With 3.4 billion people in over 190 countries using our products every day, Unilever is a business that makes a real impact on the world. Work on brands that are loved and improve the lives of our consumers and the communities around us. We are driven by our purpose: to make sustainable living commonplace, and it is our belief that doing business the right way drives superior performance. At the heart of what we do is our people – we believe that when our people work with purpose, we will create a better business and a better world.
At Unilever, your career will be a unique journey, grounded in our inclusive, collaborative, and flexible working environment. We don’t believe in the ‘one size fits all’ approach and instead we will equip you with the tools you need to shape your own future.
Job Purpose
At Unilever Food solutions, our purpose is to Free Chefs to love what they do. We work with Hotels, Restaurants and Caterers to create exciting menus that are good for diners, and good for the planet. Our brands include Knorr Professional & Best Foods— trusted and used by chefs and F&B operators every day.
We are looking for a results-driven Process Engineer to lead end-to-end process improvement across our food manufacturing operations. You will use data, problem-solving, and continuous improvement tools to eliminate losses, improve line stability, and elevate quality—helping us achieve zero defects, reduce waste, and maximize overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
Key Responsibilities
- Lead structured process improvement to eliminate defects, waste, and losses, delivering measurable gains in safety, quality, cost, and delivery
- Drive initiatives to improve line stability, throughput, and efficiency by reducing variability and strengthening process control
- Identify, prioritize, and remove top losses using AM, PM, FI Pillars and proven continuous improvement methodologies (Lean/TPM/WCM/Six Sigma)
- Coach and upskill line teams through technical training, standards, and hands-on problem solving to embed a continuous improvement culture
- Validate improvements through trials, capability studies, and risk assessments, then lock in results by updating standards and basic conditions
- Partner with Production to enable robust data collection and analysis (scrap, downtime, yields), and support the transition toward semi-autonomous teams
- Lead or support automation and transformation projects, coordinating scope, trials, and supplier collaboration to deliver sustainable performance improvement
- Provide timely, actionable performance insights to support fast decisions, effective prioritization, and optimal resource allocation
Skills & Qualifications
Must have
- Bachelor’s degree or higher in Mechanical, Industrial, Production Engineering, Engineering Management, or related discipline
- 5–8 years’ experience in Process Engineering, Production Engineering, or a similar manufacturing improvement role
- Demonstrated success leading end-to-end process improvement initiatives (from loss identification through implementation and sustainability)
- Strong grounding in CI programs and tools (e.g., Lean, TPM, WCM, Six Sigma; AM/PM/Quality/FI methodologies)
- Hands-on experience with FMCG manufacturing processes, equipment, and production technologies
- Working knowledge of FMCG operations best practices and shopfloor routines
- Knowledge of statistics and process control (SPC, capability, trend analysis) to diagnose and reduce process variation
- Ability to translate technical topics into practical standards across site processes and production lines
- Strong engineering leadership with a track record of delivering loss and waste elimination through major improvement projects
Nice to have
- Project leadership experience (CAPEX, line upgrades, or new technology introduction) in a manufacturing environment
- Food manufacturing experience, including familiarity with GMP/HACCP environments
- Exposure to manufacturing digitalization (dashboards, automated reporting, performance analytics)
Leadership Competencies
- Identify opportunities for growth and improvement using data and shopfloor observations
- Lead change, standardize improvements, and sustain performance through robust routines
- Communicate with impact across functions to align actions, decisions, and priorities
- Manage stakeholders effectively and balance short-term delivery with long-term capability building
Why join this role
- High-impact, hands-on role with clear ownership of end-to-end performance improvement on the shopfloor
- Grow your CI/Lean expertise through real OEE, loss-elimination, and capability-building projects with visible results
- Partner closely with cross-functional stakeholders (R&D, QA, Engineering, Production) and build a strong pathway toward broader operations leadership
Unilever is an organisation committed to equity, inclusion and diversity to drive our business results and create a better future, every day, for our diverse employees, global consumers, partners, and communities. We believe a diverse workforce allows us to match our growth ambitions and drive inclusion across the business. At Unilever we are interested in every individual bringing their ‘Whole Self’ to work and this includes you! Thus if you require any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of your application so that we can support you through your recruitment journey.
