Process Engineer

About Clean Crop

Clean Crop Technologies builds domestic supply chains for specialty crops. We work with growers from seed through processing to deliver food-grade products to buyers who have historically relied on imports. Our first crop, mung beans, is in commercial production, and we are expanding into additional pulses and grains.

Our commercial processing operation runs at a partner mill campus in Hennessey, Oklahoma, where we receive, clean, sort, grade and store products alongside our operating partner. Our R&D and pilot operations are in Holyoke, Massachusetts. We are a venture-backed company.

About This Role

We are looking for a Process Engineer to own the technical performance of our mung bean processing line in Hennessey. You will set and calibrate the cleaning, optical sorting and gravity equipment to each customer specification, trace yield loss and grading defects back to their cause, and run the trials that correct them. You will keep the equipment reliable through preventive maintenance and small capital projects, and design how each new pulse and grain will run on the line as we expand. You will work on site alongside our Production Manager, our QA Manager and customer partners. You will also work closely with our Product team in Massachusetts.

What you can expect from this opportunity:

Process Ownership

• Own the facility layout and equipment performance
• Set, document and maintain equipment settings for each crop and customer specification, and adjust them as incoming lots vary
• Track yield, throughput, OEE and downtime, find the causes of loss, and run the trials that improve them
• Troubleshoot off-spec product with the QA Manager, trace the cause back through the process, and put the fix in place
• Write and keep current the SOPs, work instructions and process documentation the floor team runs from

Equipment and Reliability

• Build and run the preventive maintenance program for the Hennessey equipment, and manage spare parts and service vendors
• Diagnose mechanical, electrical and controls issues on sorters, augers, elevators, bins and conveyors, and fix them or direct the fix
• Scope, justify and manage small capital projects, from equipment selection through installation and commissioning
• Bring new crops onto the line: define the process, identify equipment changes and run first production lots
• Workflow design and documentation- manage how product will move through the facility
• Facilities management- install new unit ops and vendor/contractor management 

Food Safety and Site Operations

• Support SQF certification and ongoing compliance, including sanitation, traceability and audit readiness
• Lead equipment-related safety practices on site, including lockout/tagout, guarding and dust control
• Work with our operating partner at the mill on shared equipment, utilities and site improvements, including the technical scope for any changes
• Build and sustain a 5S program across the processing line and storage areas, with visual standards and regular audits that keep equipment accessible, reduce changeover time between crops and support SQF readiness

We'd love to hear from you if:

• You have 4+ years as a process, manufacturing or plant engineer in food, grain, seed, feed or another bulk solids operation
• You have hands-on experience with cleaning, sorting, milling or material handling equipment, and are comfortable working on the floor
• You use data to improve a process: you have tracked yield, throughput or OEE and can point to a change you made that moved it
• You can read mechanical and electrical drawings and troubleshoot equipment and basic controls
• You write clear SOPs and can train a floor team to follow them
• You have a degree in chemical, agricultural, biological, food or mechanical engineering, or equivalent experience through a technical program and time on the plant floor
• You do well on a small team where you will often be the person who figures it out, and you know when to call a vendor or a peer who has solved it before
• You are willing to relocate to, or already live within commuting distance of, Hennessey, Oklahoma

Not required, but we'd be thrilled to see:

• Experience processing pulses, specialty grains or seed (mung beans, lentils, chickpeas, quinoa or similar)
• Optical sorter setup and calibration (Bühler, Satake, TOMRA, Key Technology or similar)
• SQF, BRCGS or other GFSI food safety program experience
• Commissioning a new line or facility
• PLC or HMI experience

Why you should consider us:

• You will own the process at our main commercial site, with direct influence on how it runs and where we invest
• You will bring new crops onto the line as the company grows, so the role keeps expanding
• You will work with a small, hands-on team that values solving the customer's problem over using a particular technology
• You will have ownership, autonomy and equity participation in an early-stage company

Compensation and Benefits:

Our salary range for this role is $85,000 to $110,000 annually, based on experience, with early-stage equity participation. Benefits include medical, dental and vision coverage, life and long-term disability insurance, a 401(k), and paid time off. 

Clean Crop is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and considers 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.

Direct applications only. We do not accept candidates submitted by staffing agencies or third-party recruiters.