Staff Engineer - Beverage Product Development - Niagara Bottling

At Niagara, we’re looking for Team Members who want to be part of achieving our mission to provide our customers the highest quality most affordable bottled water.

Consider applying here, if you want to:   

• Work in an entrepreneurial and dynamic environment with a chance to make an impact.   
• Develop lasting relationships with great people.   
• Have the opportunity to build a satisfying career.

We offer competitive compensation and benefits packages for our Team Members.

Staff Engineer - Beverage Product Development

To support Niagara Bottling as the leading beverage manufacturer, the Product Engineering team uses engineering and project management expertise to develop new, commercially viable, packaging and beverage manufacturing solutions.

The Staff Product Engineer – Beverage will be responsible for independently managing large technical beverage projects ranging from product reformulation, product line extensions, trials, and launch of new beverages for Niagara and the brands we co-pack for. You will be a key technical resource across the organization, instrumental in managing the development, looking for creative ways to streamline the development process, and ultimately successfully launching new products.

Project Management Responsibilities (50%)

• Manage all activities in the Beverage Development Process and connect to the overall New Product Development (NPD) process and help drive timely completion of all deliverables. Prepare for handoff to the New Product Introduction (NPI) process.
• Lead scope definition, capital budgeting, and project commercialization timeline across all business units.
• Determine resource requirements and interdependencies across multiple portfolio-level programs.
• Assess multiple complex project scenarios, manage change requests to gain cross-functional alignment on optimal path forward.
• Drive project completion via building project charter, timeline, risk management logs, etc.
• Collaborate closely with the following teams: Procurement, Sales, Engineering Design, Beverage Development, Compliance & Regulatory, Marketing, Product Lifecycle Management, etc.

Beverage Development Management Responsibilities (40%)

• Manage the Beverage Development Process with our Beverage Development team to ensure products are being developed by taking all necessary steps.
• Identify and manage costs by preparing development budgets for beverage projects inclusive of lab and/or line trials.
• Provide technical and strategic recommendation to other technical teams throughout development phase to help establish design criteria and identify design limitations.
• Lead technical scoping with internal and external teams, such as: Request for Information (RFI), Request for Quotations (RFQ), etc.
• Analyze multiple complex scenarios for product launches and concisely communicate best path forward.
• Provide technical guidance to Procurement team in the identification and qualification of ingredient suppliers.
• Coordinate and manage product trials across our aseptic, cold fill, CSD, and hot fill production lines.
• Conduct gap analysis to bridge standard Niagara protocols/capabilities and customer requirements.
• Interface directly with customers in partnership with Sales Team to present product, manufacturing, and processing equipment solutions.

Leadership/Continuous Improvement Responsibilities (10%)

• Identify opportunities to streamline the Beverage Development Process working closely across the business to learn and understand processes that contribute to the development of new products.
• Conduct process mapping sessions to continue to enhance the Beverage Development Process.
• Develop and deliver technical and project management training materials to educate cross-functional departments.
• Propose and lead special initiatives to improve processes both within and across multiple business units.
• Research emerging technologies to provide technical recommendations to senior leadership.
• Build and maintain product databases.
• Mentor and coach junior level engineers to support development of technical and business acumen skills.

• Please note this job description is not designed to contain a comprehensive list of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without prior notice.

Qualifications

• Minimum Qualifications:
  • 7-9 years – Years of Experience in Beverage Manufacturing/CPG or other Engineering related field
  • 7-9 years – Years of Experience in Beverage Product Development or other related field
  • 7-9 years – Years of Project Management experience with Beverage/Food Product Development

             *experience may include a combination of work experience and education

• Preferred Qualifications:
  • 8-10 years – Years of Experience in Beverage Manufacturing/CPG or other Engineering related field
  • 8-10 years – Years of Experience in Product Development or other related field

Competencies

• Advanced understanding of product development and implementation processes.
• Extensive experience in the development of new beverages or products.
• Extensive experience in the different types of processing technologies used to produce aseptic, cold fill, hot fill, and CSD products.
• Ability to problem-solve and identify creative solutions for successful product launches.
• Ability to solve problems while using discretion in working with proprietary information.
• Excellent critical thinking skills and ability to provide data-recommended decisions.
• Excellent active listening skills.
• Advanced knowledge in MS Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Project, Visio).
• Advanced knowledge of Project Management software (Smartsheets experience a plus).
• Outstanding technical writing, oral communication, and presentation skills.
• Strong attention to detail, organized and thorough with a desire for continuous improvement.

This position embodies the values of Niagara’s LIFE competency model, focusing on the following key drivers of success:

• Lead Like an Owner
  • Identifies safety issues and takes prompt corrective action
  • Coaches/corrects unsafe team behavior
  • Effectively prioritizes quality, productivity, and cost
  • Encourages honest feedback from direct reports, peers, and up-line manager
  • Uses customer feedback to improve service levels and internal/external customer relationships
• InnovACT
  • Understands the concepts of process consistency and waste minimization
  • Modifies goals based on changing business needs
  • Promotes sharing of opposing viewpoints
• Find a Way
  • Anticipates problems and opportunities within functional area, and recommends proactive solutions
  • Uses technical knowledge to coach team performance and educate others
  • Leverages technical know-how to solve challenging problems
  • Encourages and models teamwork to demonstrate behavioral expectations for Team Members
  • Builds relationships up, down, and across effectively
• Empowered to be Great
  • Provides effective coaching and feedback to improve individual and team performance
  • Provides positive recognition for Team Member results
  • Assigns responsibilities to maximize team strengths
  • Resolves team conflicts with a calm demeanor and skill
  • Effectively communicates team and individual expectations and follows up appropriately

Education

• Minimum Required: 
  • Bachelor's Degree in Food Science or other related fields/ equivalent experience.

• Preferred: 
  • Master’s Degree in Food Science or other related fields/equivalent experience.
  • PMP (Project Management Professional) Certification or CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management) Certification

Typical Compensation Range

$116,624.00 - $163,274.00 / Yearly

Bonus Target: 10% Annual

Benefits

https://careers.niagarawater.com/us/en/benefits

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Employment agencies that have fee agreements with Niagara Bottling, LLC and have been engaged on a search shall submit résumé to the designated Niagara Bottling, LLC recruiter or, upon authorization, submit résumé into this career site to be eligible for placement fees.