About This Role

Apeel is seeking highly motivated, process-oriented engineers to ensure our final products (Apeel-treated fruits and vegetables) are delivering maximum value and quality to our customers. Operations Engineers will become the “process engineering owner” of critical produce processing equipment, ensuring the effectiveness of the Apeel treatment and operational continuity at packing / distribution facilities around the world. Operations Engineers will frequently interface with our R&D, Engineering, Product, Operations, and Sales teams to facilitate the growth of Apeel’s commercial programs and produce supply base at packing / distribution facilities around the world.

What You’ll Do:

• Support specific sites across the US by: proactively anticipating, monitoring, maintaining, and improving the health of processes/equipment and quickly responding as problems arise
• Collect and analyze data to verify product effectiveness, downtime, capacity and through-put at each assigned site, working with R&D, Engineering, Product, Operations, and Sales teams to meet current and future Customer needs
• Maintain preventative maintenance programs including information gathering systems for predictive maintenance and KPI reporting systems for equipment reliability and performance (e.g., OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness))
• Identify, document, troubleshoot, and solve corrective maintenance issues related to produce quality and product application processes and equipment
• Regularly interface with customers, Apeel field staff and engineers to lead the continuous improvement of product application processes and equipment
• Assist with equipment integrations at customer facilities around the globe, including installation and commissioning of packing house equipment and startup of commercial operations
• Implement and optimize operational workflow at new and existing packing / distribution facilities
• Understand and conform to relevant safety standards including but not limited to industrial machines and high voltage equipment
• Operate treatment equipment and conduct produce quality lab testing at new and existing packing / distribution facilities, when needed
• Author and adhere to standard operating procedures, train incoming Apeel field staff, and verify compliance to these standards
• Work with Sales Account representatives to drive increased revenue and margins at assigned sites

 What You Bring:

• Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical, Chemical or Industrial Engineering or similar degree
• 2-5 Years of experience in a technical field with a preference for those related to field services, agriculture, food & beverage manufacturing, or capital project execution
• Design, implementation, and project management experience preferred
• Ability to troubleshoot and diagnose operational issues
• Experience with Statistical Process Control (SPC) and Design of Experiments (DOE)
• Experience with LEAN, 5-Why’s, RCFA, Six Sigma, etc.
• Experience with electromechanical systems, PLCs, automation, and controls systems
• Integrity, motivation, and a teamwork spirit that fits a fast-paced, ever-changing startup environment
• Ability to multi-task and set priorities according to changing requirements
• Effective oral and written communication skills
• Ability to lead and manage cross-functional project teams
• Up to 60–80% travel may be required

Apeel believes that the scale of our impact is determined by the teams that work with us. As such, we seek to build high-performing teams of people from various experiences and backgrounds who can collectively push our company into new realms. We seek a diverse pool of applicants and consider all qualified candidates regardless of race, ancestry, color, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, citizenship, disability, Veteran status, marital status, or any other protected status. If you have a special need or disability that requires accommodation, please let us know.

Please note that Apeel Sciences does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or employment agencies. In the event of a recruiter or agency submitting a resume or candidate without a signed agreement being in place, we explicitly reserve the right to pursue and hire such candidates without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted directly to hiring managers, are deemed to be the property of Apeel Sciences.