Position Title: Research Engineer Contractor, Salty R&D Process Development
Reports to: Manager, Process Development
Dept / Function: Salty R&D
Location: Hershey, PA
Duration: 10 months
Summary
- The Research Engineer Contractor, Salty R&D Process Development, supports hands-on process development, experimentation, scale-up, and technical problem-solving across salty and baked snack platforms, including popcorn, extruded snacks, pretzels, fried snacks, and baked cracker/snack systems.
- The role is intended to support many of the same platform and process-development activities as the Senior Engineer, Salty R&D scope, but at a Research Engineer level: assisting on higher-complexity projects, leading defined workstreams within larger programs, and independently driving low-complexity assignments with manager guidance.
- This contractor will work closely with Product Development, Engineering, Operations, Quality, Manufacturing, Procurement, and external partners to execute pilot-plant and plant trials, collect and analyze process data, document results, and translate learnings into practical recommendations for commercialization, process optimization, and capability growth.
Specific Role Focus Areas
- Assist in development, optimization, and validation of salty snack processes across pilot and manufacturing environments.
- Execute experimental plans, collect process data, analyze results, and summarize technical conclusions using appropriate analytical and statistical tools.
- Operate and support laboratory, pilot-plant, and factory equipment, including setup, preparation, troubleshooting, trial execution, and cleanup coordination.
- Support process scale-up and commercialization by helping define operating windows, process guides, critical parameters, and technical risks.
- Apply structured problem-solving to issues such as moisture control, texture variability, oil management, seasoning adhesion, expansion consistency, heat distribution, and airflow performance.
- Prepare concise written reports, trial summaries, SOPs/process guides, and presentations to communicate recommendations to project teams and management.
Major Duties / Responsibilities#Time %Summary of major duties
- 45%Process Development & Optimization Across Multiple Platforms: Assist in developing, optimizing, and validating processes for popcorn, extruded snacks, pretzels, fried snacks, and baked snack systems. Support work on oil popping/air popping, seasoning application, moisture management, dough systems, thermal profiles, cutting/forming, frying, baking, drying, airflow, and hydration systems. Execute experiments to improve throughput, yield, texture, color, moisture distribution, seasoning coverage, and product consistency. Help translate pilot and plant learnings into practical operating windows and process recommendations.
- 25%Pilot Trials, Scale-Up, Commercialization & Factory Support: Support pilot-scale and plant-scale trials for new products, process changes, equipment modifications, and technology introductions. Assist Operations and Engineering during startup, commissioning support, process validation, and troubleshooting activities. Collect and organize trial data, observations, sample requirements, and follow-up actions during plant or pilot work.Support manufacturing teams by contributing to process guides, startup documentation, and critical control parameter definition.
- 15%Experimentation, Data Analysis & Technical Documentation: Design or assist with experiments using DOE, structured trials, capability assessments, or other analytical methods appropriate to the project scope. Analyze process data such as temperature, pressure, moisture, airflow, oil quality metrics, throughput, and product attributes to identify trends and opportunities. Prepare technical summaries, reports, SOPs, trial documentation, scale-up recommendations, and presentation materials. Document technical risks, assumptions, conclusions, and recommended next steps in a clear and disciplined manner.
- 10%Cross-Functional Collaboration & Project Support: Partner with Product Development to align formulation needs with process design and manufacturing capability. Collaborate with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Procurement, suppliers, and external partners to support process-learning objectives. Communicate project updates, technical issues, and recommendations to cross-functional team members and management. Provide hands-on direction to technicians or trial support resources when assigned.
- 5%Capability Building & Continuous Improvement: Support longer-term platform capability work in areas such as extrusion, frying, baking, popcorn processing, pretzels, airflow systems, seasoning application, and oil management. Identify practical productivity, quality, simplification, energy, or process-control improvement opportunities. Stay current on emerging snack-processing equipment, pilot capabilities, and relevant supplier technologies.
Minimum Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Foundational technical knowledge in food science, food engineering, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, process engineering, or related discipline.
- Comfortable operating or supporting laboratory, pilot-plant, and/or factory equipment in food-processing environments.
- Basic working knowledge of GMPs, food safety, sanitary design, analytical techniques, research methodology, and experimentation.
- Understanding of one or more snack-processing technologies, with ability to quickly learn others: popcorn processing, extrusion, frying, baking, pretzels, seasoning application, oil systems, moisture control, thermal processing, airflow, or dough systems.
- Ability to apply structured problem-solving and data-driven root-cause analysis to technical questions.
- Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Teams, Excel, PowerPoint, and basic data-analysis tools; DOE/statistical analysis experience preferred.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to summarize findings clearly for technical and non-technical audiences.
- Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-changing R&D and manufacturing environment.
- Hands-on mechanical aptitude and willingness to work in plant, pilot, and lab environments with heat, oil, noise, and industrial equipment.
Minimum Education and Experience Requirements
- BS in Chemical Engineering, Food Engineering, Biological Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry, or a related technical field with 0-2 years of related experience.
- Relevant internships, co-ops, research projects, or food-processing experience may be considered.
- Experience working in or around food processing, salty snacks, confectionery, pilot plants, manufacturing environments, data analysis, DOE/statistics, or hands-on equipment troubleshooting is preferred.Other RequirementsAbility to work in plant, pilot-plant, and lab environments.
- Travel 20-50% depending on project, supplier, and plant-support needs.
- Must be capable of lifting approximately 40 lbs during pilot-scale and equipment work.
- Must be comfortable around heat, oil systems, noise, and industrial equipment.
- Contractor term, work schedule, onboarding requirements, vendor administration, and site-access details to be defined by the hiring manager and contracting partner.
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Spectraforce Technologies
Jul 17, 2026