Technical Services Manager Whey and Ingredients

Full Time Regular Milbank, SD, US

3 days ago Requisition

This role develops and implements in-process targets for solids/lactose/protein recovery, yield, throughput, and efficiency across whey and ingredient manufacturing. It monitors performance, reduces product loss, evaluates processes and equipment, and recommends improvements to quality, consistency, and operational results. The position provides technical direction and troubleshooting support to Operations and Quality, leads work involving whey protein concentrate, lactose, and other ingredient products, and optimizes filtration, concentration, evaporation, crystallization, drying, separation, and related systems.

It also analyzes operating data, identifies root causes of deviations, implements sustainable corrective actions, and establishes methods to track membrane performance and product loss.

The position provides technical expertise on whey and ingredient product composition, functionality, performance, and quality attributes. In partnership with Operations and Quality, it ensures products meet in-process standards, finished-product specifications, and customer requirements; investigates quality and performance concerns; and coordinates containment, root-cause analysis, corrective action, and follow-up. The role evaluates how raw materials, processing conditions, and equipment affect finished products; supports product development, commercialization, and plant implementation;

responds to customer technical needs with Quality and Sales; identifies improvement opportunities; and documents evaluations, trials, process changes, conclusions, and recommendations.

The role develops and maintains one- to five-year capital plans and leads projects that improve whey processing, ingredient production, solids recovery, efficiency, quality, and supporting infrastructure. Responsibilities include managing scope, budgets, schedules, vendors, contractors, installation, startup, and validation while coordinating with Operations, Engineering, Maintenance, Quality and other stakeholders. The position leads trials, evaluations, validations, startups, and related training; ensures projects meet technical, operating, budget, and timeline expectations;

and measures results through operational and financial performance data.

The position promotes a strong safety and food safety culture and ensures that whey and ingredient operations and assigned projects comply with applicable workplace safety, food safety, environmental, operational, customer, and company requirements. It participates in incident investigations, root-cause analysis, corrective-action development, and follow-up; identifies process, equipment, product-quality, and project risks; coordinates preventive and corrective action; and consistently supports company sanitation, environmental, Good Manufacturing Practice, safety, and food safety standards.

• Owns the day-to-day performance of the department, ensuring safety, quality, and operational standards are consistently met along with schedules, staffing plans, and processes.
• Executes departmental goals and priorities aligned with company strategy.
• Establishes, monitors, and delivers KPI’s aligned with departmental and organizational goals.
• Leads and develops Supervisors and Leads to ensure strong execution and team effectiveness.
• Reinforces culture, expectations, and leadership behaviors established by the organization.
• Ensures role clarity and accountability across their…