Process Improvement Engineer Hellaby
(Home of KP Nuts) On-site | Monday - Friday
Join our snack-loving team We’re looking for a Process Improvement Engineer to join us at KP Snacks. If you’re ready to bring your ideas to the table, grow your skills and be part of a team that values what makes you, you – this could be your next big move.
About the role The Process Improvement Engineer plays a key role in optimising nut processing at KP Snacks. You will focus on improving recipes, eliminating waste, and introducing robust manufacturing processes that help us make safe, efficient, and consistent products.
Working as part of the Technical / Quality team, you will support the scaleup of new processes, improve equipment capability, resolve sources of variation, and drive continuous improvement activity across the site. This is a hands-on role that blends technical problem-solving with practical factory engagement. You will help strengthen process discipline, deepen technical understanding and support our ambition to make things better every day.
What’s in it for you? We believe in rewarding our colleagues and helping them thrive. Here’s a flavour of what we offer: Annual bonus scheme, with a strong track record of overachievement
Comprehensive healthcare support – including Medicash Health Cash Plan or Private Healthcare, Digital GP, Best Doctors second opinion service and specialist cancer care
KP Pension Plan – contribution matching up to 7% of your salary
25 days holiday, plus the option to buy more
KP4ME – our online platform for benefits, discounts, wellbeing tools and more
What will you be doing? Driving process optimisation Identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies and sources of waste through time studies, line balance assessments, process mapping and data analysis
Supporting new product and process introduction Partner with R&D on factory trials, design of experiments, sampling plans, risk assessments to establish robust performance windows, and conduct thermal profiling.
Strengthening engineering and process performance Improve machine setups, reduce changeovers, enhance reliability and maintain detailed process documentation, including parameters and control standards
Leading structured technical problem-solving Apply tools such as 5 Whys, Fishbone, DMAIC and SPC to understand root causes and deliver sustainable corrective and preventive actions
Championing continuous improvement Lead or support projects that improve yields, reduce waste, enhance stability and contribute to IWS activities including 6S, WPIs and capability studies
Who are we? We’re KP Snacks, part of the Intersnack family. Across more than 30 countries, over 15,000 of us work together to make the snacks people love – from Hula Hoops to McCoy’s. In the UK, we’re a team of around 2,400 colleagues, based across seven sites and our Slough HQ. We’re proud of our close-knit culture, where we speak up, celebrate differences and push boundaries together.
We’re committed to inclusion We’re building a workplace where everyone belongs. If you don’t tick every box, we’d still love to hear from you – your unique perspective could be just what we need. And if there’s anything we can do to make the process easier for you, just let us know.
We’d love to hear from you if you can bring: Relevant technical education A mechanical, electrical or chemical engineering qualification, or a degree in a related field; food science qualifications or equivalent experience are also considered
Experience in process engineering Previous exposure to process development or optimisation within food manufacturing
Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills Confident using data and tools such as Excel to measure trends, identify root causes and present findings
Project management capability Able to lead improvement projects end-to-end, with experience working in cross-functional teams
Understanding of lean and continuous improvement methods Knowledge of lean tools, waste elimination and process capability; automation experience (PLCs, SCADA, HMI) is desirable
Additional useful qualifications include
HACCP, Food Safety or internal auditing certificates.
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