This position is not eligible for Visa Sponsorship. **significant travel to manufacturing sites (+75%; if not in Solon,OH travel may be elevated to accommodate business activities in Solon, OH.). Provide market-wide, field-intensive thermal processing technical service to factories, co-manufacturers, and licensees. Independently plan and execute process studies, evaluate data, strengthen factory controls, and build factory specialist capability. Operate as an apprentice for a future Process Authority designation under defined oversight, progressively developing the breadth, judgment, regulatory knowledge, and documented experience required for formal Process Authority designation. **JOB DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES** **Assure Food Safety and Compliance** - Design, conduct, document, and technically evaluate temperature/heat distribution, heat penetration, process validation, verification, and control-system validation studies across assigned factories. - Prepare thermal process establishment reports and draft scheduled process requirements and Thermal Processing Specifications for review and approval by the designated Process Authority. - Review and approve, within delegated authority, factory thermal processing CCPs, operating procedures, sterility control programs, change-control packages, study protocols, and validation documentation. - Evaluate routine and moderately complex process deviations using approved methods and tools; recommend product disposition and controls, and escalate serious, novel, or precedent-setting cases to the Process Authority. - Maintain field presence during trials, commissioning, start-ups, troubleshooting, audits, and investigations; verify that actual equipment, product, package, utilities, and operating practices match documented assumptions. - Support regulatory inspections and information requests by assembling accurate technical records and analyses; coordinate external responses through the designated Process Authority and Regulatory function. **Strive for Zero Defect & No Waste** - Lead cross-factory technical analysis of thermal process instability, overprocessing, spoilage, package defects, rework, and process losses. - Develop evidence-based improvements that preserve validated lethality and commercial sterility while improving process capability and efficiency. - Transfer effective practices among factories and verify adoption and benefit through field follow-up. **Ensure Consistency** - Maintain the market master list of thermal processing operations, systems, studies, specifications, and validation status. - Conduct thermal processing audits, issue technical recommendations, and monitor corrective-action effectiveness across supported sites. - Support the design, qualification, modification, and start-up of new processing systems and new product/package applications, under the guidance of the Process Authority. - Apply consistent study methods, data evaluation, report formats, technical criteria, and escalation rules across the market. **Ensure Development of Competencies in Quality and Food Safety** - Train, coach, and assess Factory Thermal Processing Sr Specialists and factory teams; establish development plans where role expectations are not met. - Pursue a documented Process Authority apprenticeship plan including supervised studies, calculations, deviation evaluations, report authorship, regulatory exposure, and technical approvals. - Contribute to standards, tools, training materials, technical forums, and network knowledge sharing. **Authority and Decision Rights** - May require factory corrective actions, additional testing, product hold, or escalation when evidence does not demonstrate delivery of the approved process. - May approve study protocol