Process Engineer

Job Description Senior Process Engineer Employment Type: Direct Hire Title: Senior Plant Engineer Location: Goodland, Kansas Salary: 120-130k About the Opportunity: Our client, a leading organization in the agricultural processing industry, is seeking a Senior Plant Engineer to support and optimize operations at a crush facility in Goodland, Kansas. Reporting directly to the Plant Manager, this role will focus on process improvement, capital project execution, operational performance, and continuous improvement initiatives. The ideal candidate will bring strong engineering expertise, project management skills, and experience within oilseed crushing or similar processing environments. Key Responsibilities:Identify process improvement opportunities, develop solutions, and lead implementation efforts.Conduct optimization assessments to improve energy efficiency, chemical usage, product yields, reliability, and overall plant performance.Analyze existing processes and recommend cost-saving and performance-enhancing solutions.Ensure safety and environmental considerations are incorporated into facility modifications and capital projects.Collaborate with maintenance, controls, quality, and operations teams to develop and execute process improvements.Manage and oversee assigned capital projects from concept through startup.Support day-to-day plant operations, including tracking costs, yields, quality metrics, and process performance.Troubleshoot and improve chemical and mechanical processes to enhance operational efficiency. Qualifications:Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience).3+ years of engineering experience in a food processing, agricultural processing, or similar manufacturing environment.3+ years of oilseed crush experience.Strong commitment to safety, quality, and continuous improvement.Demonstrated leadership abilities and strong problem-solving skills.Ability to anticipate operational challenges and develop effective solutions.Meet Your Recruiter Alicia Alexander Technical Recruiter & Team Mentor Alicia Alexander is a Technical Recruiter and Team Mentor at Sterling Engineering with four years of recruiting experience and nearly three years with Sterling. She specializes in engineering, manufacturing, and technical recruiting, supporting roles across maintenance, reliability, operations, engineering, and industrial environments, including food and life sciences. Alicia is passionate about helping people find careers where they feel genuinely happy, supported, and positioned for long-term growth. She enjoys building meaningful relationships with candidates, helping them take the next step in their careers, and supporting companies as they build strong, high-performing teams. With a background in psychology and human resources from North Central College, Alicia brings a people-focused approach to recruiting. Her understanding of relationship building, communication, and candidate motivation helps her create successful matches between talent and opportunity. Alicia is known for developing strong partnerships with both candidates and hiring managers, with a focus on creating long-term placements that benefit both the individual and the organization. 630-360-4533aalexander@sterling-engineering.comConnect on LinkedIn Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or genetic information. As one of the most respected names in engineering staffing, Sterling has hundreds of opportunities with top employers. If you've got a friend or colleague seeking their next move in engineering, we could have their next opportunity. We offer a referral bonus for every referral that we place. Submit referral now.