Process Cheese Specialist - Colby, WI

Archer Daniels Midland•Colby, WI

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Process Cheese Specialist serves as the technical lead for commercialization, scale-up, and ongoing support of functional and industrial process cheese and cheese sauce formulations. This role partners closely with Operations, Quality, Regulatory, Supply Chain, and Customer Development to ensure formulas are robust, compliant, efficient to manufacture, and aligned with customer expectations. The position requires strong technical aptitude in dairy and process cheese chemistry, the ability to translate laboratory or pilot concepts into full-scale manufacturing processes, and the capability to troubleshoot production challenges in real time. The Specialist must demonstrate professional communication skills, sound judgment, and a customer‑centric mindset.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Dairy Science, Food Engineering, Microbiology, or related field.
4–7+ years of experience in process cheese, dairy ingredients, or canning technical roles.
Hands-on experience with commercialization, scale-up, and plant trial execution.
Working knowledge of FDA regulations and dairy Standards of Identity.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and ERP systems.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience with process cheese equipment (cookers, blenders, homogenizers, scraped-surface heat exchangers).
Knowledge of emulsifying salt systems, melt functionality, and dairy protein chemistry.
Familiarity with challenge studies, process authority requirements, and regulatory filings.
Experience with SPC, DOE, and statistical analysis.
Ability to evaluate functional performance such as melt, stretch, viscosity, and pumpability.

Responsibilities

Develop, optimize, and maintain functional and industrial process cheese and cheese sauce formulations.
Conduct formula modifications using existing ingredient systems for enhanced performance and cost efficiency.
Evaluate ingredient interactions—including proteins, emulsifying salts, fats, stabilizers, and pH systems.
Lead scale-up and commercialization of new or modified formulas.
Conduct structured plant trials, document results, and create corrective action plans.
Translate R&D formulas into accurate manufacturing instructions and batch sheets.
Support FDA Scheduled Process development, process authority filings, and regulatory documentation.
Interpret challenge studies, microbial results, and validation testing.
Conduct hazard assessments and verification/validation of food safety control points.
Ensure complete documentation including Standards of Identity, specifications, COAs, and legal product names.
Troubleshoot formulation and processing issues such as melt inconsistencies, texture defects, and viscosity variation.
Optimize processing conditions: thermal profiles, shear rates, mix times, cooling curves, and hold times.
Lead continuous improvement initiatives related to formula robustness, yield, and operational efficiency.
Create and maintain Bills of Materials (BOMs) and formula data within ERP systems.
Perform cost modeling, ingredient equivalency evaluation, and optimization.
Ensure data accuracy across Operations, Quality, and Supply Chain.
Participate in customer-facing meetings regarding product performance, quality, and technical troubleshooting.
Collaborate with R&D, Commercial, Operations, and Regulatory teams.
Coordinate first-time production runs and ensure launch readiness.
Support development and training of Operations and Quality staff.

Benefits

In addition to competitive pay, we support your diverse needs with a comprehensive total rewards package to enhance your well-being, including:
Physical wellness – medical/Rx, dental, vision and on-site wellness center access or gym reimbursement (as applicable).
Financial wellness – flexible spending accounts, health savings account, 401(k) with matching contributions and cash balance plan, discounted employee stock purchasing program, life insurance, disability, workers’ compensation, legal assistance, identity theft protection.
Mental and social wellness – Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and Colleague Giving Programs (ADM Cares).
Additional benefits include:
Paid time off including paid holidays.
Adoption assistance and paid maternity and parental leave.
Tuition assistance.
Company-sponsored training and development resources, such as LinkedIn Learning, language training and mentoring programs.
Benefits may vary for bargained locations, confirm benefit eligibility with your recruiter.