable continuous‑improvement initiatives.
• Apply SPC, trend analysis, Pareto and RCA tools to eliminate variation.
• Provide training to operators on process control and process function.
• Provide technical support to Processing operators to troubleshoot and resolve issues.
• Translate operational challenges into measurable continuous‑improvement initiatives.

Shared-Resource & Cross‑Functional Support -

• Serve as a flexible technical resource across the Darigold B2C network.

Capital & Project Support -

• Support capital projects, equipment modifications, commissioning and operational acceptance.

What You Will Bring:

• Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering required, Mechanical, Industrial or related disciplines considered.
• 5-7 years of experience in a manufacturing or process‑driven environment.
• Exper…