Remote - Principal Process Engineer - Snacking

Position Overview

Location: Remote (US)

Travel: 30-50%

This senior leadership role reports to the Director of Engineering - Hershey Salty Snacks. The Principal Process Engineer leads the Process Engineering strategic technology plan for the Salty Snacks division, including selection, design, standardization, and implementation. Working with the Salty Snacks Engineering team, the role provides process expertise and strategic insight into decisions and process technology standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Providing technical direction in process engineering development, design, scale-up, installation, and start-up throughout the Salty Snacks division.
• Offering technical advice to Process Engineering management on major engineering and process innovation development efforts.
• Acting as an advisor and subject matter expert with technical and business leadership for strategic capability and capacity plans.
• Preparing manufacturing feasibility assessments and capital cost estimates for process-related projects.
• Providing recommendations for process technical development, scheduling, and budgeting.
• Supporting capital projects with process design, equipment selection, piping and instrumentation diagrams, bid specifications, system acquisition, installation, start-up, troubleshooting, and training of supervisors, operators, and maintenance personnel.
• Ensuring all implementation activities for process projects comply with capital control policies and procedures.
• Acting as project lead to execute critical process-focused engineering projects.
• Managing multiple large and complex unit operations, including budgeting, scheduling, resource allocation, and ensuring systems operate as designed.
• Developing manufacturing processes within required project timetables and optimizing processes during start-up and early production.
• Leading diverse process teams, including engineers, plant operations, contractors, and suppliers, and implementing process-engineered solutions.
• Communicating critical project activities effectively across all levels of management.
• Mentoring and coaching junior process engineers, technical specialists, and project managers, fostering critical thinking and creativity.
• Working effectively as both an individual contributor and as a team leader within larger project teams.
• Representing The Hershey Company in professional and industrial organizations as required.
• Developing future capital projects for process improvement within the Salty Snacks division.
• Providing key process engineering evaluations and guidance for comprehensive project scopes, equipment schedules, and capital budgets.

Required Qualifications

• Qualifications: Ideal candidates must possess at minimum 8-10 years’ experience with equipment/systems including powder and liquid storage, ingredient weighing and delivery, dough mixing/blending systems, co-extrusion, direct expansion (extrusion), oven/dryers, fryers, seasoning & slurry technology, and popcorn kettle systems.
• Experience Required: 8-10 years’ experience as a process engineering subject matter expert in Salty Snacks.
• Education: Bachelor's Degree in Chemical or Mechanical Engineering. A master’s degree in Chemical or Mechanical Engineering or a related field is preferred.