Wet Milling Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Process Engineer | Primient

About Primient Primient is a century old company with an entrepreneurial spirit. We are a leading producer of food and industrial ingredients made from plant-based, renewable sources. We deliver value through deep technical, commercial, and operational excellence that is backed by our long-standing corn wet milling heritage. Wherever we are in the process, from field to customer, our priorities are focused on ensuring we produce the safest, highest quality products through practices that uphold both our responsibility and commitments to the challenge and drive for excellence, our people and our planet. We are a privately held company with locations across the US, Mexico, Poland, and Brazil. We’re investing in our plants and people to unlock our potential in the industrial and food sectors. Guided by our values of Safety, Excellence, Integrity, and Growth, we’re focused on growing our business, our reputation, and the career of every teammate.

About the Role

The Process Engineer sits within the Engineering Technical Track and is responsible for supporting the smooth operation of assigned plant areas or systems through troubleshooting, process optimization, and capital project or non-capital project execution. This role focuses on enhancing maximizing output and improving energy use while minimizing cost and downtime. This role takes on broader technical ownership across multiple unit operations, develops independent process improvements, and collaborates cross-functionally with engineers, operations, and technical teams. By integrating engineering expertise, process improvements, and cross-functional collaboration, this role serves as a key technical resource for plant operations.

Primary Responsibilities

• Process Ownership & Optimization: Take technical ownership of multiple unit operations, ensuring process efficiency, reliability, and alignment with safety and quality standards. Identify and implement improvements to optimize energy consumption, material usage, and production efficiency (e.g., enzymes, water and minimizing waste).
• Engineering Assignments & Project Management: Manage engineering assignments, including process studies, system optimizations, and capital projects. Oversee project execution, from scope development and budgeting to procurement and implementation. Implement control and narrative updates to resolve programming issues, install new equipment, and improve logic processes.
• Technical Troubleshooting and Support: Serve as a key resource for troubleshooting process upsets, assisting with startups and shutdowns and conducting root cause analysis (RCA) to drive corrective actions and improve plant reliability.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work with Equipment SME’s, procurement teams, vendors, and corporate engineering to design and troubleshoot processes. Engage the engineers across sites to benchmark performance and share best practices.
• Performance Monitoring & Decision-Making: Monitor plant performance, track and communicate KPIs to both operators and plant/company leadership and recommend process adjustments based on data analysis. Develop independent solutions to address process pain points rather than relying on assigned projects. Work.

Work Requirements Knowledge

• General Chemistry
• Basic mathematical and physics principles
• Site specific (wet milling, refining, acid production) unit operation knowledge
• Safety best practices in a manufacturing facility
• Chemical engineering principles
• Quality/food safety knowledge
• Microsoft Office (Excel specific)
• Understanding of process flows

Skills

• Organization skills
• Time management & prioritization
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Critical thinking
• Problem solving
• Teamwork
• Project Management
• Maintains regulatory and technical awareness
• Ability to demonstrate findings
• Ability to coordinate efforts of others

Mindsets

• Goal oriented
• Learning-orientation
• Economic consideration
• Attention to safety, quality, sustainability
• Collaborative

Required and/or Preferred Education/Certification

• BS in Chemical, Bio Engineering or a related field from ABET accredited institution (required)
• Certification in Lean Six Sigma and Continuous Improvement (preferred)
• Certification in Root cause analysis (5 why, fishbone, KT) (preferred)

Required and/or Preferred Work Experience

• 3+ years post-graduation work experience (required)
• Previous manufacturing experience (or related field) (required)
• Previous capital project implementation experience (preferred)
• PID Updates/creation experience (preferred)

Total Rewards

The annual pay range estimated for this position is $82,053.60 - $123,080.40 and is bonus eligible. Please note that while this range reflects the full spectrum of compensation available for this role, individual compensation will be determined based on several factors including your experience, skills, and alignment with the role's responsibilities. During the interview process there will be an opportunity to discuss how your background fits into the pay range. We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards package that our U.S. colleagues and their families can count on, which includes:

• Competitive Pay
• Multiple Healthcare plan choices
• Dental and vision insurance
• A 401(k) plan with company and matching contributions
• Short- and Long-Term Disability
• Life, AD&D, and Voluntary Insurance plans
• Paid holidays & vacation
• Floating days off
• Parental leave for new parents
• Employee resource groups
• Learning & development programs
• Fun culture where you have an opportunity in shaping our future

Career Path & Culture

Primient is committed to a workplace that is all in – ensuring everyone has the opportunity to develop and shape a career that matters in an open culture which embraces equity, diversity and belonging. We challenge old ways of thinking; and encourage employee voices to be a guiding force for ongoing learning. Primient supports a culture of inclusion that respects individual strengths, views, and experiences. We believe our differences make better decisions, drive excellence, and deliver better business results. Primient employees experience autonomy and accountability in their role. Here, employees control their destiny as there is opportunity for career growth and pathways outside the norm.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging

We are believers in the power of difference. We strive to represent the communities in which we operate and to provide an inclusive, welcoming environment for all. We want Primient to be a place where every employee feels they belong and knows they are seen, heard, valued and safe to speak up. Our aspiration is to unlock the full potential in diverse perspectives, while offering everyone an equal chance to grow, Primient is an equal opportunity employer, committed to the strength of an inclusive workforce.

California Consumer Privacy Act ("CCPA")

The Company is committed to complying with the California Consumer Privacy Act(“CCPA”) and all data privacy and laws in the jurisdictions in which it recruits and hires employees. We collect the following categories of personal information for the purpose of hiring the best qualified applicants and to comply with applicable employment laws: Name and contact information; Job preference and work availability; Social Security Number and/or other identification information; Education and qualifications; Employment history and experience; Military service; Reference and background check information, including relevant criminal history and credit history; Social media information; Pre-employment test results; Post-offer medical examination information and results, including drug test results; Voluntary self-disclosure information regarding minority, veteran, and disability status; and Information provided by you during the hiring process.

Primient is a leading producer of food and industrial ingredients made from plant-based, renewable sources. We deliver value through deep technical, commercial, and operational expertise that is backed by our long-standing corn wet milling heritage. Wherever we are in the process, from start to finish, we focus our priorities on producing the safest, highest quality ingredients through practices that uphold our ongoing commitment to sustainability. Our employees, some of whom are second and third generation legacy, understand the importance of maintaining the highest levels of safety, excellence, and integrity in all that we do. We continue to grow with a century long history of ingenuity that started with agricultural visionary Augustus “Gene” Staley. Staley’s “can do” attitude and entrepreneurial spirit continue to lead and inspire Primient in new ways that ensure we honor our traditions to confidently trail blaze ahead. We proudly walk the halls of the ‘Castle in the Cornfields’ administration building in Decatur, IL, US, tracing our rich heritage and planning for the next big ideas.