Technical Project Leader, Process Engineering - Plant Extract

Kimberly-Clark is seeking a Technical Project Leader, Process Engineering to own the scale-up and manufacturing capability required to process plant extract from bench and pilot concepts into reliable commercial operation.

This role is accountable for process design, equipment selection, process controls, operating procedures, commissioning, startup, troubleshooting, and continuous improvement. You will work at the connection point between R&D and Manufacturing, translating ingredient and extract requirements into practical process capabilities.

Your role is to develop the physical process and operating system that can consistently produce the required extract or ingredient form at the right quality, cost, safety, and scale.

In this role, you will:

• Translate extract and ingredient requirements into process flows, unit operations, mass balance
• s, equipment requirements, recovery targets, process controls, and operating concepts.
• Lead development, optimization, and scale-up of extraction, and related process steps.
• Evaluate equipment and proposed operating procedures to confirm that capacity, materials of construction, controls, safety systems, and operating practices can deliver required performance.
• Work with the Principal Technical Expert to convert laboratory learning into pilot and demonstration trials, scalable process parameters, sampling plans, and technical specifications.
• Work with Manufacturing to develop process capabilities, operator practices, standard operating procedures, maintenance requirements, process controls, and performance-monitoring plans.
• Lead collaboration with contractors, equipment suppliers, fabricators, and technology partners through design, construction, installation, commissioning, startup, and performance improvement.
• Provide technical inputs, reviews, decisions, and documentation needed to deliver projects to required specifications, quality, schedule, cost, and safety requirements.
• Establish process specifications, critical process parameters, operating windows, acceptance criteria, and control strategies for consistent production.
• Lead troubleshooting, root-cause analysis, process trials, designed experiments, process capability studies, and manufacturing problem solving.
• Identify and mitigate technical, operational, quality, safety, schedule, and scale-up risks.
• Inspect and evaluate process equipment and fabrication activities, including factory acceptance and in-factory quality assurance where appropriate.
• Support bioburden control, process hygiene, product quality, environmental, regulatory, and EHS requirements.
• Communicate project plans, technical findings, risks, decisions, and results clearly to R&D, Manufacturing, senior leaders, suppliers, contractors, and other stakeholders.
• Mentor and provide technical direction to engineers, scientists, operators, and project team members without assuming ownership of downstream formulation development.

To succeed in this role, you will need the following qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or advanced degree in chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, chemistry, biochemical engineering, or a related engineering or scientific discipline.
• Typically, 10 or more years of engineering or technical experience in manufacturing, agricultural processing, natural products, bioprocessing, specialty chemicals, food and beverage, or a related industry.
• Demonstrated experience developing, optimizing, and scaling complex manufacturing or bioprocessing systems.
• Strong understanding of extraction, clarification, purification, concentration, evaporation, drying, stabilization, and related process technologies.
• Project engineering experience, including equipment selection, process design, installation, commissioning, startup, and manufacturing troubleshooting.
• Experience reviewing equipment designs, fabrication quality, factory acceptance activities, process controls, operating procedures, and process capability.
• Ability to work effectively with contractors, equipment suppliers, operators, engineers, scientists, quality professionals, and senior leaders.
• Strong communication, technical writing, influencing, and project leadership skills.
• Ability to create structure in ambiguous situations, resolve problems, meet aggressive deadlines, and maintain momentum through complex project work.
• Willingness to travel approximately 30% of the time, depending on project requirements.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Sugar processing, agricultural processing, hemp processing, natural-product extraction, or similar bioprocessing industries.
• Plant-derived raw materials, variable feedstocks, seasonal materials, or first-of-kind processing systems.
• Resin, membrane, adsorption, chromatography, evaporation, drying, or other separation technologies.
• Contractors, equipment manufacturers, contract manufacturers, universities, industry consortiums, or technology providers.
• Bioburden control, process hygiene, product quality systems, commissioning, or commercial startup.

Leadership Profile:

The ideal candidate will be:

• A business builder who sees pathways to value creation and moves quickly to capture them.
• Commercially sharp and externally oriented, with strong instincts for customers, markets, partnerships, and competitive dynamics.
• Comfortable in both the boardroom and the plant, connecting strategic ambition with operating realities.
• Financially disciplined, with ownership of revenue, margin, forecast accuracy, and value delivery.
• An effective sales leader who can build talent, establish commercial rhythm, and create accountability for results.
• Effective in ambiguity, where structure must be created rather than inherited.
• A strong cross-functional integrator who aligns stakeholders around clear choices and actions.
• Courageous, pragmatic, and action-oriented.

What success looks like:

Within the first 12 to 18 months, you will have:

• Established a technically credible and scalable process pathway for the required extract and ingredient forms.
• Confirmed that equipment designs, process controls, operating procedures, and quality requirements support reliable operation.
• Guided the contractor, equipment suppliers, and Manufacturing partners through design completion, fabrication, installation, commissioning, and startup.
• Established operating windows, process controls, sampling plans, and documentation needed for consistent production.
• Identified and mitigated the most important technical, quality, safety, schedule, and scale-up risks.
• Created a safe, repeatable, and economically viable process capability that can support downstream formulation and commercialization.

Location and Travel:

This role can be based in Neenah, Wisconsin or Summit, New Jersey. Travel to research, pilot, manufacturing, supplier, technology-partner, and customer locations will be required and is expected to be approximately 30% depending on project requirements.

Total Benefits

Here are just a few of the benefits you’d enjoy working in this role for Kimberly-Clark. For a complete overview, see www.mykcbenefits.com.
 

Great support for good health with medical, dental, and vision coverage options with no waiting periods or pre-existing condition restrictions. Access to an on-site fitness center, occupational health nurse, and allowances for high-quality safety equipment.

Flexible Savings and spending accounts to maximize health care options and stretch dollars when caring for yourself or dependents.

Diverse income protection insurance options to protect yourself and your family in case of illness, injury, or other unexpected events.

Additional programs and support to continue your education, adopt a child, relocate, or even find temporary childcare.

To Be Considered
Click the Apply button and complete the online application process. A member of our recruiting team will review your application and follow up if you seem like a great fit for this role.

In the meantime, please check out the careers website.

 Salary Range: 127,600 – 157,600 USD At Kimberly-Clark, pay is just one aspect of our total rewards package, which also includes a variety of benefits and opportunities to achieve, thrive and grow. Along with base pay, this position offers eligibility for a target bonus and a comprehensive benefits suite, including our 401(k) and Profit Sharing plan. The anticipated base pay range for this role is provided above for a fully qualified hire. Actual pay will depend on several factors, such as location, role, skills, performance, and experience. Please note that the stated pay range applies to US locations only.