Process Engineer

As part of Richardson’s global agriculture and food business, our food and ingredients division plays a central role in connecting farm to table through our vertically integrated supply chain. As a leading pasta manufacturer, Richardson produces a wide range of high-quality dry pasta products for diverse markets and end uses.

Richardson provides an excellent compensation package consisting of a competitive salary, flexible benefits including medical, dental, vision, 401(k), paid time off, paid holidays, and training and career development opportunities. 

Working with Richardson opens the door to a world of possibility. We currently have an opportunity for a Process Engineer at our Winchester, VA pasta production facility, where we produce Ronzoni pasta. The Process Engineer partners with Operations, Maintenance, and Quality to improve production efficiency, product quality, and cost performance across all stages of pasta manufacturing. This role leads data-driven process improvements, supports capital and technical projects, and strengthens continuous improvement initiatives to enhance safety, food safety, and operational reliability.

Responsibilities:

• Analyze production data and manufacturing processes to identify and implement improvements in yield, throughput, quality, energy use, and labor efficiency

• Lead root cause analysis and corrective actions for process-related downtime, waste, or quality deviations

• Optimize equipment layouts, workflows, and operating parameters to improve plant performance

• Partner with Maintenance on preventive and predictive maintenance strategies to increase asset reliability

• Support and lead continuous improvement initiatives aligned with plant KPIs (safety, food safety, quality, productivity, cost)

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Chemical, Manufacturing, Industrial, or related field)

• 5+ years of experience in process engineering within a manufacturing environment

• Demonstrated experience leading data-driven process improvements

• Strong analytical skills with proficiency in Excel and production data analysis

• Experience conducting root cause analysis and implementing corrective actions

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in food or beverage manufacturing (pasta or dry goods preferred)

• Lean / Six Sigma certification or equivalent CI experience

• Experience supporting capital projects or equipment installation

• Familiarity with food safety and regulatory standards (FDA, GMP, SQF, etc.)

• Experience with layout design software (e.g., AutoCAD)

• Experience writing SOPs and technical documentation

Additional Information:

• Occasional off-shift or weekend support may be required during major trials, startups, or shutdowns

• Position requires presence on the manufacturing floor in varying environmental conditions