{"id":1408354,"url":"https://alion.io/job/jj-snack-foods-process-engineering-lead","title":"Project Engineer","company":{"id":1841592,"name":"J&J Snack Foods","domain":"jjsnack.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/jjsnack","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Greenhouse","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":75,"open_postings":23,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":1,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":52,"computed_at":"2026-10-26T05:57:25Z"}},"role":"Industrial Engineering","role_family":"Industrial Engineering","seniority":"senior","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["La Vergne, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":120000,"max":130000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":130000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":5,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Statistical Process Control","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-04-03T14:14:17Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-26","last_verified_at":"2026-10-26T15:38:27Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":206,"trust":{"level":"stale","repost_count":0,"flags":["stale"],"days_open":205},"description":"As a leader and innovator in the snack food industry for over 50 years, J&J Snack Foods provides branded snack foods to foodservice and retail supermarket outlets across the U.S. Its products include such icons as SUPERPRETZEL, ICEE, and Dippin’ Dots along with other key brands like LUIGI’S Real Italian Ice, The Funnel Cake Factory Funnel Cakes, and Hola Churros. J&J also has a strong presence in bakery providing cakes, cookies, and pies to some of the largest grocery and convenience retailers in industry. Our company continues to deliver record sales led by a talented team and a commitment to “Fun Served Here”.\nPOSITION SUMMARY:\nReporting to the VP of Engineering, the Process Engineering Lead is responsible for leading process design, commercialization, and continuous improvement initiatives across bakery manufacturing operations. Leveraging deep expertise in dough systems, thermal processing, and high-speed production, this role ensures the successful scale-up of new products while optimizing efficiency, yield, and quality. The Process Engineering Lead partners closely with cross-functional teams to translate product innovation into reliable, high-performing manufacturing processes and leads capital projects from concept through startup to support business growth.\nESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:\nBakery Process Design and Commercialization\nLeads the transition of bakery products from pilot to full-scale production, encompassing mixing, proofing, forming, baking, cooling, slicing, and packaging operations.\nCollaborates cross-functionally with R&D and Quality to ensure formulations are optimized for manufacturability, consistency, and food safety.\nEstablishes, validates, and documents critical process parameters, including mix times, hydration levels, fermentation profiles, oven curves, and moisture targets.\nDrives and supports plant trials and the successful launch of new products and line extensions, ensuring seamless transition to production.\nCapital Projects and Equipment Implementation\nLeads process design for bakery capital projects, including PFDs, P&IDs, line layouts, equipment specifications, and cost estimates.\nSpecifies and implements bakery equipment such as mixers, dividers, proofers, tunnel ovens, conveyors, cooling systems, and packaging lines.\nOversees installation, commissioning, validation, and startup of new production lines and system upgrades.\nCollaborates with contractors and vendors to deliver projects safely, on time, and within budget.\nContinuous Improvement and Operational Excellence\nDrives improvements in yield, scrap reduction, downtime, and overall throughput.\nLeads root cause analysis for bakery-specific issues, including crumb structure, moisture variation, bake profile inconsistencies, and equipment reliability.\nApplies statistical tools, such as DOE and SPC, to improve process capability and consistency.\nChampions Lean and Six Sigma initiatives across production lines.\nUtilities and Thermal Systems\nProvides engineering support for bakery utilities, including steam systems, ammonia refrigeration, compressed air, chilled water, and electrical infrastructure.\nSupports optimization of thermal systems, including oven performance, heat transfer efficiency, and energy utilization.\nContributes to the development and improvement of preventive maintenance practices and process control systems, including PLC-based automation.\nPerforms other duties and special projects as assigned by the VP of Engineering.\nCOMPETENCIES: \nTo succeed in this role, the Process Engineering Lead must be self-motivated, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities effectively. The following knowledge, skills, and abilities are required:\nStrong business acumen, with the ability to connect process improvements to cost, yield, and product quality outcomes.\nProven ability to optimize processes, improve yield, and ensure product quality and consistency.\nExperience launching new products and translating formulations into scalable production.\nKnowledge of capital project execution, including process design, equipment selection, and line startups.\nStrong problem-solving skills, including root cause analysis and data-driven process improvement.\nAbility to influence plant leadership and drive sustainable operational change.\nEDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: \nBachelor’s degree in Chemical, Mechanical, Food, or related Engineering field.\nFive (5)+ years of progressive experience in commercial bakery or thermal food manufacturing.\nLean / Six Sigma certification\nStrong knowledge of dough rheology, fermentation, baking science, and moisture control.\nExperience with high-speed automated production lines and packaging systems.\nProven experience leading capital projects collaborating cross-functionally.\nSolid understanding of GMPs, HACCP, sanitary design, and food safety standards.\nExperience with PLC systems (Allen Bradley preferred) and manufacturing automation.\nTRAVEL: \nThis position is based in La Vergne, TN. Domestic travel is required to support projects and initiatives, with an expected travel commitment of approximately 30%, depending on business needs.\nUS Salary Pay Range\n$120,000—$130,000 USD\nDisclaimer: This position description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the team member. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.\nEEO Statement: J&J Snack Foods Corp.is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discriminatory employment actions against, and treatment of, employees and applicants for employment based on actual or perceived Federal, State and local laws that prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, national origin, ethnicity, alienage, religion or creed, gender, gender identity, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship, genetic disposition or characteristics, disability or veteran's status, sex offenses, prior record of arrest or conviction, genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristic, status as a victim or witness of domestic violence, sex offenses or stalking and unemployment status.","description_format":"text","description_chars":6210,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":5,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":[],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Snack Food","Bakery & Pastry","Frozen Food"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-28T18:40:31Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":8,"band":"cold","label":"Long shot","p_open":1,"p_active":0.291,"p_room":0.28,"age_days":205,"expected_fill_days":52,"reasons":["conf:3","stale_co","win:tail","crowd:"],"computed_at":"2026-10-26T05:57:25Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":130000,"is_top_pay":false},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/jj-snack-foods-process-engineering-lead","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/jj-snack-foods-process-engineering-lead.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-26T19:38:04Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":26417,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-27T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":1841592},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=1841592"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fjj-snack-foods-process-engineering-lead"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fjj-snack-foods-process-engineering-lead"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fjj-snack-foods-process-engineering-lead"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/jj-snack-foods-process-engineering-lead\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fjj-snack-foods-process-engineering-lead"}]}