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Candy Engineer Jobs in Philadelphia, PA (NOW HIRING)

Candy Engineer information

What is a candy engineer?

Candy Engineers are professionals who design, develop, and test new types of candies and confections. They use their knowledge of food science, chemistry, and engineering to create innovative sweets with appealing flavors, textures, and appearances. Candy Engineers also work to improve manufacturing processes, ensure product safety, and may be involved in quality control to meet regulatory standards. Their work can involve both hands-on experimentation and collaboration with research and development teams in the food industry.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a candy engineer?

To thrive as a Candy Engineer, you need a strong background in food science, chemistry, and process engineering, typically supported by a relevant degree. Familiarity with confectionery manufacturing equipment, quality control systems, and food safety certifications like HACCP is important. Creativity, attention to detail, and problem-solving skills help you innovate and maintain product consistency. These abilities are crucial for developing high-quality, safe, and appealing confections in a competitive market.

What are some common challenges faced by candy engineers in the product development process?

Candy Engineers often encounter challenges related to balancing taste, texture, and shelf stability while also considering large-scale manufacturing constraints. Ensuring that new recipes can be efficiently produced in bulk without compromising quality is a frequent hurdle. Additionally, complying with food safety regulations and adapting formulations to accommodate dietary trends (like sugar-free or allergen-free products) require innovative problem-solving skills. Working closely with food scientists, quality assurance teams, and production specialists is essential to address these challenges effectively.

What is the difference between Candy Engineer vs Confectionery Technologist?

AspectCandy EngineerConfectionery Technologist
CredentialsBachelor's in Food Science or Chemical EngineeringBachelor's in Food Science or Chemistry
Work EnvironmentManufacturing plants, R&D labsProduct development, quality control labs
Industry UsageFood manufacturing companies, candy producersConfectionery companies, R&D departments
Job FocusDesigning and optimizing candy production processesDeveloping new confectionery products and recipes

While both Candy Engineers and Confectionery Technologists work in the candy industry, Candy Engineers primarily focus on process design and manufacturing efficiency, whereas Confectionery Technologists concentrate on product development and recipe innovation. Both roles require similar educational backgrounds and often collaborate in the candy production process.

Infographic showing various Candy Engineer job openings in Philadelphia, PA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 91% Full Time, 5% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution.

HVAC / Facilities Technician

Frankford Candy, LLC

Philadelphia, PA • On-site

$37 - $43/hr

Full-time

Re-posted 16 days ago


Job description

Position: HVAC / Facilities Technician — Food Manufacturing

Location: Philadelphia, PA

Reports to: Maintenance Manager


Role Summary

The HVAC / Facilities Technician ensures reliable, safe, and sanitary environmental conditions across candy/snack/bakery and RTE production areas. This includes maintaining temperature, humidity, pressure differentials, and filtered airflow to meet product quality requirements and food safety standards (GMP/CGMP). The technician installs, maintains, troubleshoots, and optimizes air handling units, make‑up air units, chillers, dehumidifiers, and HVAC controls supporting production, sanitation, and packaging environments.

Key Responsibilities

Environmental Control & Compliance

• Maintain temperature, humidity, and pressurization for candy, chocolate, and RTE areas.

• Verify airflow direction, filtration performance (MERV/HEPA), and sanitation readiness.

• Support allergen‑control zoning, sanitation windows, and pre‑operation checks.


Operations Monitoring & Performance

• Inspect, troubleshoot, and maintain HVAC and refrigeration equipment.

• Monitor BAS/BMS, system trends, alarms, and operational efficiency.

• Minimize downtime through proactive testing and scheduled maintenance.

• Disassemble, clean, inspect, and repair motors, dampers, and valves.

• Diagnose and repair systems/components related to building automation.


Preventive & Corrective Maintenance

• Perform PMs on controls, motors, fans, belts, filters, and chillers.

• Conduct monthly inspections and annual chiller maintenance.

• Execute corrective maintenance and complete work orders.

• Collaborate with engineering on HVAC modifications and replacements.


Controls, Airflow & Energy

• Monitor supply/outdoor air volumes, return air, temperatures, and humidity.

• Recommend control modifications for stability, product protection, and efficiency.

• Diagnose automation/controls issues and coordinate with controls vendors.


Documentation, CMMS & Parts

• Maintain CMMS records, work orders, reliability logs, and part usage.

• Manage parts inventory and order HVAC components and supplies.

• Prepare accurate documentation to support food safety and regulatory audits.


Safety & Communication

• Follow LOTO, fall protection, man‑lift, confined space, and electrical safety.

• Communicate effectively with production, sanitation, quality, and engineering.

• Participate in nights/weekends on‑call rotation.


Required Qualifications

• High school diploma/GED and HVAC‑specific technical training.

• EPA 608 Universal certification.

• Proficiency with BAS/BMS (e.g., Metasys) and CMMS.

• Ability to read service manuals, schematics, and technical documents.

• Knowledge of CGMP requirements for food manufacturing environments.


Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with air‑ and water‑cooled chillers, dehumidifiers, MAUs, VAVs.

• Confined space, fall protection, and lift operation training.

• Strong data analysis skills for HVAC trends and reliability insights


Core Competencies

• Technical HVAC/R Mastery

• Food Safety, CGMP Understanding, & Safety Compliance

• Troubleshooting & Root Cause Analysis

• Documentation Accuracy & CMMS Use

• Continuous Improvement & Energy Awareness


Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand, walk, climb, and work in confined spaces and rooftops.

• Lift up to 50 lbs.

• Work in hot, cold, noisy, or humid production environments.

• Wear PPE such as gloves, hearing protection, hairnets, and safety glasses.


Competency Matrix

Competency

Description

Proficiency Level

Technical HVAC/R Mastery

Diagnose, repair, and optimize HVAC systems in production & RTE zones.

4

BAS/BMS & Controls

Use BAS to trend/diagnose, adjust sequences, and interpret alarms.

4

Food Safety & CGMP

Validate airflow, filtration, and environmental controls supporting GMP/CGMP.

4

Preventive & Predictive Maintenance

Execute PMs, maintain logs, and identify optimization opportunities.

4

Troubleshooting & RCA

Apply structured problem‑solving and verify corrective actions.

4

Documentation & CMMS

Complete accurate work orders and maintain audit‑ready records.

4

Safety Compliance

Follow LOTO, fall protection, confined space, and PPE practices.

4

Communication

Collaborate with production, QA, sanitation, and engineering teams.

4

Customer Focus

Balance production needs with compliance and system stability.

3–4

Continuous Improvement

Suggest improvements to controls, PM tasks, and energy efficiency.

3–4