Process Improvement Engineer

PepsiCo • Newport News, VA

18h

About The Position

We are the game changers, innovators, collaborators, who “Dare To Level Up” the Status Quo. We are the ground breakers of the Supply Chain & Logistics space.

We spread across 200 countries and territories and are united by a shared set of values and goals. You know our name through our amazing portfolio, including Pepsi, FritoLay, Quaker, and Gatorade.

We WIN with a purpose. We dream globally and act locally, constantly innovating to sustain our planet, our people, our communities, and our business practices. Together, we raise the bar in lean manufacturing practices. We put forth new standards and stretch to reach beyond the goals we set. We are a think tank, bringing our ideas into action and are determined to find ways to drive efficiencies, improve processes and achieve the highest level of safety…all while meeting the demands of our customers and consumers to deliver the best products.

At PepsiCo, we are committed to performing as individuals and in teams to strengthen the company. Are you hungry to be a part of the world’s largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands?

Now is the time to explore the opportunities of PepsiCo: What makes you unique makes us better!
The Process Improvement Engineer (PIE Engineer) is responsible for leading plant-wide process improvement initiatives that drive productivity, efficiency, and operational performance. This role focuses on horizontal projects that span multiple lines and functions, serving as a key connection point between plant operations and enterprise-level productivity, strategic project, and sustainability teams. The PIE leads data-driven loss analysis, develops efficiency improvement plans, and drives execution of large-scale initiatives such as value engineering, lightweighting, and rapid changeover. This role partners closely with plant teams, Process Coaches, and cross-functional leaders to deliver sustainable improvements across the site.
The Process Improvement Engineer plays a critical role in advancing plant performance by leading high-impact, cross-functional initiatives that improve efficiency, reduce losses, and enable sustainable growth. This role offers the opportunity to influence how the entire plant operates, making it ideal for engineers passionate about turning analysis into action and delivering measurable results.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Industrial, Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical, or related field)
• Experience in manufacturing process improvement, productivity, or operational excellence
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and data interpretation skills
• Experience leading cross-functional improvement projects
• Ability to influence without direct authority in a plant environment
• Experience in food, beverage, or consumer packaged goods manufacturing
• Lean, Six Sigma, TPM, IWS, or similar continuous improvement experience
• Experience with value engineering, lightweighting, or material optimization projects
• Project management experience or certification
• Strong organizational and data management skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced plant environment
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience preferred, in maintenance
• Shown ability to excel in a results-oriented, challenging environment
• This position is limited to persons with indefinite right to work in the United States
• Must have a valid driver’s license
• Strong leadership skills and the ability to drive change
• Must possess excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal skills
• Ability to give and receive constructive feedback
• Effective coaching, facilitation, presentation, and team-building skills
• Ability to lead a team-based approach to decision making

Responsibilities

• Plant-Wide Improvement Leadership focused on Leading horizontal process improvement projects across the plant
• Drive PEP-positive and productivity-focused initiatives aligned with plant and business objectives
• Serve as the primary plant contact for strategic project & productivity and improvement projects
• Act as the plant “dock point” for enterprise or internal initiatives such as:
• Value engineering
• Lightweighting and material optimization
• Strategic productivity and cost-out projects
• Re Application projects
• Rapid Changeover Principles to reduce changeover time on flavor and packaging
• Partner with Strategic Projects, Productivity Leaders, Sustainability teams, and plant leadership to ensure alignment and execution
• Support Leadership with loss analysis using standard manufacturing and continuous improvement tools
• Develop and execute larger projects related to driving true efficiency improvement plans to close performance gaps
• Translate data and analysis into clear improvement roadmaps with measurable outcomes
• Support operational teams in meeting service, flexibility, and efficiency targets
• Provide detailed plant-level downtime and performance analysis
• Identify systemic issues and improvement opportunities
• Support operations with actionable insights to improve reliability and throughput
• Partner with Process Coaches, Operations, Engineering, Tech services and Quality teams
• Support capability building in problem-solving and continuous improvement methodologies
• Ensure improvements are embedded and sustained through standard work

Benefits

• The expected compensation range for this position is between $73,400 - $122,850.
• Location, confirmed job-related skills, experience, and education will be considered in setting actual starting salary. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range during the hiring process.
• Bonus based on performance and eligibility target payout is 8% of annual salary paid out annually.
• Paid time off subject to eligibility, including paid parental leave, vacation, sick, and bereavement.
• In addition to salary, PepsiCo offers a comprehensive benefits package to support our employees and their families, subject to elections and eligibility: Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability, Health, and Dependent Care Reimbursement Accounts, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Insurance (Accident, Group Legal, Life), Defined Contribution Retirement Plan.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees