Manufacturing Process Engineer

About the role

A Manufacturing Process Engineer with liquid processing experience in the F&B sector, who will be responsible for providing operations support to strategic co-manufacturing partners, in improving manufacturing performance, supporting troubleshooting and optimizing end to end process, who will collaborate closely to implement innovative and continuous improvement initiatives from a processing perspective. This role, based out of Singapore, will entail about 50% travel, primarily within the APAC region.

Key responsibilities

Project Management

• Support projects involving new plant installations and lead continuous improvement from a processing perspective

• Manage overall project timelines in scope and coordinate with different stakeholders to ensure on-time delivery of projects

• Work closely with co-manufacturing partners to provide technical support during entire project phase

Operations Support

• Provide technical support to ensure Quality, Productivity & Costs are optimized

• Assist in plant troubleshooting and in the resolution of manufacturing related issues

• Work closely with co-manufacturing partners and Corporate HQ in executing new package launches and commercialisation of new products

• Ensure that the required Factory SOPs are in place, so that our overall network operations are strengthen and contribute to its development.

• Conduct audits of all co-manufacturing facilities to evaluate the manufacturing process and coordinate required follow-up actions

• Work closely with co-manufacturing partners and QA Team to investigate and resolve product quality issues

• Identification of cost savings and optimization opportunities in our co-manufacturing partners, define action plans to execute the actions needed so these are captured.

Process Optimization & Operational Excellence

• Analyse and optimize processing operations (UHT, pasteurization, blending, homogenization, CIP)

• Improve OEE, yield, and process efficiency through data-driven analysis.

• Identify process bottlenecks and implement corrective actions.

• Lead root cause analysis (RCA) and troubleshoot processing issues

• Monitor our partners maintenance plan, contributing to its development and identifying gaps and closely coordinating with supply chain for downtime related requirements.

Innovation and Improvement

• Lead and execute trials with co-manufacturing partners in new process development

• Work together with co-manufacturing partners on product improvements and new product formulations

• Perform technical feasibility and manufacturing audits for potential new manufacturing partners and material suppliers

Sustainability & ESG

• Lead sustainability initiatives resulting on water usage reduction, chemical reduction and energy efficiency

• Contribute to sustainability goals across factories, connected to our overall company objectives.

Requirements

• 4 years experience in the food manufacturing industry, preferably in beverages

• Familiar with factory manufacturing processes and constraints related to low acid food & aseptic beverage production

• Sound technical knowledge and liquid processing equipment, mechanical P&ID design and strong understanding on manufacturing procedures and sequence requirement

• Exposed to food quality requirements such as HACCP, GMP and ISO Systems

• Excellent oral and written communication skills, interpersonal skills to work effectively in a multi-disciplinary team

• Willingness to travel around the region (50%)

About us

Vita Coco® is the brand that started America's craze for fresh coconut water. Informed consumers, pro-athletes and nutritionists as well as in-the-know celebrities and influencers have all become loyal fans of coconut water, swearing by the Vita Coco brand for its delicious flavor, hydrating properties and replenishment benefits. Award-winning Vita Coco, which counts Madonna, Demi Moore and Matthew McConaughey amongst its investors, is one of the most sought-after products in the beverage aisle. Vita Coco was founded in 2004 and is based in New York City, with operations in Europe and Asia.