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Red Star Yeast, LLC

Process Engineer

Red Star Yeast, LLC, Cedar Rapids, IA, United States


Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Other duties may be assigned depending upon operational needs
  • Understand and effectively utilize all employee safety programs to ensure proper procedures are followed. Act immediately upon unsafe conditions or behavior.
  • Gain yeast manufacturing process knowledge through internal and external training along with working on the various improvement and/or optimization studies.
  • Acquire knowledge of, and gain familiarity with, the plant fermentation equipment and process control system.
  • Acquire knowledge of the plant's utility systems and their performance.
  • Learn existing fermentation, CY, and Nutritional production scheduling processes.
  • Identify/develop opportunities to modify, improve, and/or automate the fermentation scheduling methods.
  • Participate in and/or lead specific studies and projects directed at continuous manufacturing improvement or process optimization.
  • Assist Process Superintendent in monitoring and troubleshooting process issus as required.
  • Monitor operations and anticipate or follow up on various operational issues.
  • Assist Process Superintendent in developing key manufacturing performance strategies and reports. Continue and/or improve fermentation performance tracking systems.
  • Accurately communicate relevant operations information to management in a timely manner.
  • Troubleshoot mechanical and process problems. Perform minor maintenance on machines and equipment.
  • Develop management skills necessary to manage both hourly and supervisory staff members through internal mentoring and external training programs.
  • Analyze, process, and act upon operational data per procedural standards.
Environmental, Safety, Quality, and Legal Requirements

Understand and follow:
  • Environmental: Universal Waste, Hazardous Waste, SPCC, Title V
  • Safety: All applicable OSHA Rules and Regulations
  • Quality: Quality Management System
  • Legal: all pertinent Human Resources, Environmental and Safety Laws and Regulations
Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The

requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable

accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
  • Ability to apply advanced mathematical concepts such as exponents, logarithms, quadratic equations, and permutations. Ability to apply mathematical operations to such tasks as frequency distribution, determination of test reliability and validity, analysis of variance, correlation techniques, sampling theory, and factors.
  • Ability to prioritize and organize tasks.
  • Communication and "customer" service skills are required in relationships with coworkers, management, and other departments within the company.
  • Mechanical aptitude and trouble-shooting skills.
  • Ability to write detailed technical reports; computer proficiency required.
  • Ability to design and/or utilize complex spreadsheets to organize and analyze data.
  • Additional safety and/or training experience helpful.
Education
  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering required. Emphasis in Biotechnology, Chemistry, or Food Manufacturing preferred.
  • Two to five years of experience working in a similar position. Previous experience working in the food, beverage, or chemical manufacturing industries highly preferred.

Language Skills

Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, P&ID charts, and procedure manuals. Ability to write basic reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees.

Mathematical Skills

Ability to apply advanced mathematical concepts such as exponents, logarithms, quadratic equations, and permutations. Ability to apply mathematical operations to such tasks as frequency distribution, determination of test reliability and validity, analysis of variance, correlation techniques, sampling theory, and factors. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.

Reasoning Ability

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram flow. Ability

to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized and non-standardized situations. Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

Certificates, Licenses, and Registrations

Ability to be forklift certified required.

Ability to be CPR/First Aid certified required.

Ability to wear respiratory protection.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform

the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to

perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; use hands to finger, handle, or feel;

reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee is occasionally required

to sit and talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities by this

job include close vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while

performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with

disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to wet and/or humid conditions; moving

mechanical parts; high, precarious places; fumes or airborne particulates; toxic or caustic chemicals; extreme cold; and

extreme heat. The employee is frequently exposed to outside weather conditions and risk of electrical shock. The noise

level in the work environment is usually loud.
Facial Hair Policy

Employees working in this position will be required to follow Red Star Yeast's facial hair policy. This is due to requirement of this position to wear respiratory protection.