Senior Dairy Processing Engineer

fairlife

Chicago, Illinois, United States · Chicago · United States

Posted May 28, 2026

Full-time
R&D

Job description

fairlife, LLC is a Chicago-based nutrition company that creates great-tasting, nutrition-rich and dairy products to nourish consumers.

With over $3B in annual retail sales, fairlife’s portfolio of delicious, lactose-free, real dairy products includes: fairlife® ultra-filtered milk; Core Power® High Protein Shakes, a sports nutrition drink to support post-workout recovery; fairlife® nutrition plan™, a nutrition shake to support the journey to better health.

A wholly owned subsidiary of The Coca-Cola company, fairlife, LLC has been recognized by both Fast Company and Nielsen for its industry leading innovation.

To learn more about fairlife and its complete line of products, please visit fairlife.com.

job purpose:

The Sr. Dairy Processing Engineer will come in with deep technical expertise in fluid milk membrane separations (especially ultrafiltration), thermal processing (HTST/HHST/UHT), and end-to-end milk unit operations—from raw milk receiving through packaging. This role is a hands-on technical authority who will be integral to process technology innovation as well as troubleshooting manufacturing issues, optimizing process capabilities and product quality, supporting pilot-to-plant scale-up, and serving as a trusted partner to Operations, Manufacturing, and Quality.

responsibilities:

Manufacturing technical leadership, Operational Support and Troubleshooting

Serve as a go-to technical expert for fluid milk separation, standardization, homogenization, pasteurization systems (HTST/HHST/UHT), and packaging performance.
Diagnose and resolve process and product issues.
Partner with Operations/Manufacturing/Quality to drive safe, compliant, and reliable production and troubleshoot process deviations, and identify root causes for quality issues.

Process design, scale-up, and optimization

Define critical process parameters, key performance indicators, and control plans.
Design, coordinate, and execute pilot and commercial-scale plant trials.
Own process capability improvements and provide technical input to capital projects and equipment selection.
Provide subject-matter expertise on OEM platforms and engineering approaches.

Technical Advocacy

Proactively identify opportunities for process optimization that improve efficiency, sustainability, yield or product shelf-life.
Lead initiatives and manage stakeholders across Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain.

Milk chemistry, physical chemistry, and product quality

Apply deep knowledge of milk composition and how processing impacts chemistry, physical properties, and functional performance of milk and its components.
Partner with Product Development and Operations on formulation/processing choices for fluid dairy products, including shakes and other forms (sensory, taste, texture, stability, shelf-life).

Analytics & data-driven decision making

Define plans and execute and interpret analytical testing results tied to processing and shelf-life: milk composition chemistry, rheology, chromatographic/volatile profiling and other relevant analytical methods.
Establish and improve SOPs, troubleshooting playbooks, and process data reviews

People leadership

Individual contributor to start. Will build and develop a team of 1–4 (e.g., process engineers, dairy scientists, technicians).
Build strong cross-functional relationships and communicate clearly from plant floor to leadership level.

skills/qualifications required:

MS in Dairy Science, Food Engineering, Food Science, Chemical Engineering, or closely related field with a focus on dairy processing and/or thermal processing.

5-10 years of progressive experience in fluid dairy processing spanning pilot through commercial manufacturing.

Demonstrated expertise in:
- HTST/HHST and/or UHT processing of fluid milk (and/or cream) and practical plant troubleshooting.
- End-to-end milk unit operations: raw receiving → clarification/separation → standardization → homogenization → pasteurization/aseptic processing → packaging.
- Ultrafiltration of milk and/or dairy membrane separations (MF/UF/NF/RO familiarity as a plus).

Strong technical competence in dairy physical chemistry and processing impacts on proteins/fats/enzymes.
Proven ability to partner with Operations/Manufacturing/Quality in a high-accountability environment.
Experience with aseptic systems and packaging interactions (commercial aseptic operations strongly preferred).

Track record of leading cross-functional root-cause investigations (e.g., flavor defects, oxidation, shelf-life failures, stability issues).

Experience in capital projects preferred.

Familiarity with regulatory expectations and operator training frameworks for pasteurization systems preferred.

how fairlife nourishes you:

At fairlife, we believe in better — and that includes how we support our people. We offer a comprehensive suite of benefits and wellbeing resources designed to support you physically, emotionally, socially, and financially, both in and out of work.

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, effective day one!

Supplemental health plans (hospital indemnity, accident, and critical illness insurance)

Paid Time Off to recharge and support work-life balance

Paid parental leave & adoption assistance (up to $10,000)

Parental support & family care benefits, including childcare resources and lactation support

401(k) to support retirement planning with up to 9% in employer match

Wellness reimbursement (up to $500 for qualified wellbeing expenses)

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for emotional wellbeing and work-life support

Company-paid life insurance and short-term disability

Employer HSA funding (for HDHP participants)

Tuition reimbursement (up to $10,000) and student loan repayment ($200/month)

Learning & development programs to unlock your full potential

Rewards & recognition, matching gifts, free product, and Business Resource Groups

fairlife’s nour!sh program is designed to meet you where you are — supporting your individual wellbeing journey while enabling you to do your best work every day.

position location: Chicago, IL

reports to: Sr. Director, R&D

travel requirements: 40-50% travel to our plants

exempt/nonexempt: Exempt

*Base pay offered may vary depending on geography, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. A full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the position, is offered.

Base pay range:

$135,000—$165,000 USD

fairlife, LLC is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. All qualified applicants and employees will be given equal opportunity. Selection decisions are based on job-related factors.

In addition to its nondiscrimination commitment, the Company will also provide reasonable accommodation of qualified individuals with known disabilities unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on the Company. If you have a disability and would like to request accommodation in order to apply for a position with us, please email careers@fairlife.com.

For Recruitment Agencies

At fairlife, we manage the majority of our hiring internally through our dedicated Talent Acquisition team, which is actively engaged in direct candidate sourcing. Most of our roles are filled through applications submitted via our careers site or through direct outreach by our team.

As our recruitment is primarily handled in-house, we work only occasionally with external agencies, and only those on our existing, pre-approved vendor list. At this time, we are not reviewing or expanding that list.

Unsolicited resumes or submissions from external agencies not authorized by our Talent Acquisition team will be considered direct candidate applications. As such, fairlife will not assume responsibility for any placement fees associated with these submissions.