Califia Farms
Overview \ânia
Seeking a forward-thinking Director of Engineering to lead manufacturing engineering excellence at the cutting edge of plant-based food and beverage production. Overseeing, maintenance and engineering groups, this role is responsible for ensuring world-class performance across our production processes – driving both operational reliability and efficiency. The ideal candidate is a hands‑on, strategic leader with deep experience in food processing who thrives in a fast‑paced, innovative environment.
Responsibilities Operational & Process Excellence
Ensure that all manufacturing processes consistently deliver the highest product quality and operate at peak efficiency
Partner with the Sr. Production Manager to support and enable complex food production operations — including ingredient handling, reconstitution/mixing, liquid thermal heat processing, and in‑process quality controls, engineering systems, clean‑in‑place systems, etc.
Lead the design, optimization, and enhancement of these manufacturing systems and processes to ensure they meet performance, quality, and safety standards
Develop and update engineering documentation and SOPs to reflect best practices and ensure processes are scalable and repeatable
Capital & Strategic Planning
Develop annual capital investment upgrade strategies aligned with risk,Mehr capacity, innovation, and other needs as may be determined סרט
Build and manage 3-5 year capital plan based on risks and business needs
Ensure capital projects are executed flawlessly
Troubleshooting & Issue Resolution
Provide hands‑on leadership in identifying, diagnosing, and resolving process‑related issues – with an emphasis on Safety, Quality, and compliance
Develop your department leadership to provide the same hands‑on support for their frontline contributors
Act as a first responder to critical plant incidents remarkable product integrity or production continuity
Proactively communicating the פני and resolution to those issues
Data‑Driven Continuous improvement
Implement processes capability enhancements through data logging, analytics, and trend analysis
Proactively drive improvements through performance monitoring and root cause analysis Utilities Oversight
Define, assess, and manage plant utility requirements, support preventative maintenance procedures and resolve utility-related issues
Ensure compliance with all local, state, and federal requirements for our utilities, building codes, wastewater, drinking water, air quality, etc.
Engineering Project Leadership
Lead the design and execution of any new manufacturing or utility installations – from definition through successful implementation
Lead cross‑functional engineering teams to deliver complex projects on time, on budget, and satisfy technical requirements of the business
Collaborate with product development to embed quality assurance and operational efficiency into product design, qualification and commercialization
Other duties may also be assigned
Qualifications Minimum
10 – 15 years of miserable hands‑on-controller experience in food processing and manufacturing, ideally with a hands‑on working knowledge of aseptic beverage manufacturing and thermal processing
Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering or other engineering discipline (Food Technology preferred)
Strong knowledge of CIP/sanitary design and food equipment standards
Experience managing Ammonia Chiller Systems
Working knowledge and experience reading/understanding PLC computer controls
Demonstrated passion for “world class” food manufacturing and innovation in process design
Imagination for creating and implementing new, unique and exciting food related processes
Strong and decisive leadership, especially in managing troubleshooting teams, tackling multiple fast‑moving projects
Proven ability to lead cross‑functional engineering and troubleshooting teams
Proven ability to manage engineering budgets and timelines effectively
Preferred
Experience with beverage sterilization equipment
Experience with microbiological analysis and testing methodsExtensive knowledge ofsle and experience with PLC computer controls
The expected salary range for this position is between $180,000 – $190,000 per year based on a full‑ garante schedule. Location, confirmed job‑related skills and experience will be considered in setting the actual salary. As a full‑time employee, you will be eligible to enroll in Califia’s employee benefits program. You may also be eligible to participate in the company’s bonus program which may be subject to change.
The Company is committed to providing equal opportunity for employees and applicants in all aspects of the employment relationship, without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, marital status, veteran status, disability, age, religion or any other classification protected by law.
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Responsibilities Operational & Process Excellence
Ensure that all manufacturing processes consistently deliver the highest product quality and operate at peak efficiency
Partner with the Sr. Production Manager to support and enable complex food production operations — including ingredient handling, reconstitution/mixing, liquid thermal heat processing, and in‑process quality controls, engineering systems, clean‑in‑place systems, etc.
Lead the design, optimization, and enhancement of these manufacturing systems and processes to ensure they meet performance, quality, and safety standards
Develop and update engineering documentation and SOPs to reflect best practices and ensure processes are scalable and repeatable
Capital & Strategic Planning
Develop annual capital investment upgrade strategies aligned with risk,Mehr capacity, innovation, and other needs as may be determined סרט
Build and manage 3-5 year capital plan based on risks and business needs
Ensure capital projects are executed flawlessly
Troubleshooting & Issue Resolution
Provide hands‑on leadership in identifying, diagnosing, and resolving process‑related issues – with an emphasis on Safety, Quality, and compliance
Develop your department leadership to provide the same hands‑on support for their frontline contributors
Act as a first responder to critical plant incidents remarkable product integrity or production continuity
Proactively communicating the פני and resolution to those issues
Data‑Driven Continuous improvement
Implement processes capability enhancements through data logging, analytics, and trend analysis
Proactively drive improvements through performance monitoring and root cause analysis Utilities Oversight
Define, assess, and manage plant utility requirements, support preventative maintenance procedures and resolve utility-related issues
Ensure compliance with all local, state, and federal requirements for our utilities, building codes, wastewater, drinking water, air quality, etc.
Engineering Project Leadership
Lead the design and execution of any new manufacturing or utility installations – from definition through successful implementation
Lead cross‑functional engineering teams to deliver complex projects on time, on budget, and satisfy technical requirements of the business
Collaborate with product development to embed quality assurance and operational efficiency into product design, qualification and commercialization
Other duties may also be assigned
Qualifications Minimum
10 – 15 years of miserable hands‑on-controller experience in food processing and manufacturing, ideally with a hands‑on working knowledge of aseptic beverage manufacturing and thermal processing
Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering or other engineering discipline (Food Technology preferred)
Strong knowledge of CIP/sanitary design and food equipment standards
Experience managing Ammonia Chiller Systems
Working knowledge and experience reading/understanding PLC computer controls
Demonstrated passion for “world class” food manufacturing and innovation in process design
Imagination for creating and implementing new, unique and exciting food related processes
Strong and decisive leadership, especially in managing troubleshooting teams, tackling multiple fast‑moving projects
Proven ability to lead cross‑functional engineering and troubleshooting teams
Proven ability to manage engineering budgets and timelines effectively
Preferred
Experience with beverage sterilization equipment
Experience with microbiological analysis and testing methodsExtensive knowledge ofsle and experience with PLC computer controls
The expected salary range for this position is between $180,000 – $190,000 per year based on a full‑ garante schedule. Location, confirmed job‑related skills and experience will be considered in setting the actual salary. As a full‑time employee, you will be eligible to enroll in Califia’s employee benefits program. You may also be eligible to participate in the company’s bonus program which may be subject to change.
The Company is committed to providing equal opportunity for employees and applicants in all aspects of the employment relationship, without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, marital status, veteran status, disability, age, religion or any other classification protected by law.
#J-18808-Ljbffr