Process Engineer

Process Engineer, Augusta, Georgia, Full-time

Manus works across industries and value chains to accelerate the transition to BioAlternatives – better performing and more sustainable versions of complex molecules traditionally sourced from plants, animals, or fossil fuels. Our platform is proven to work across scales, bridging the Valley of Death between lab and manufacturing more efficiently and more reliably to deliver the benefits of biotechnology today.

Manus is seeking an experienced Process Engineer to serve as the technical subject matter expert (SME) for separations, liquid and dry powder handling, drying, and finished-product manufacturing. This is a hands-on leadership role for a process expert who thrives in a dynamic, cross-functional environment and brings rigor and data-driven judgment to optimizing process systems. As the final technical authority for designing new unit operations and improving existing ones, the successful candidate will own process performance, mentor engineers, and drive capacity, yield, and reliability gains from pilot through commercial scale.

Why work at Manus:

• Opportunity – For motivated, results-oriented team members, our growth creates opportunities for personal and professional advancement.
• Accountability – You are given the resources you need to succeed and the freedom to make it happen; in return, we hold each other accountable for our high expectations.
• Passion – We love what we do and enjoy working with others who feel the same way. We embrace the challenge and hard work that comes with working on the cutting edge.
  

Key Responsibilities

• Technical authority — Serve as the final technical authority for the design, scale-up, and optimization of unit operations across separations, liquid and dry powder handling, drying, and product manufacturing.
  
• Process performance — Own process KPIs (recovery, yield, throughput, purity, energy use, and reliability) lead data-driven troubleshooting and root-cause analysis to sustain and improve them.
  
• Scale-up & development — Lead process development from piloting through commercial scale, including mass and energy balances, scale-up calculations, and technology transfer.
  
• Debottlenecking & improvement — Identify and execute capacity, yield, and reliability improvements; drive continuous-improvement and cost-reduction initiatives.
  
• Equipment & design — Specify, evaluate, and commission process equipment — separations, evaporation/concentration, crystallization, dryers, and powder handling and packaging — and develop PFDs, P&IDs, mass balances, and equipment specifications.
  
• Capital projects — Provide process leadership for capital projects: basis of design, equipment selection, FAT/SAT, and commissioning and qualification support.
  
• Mentorship — Mentor and develop process and optimization engineers, building technical depth and consistent engineering practice across the team.
  
• Cross-functional partnership — Partner with operations, quality, R&D, automation (DeltaV), and maintenance to ensure safe, compliant, and efficient manufacturing.
  
• Safety & compliance — Embed process safety and food-safety / GMP requirements into process design and daily operation.

Required Qualifications

• B.S. in Chemical Engineering or a closely related discipline.
• 8+ years of process engineering experience in chemical, food / ingredient, biotechnology, or comparable manufacturing.
• Deep expertise in separations and solid–liquid processing (e.g., filtration, centrifugation, membrane separation, evaporation, crystallization) and in drying and dry powder handling.
• Demonstrated success scaling processes from pilot to commercial production.
• Strong command of mass and energy balances, unit-operations design, and process data analysis.
• Proven track record of driving measurable yield, capacity, and reliability improvements.
• Hands-on experience with PFDs, P&IDs, equipment specification, and commissioning.
• Excellent problem-solving, communication, and cross-functional leadership skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• M.S. or Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering or related field.
• Experience with natural ingredients, food, nutraceutical, or fermentation-derived products.
• Spray drying, fluid-bed drying, and powder packaging experience.
• Familiarity with cGMP / FSMA and food-safety requirements.
• Experience with process control and automation (DeltaV) and statistical tools (SPC, DOE).
• Capital project leadership and Lean / Six Sigma background.
  

Scope & Working Conditions

• Reporting & team — Reports to [Director, Engineering]; provides technical leadership and mentorship to process and optimization engineers (matrix).
• Location & travel — Based in Augusta, GA, with periodic support to additional manufacturing sites; travel up to ~15%.
• Environment — Combination of office, pilot, and plant-floor work in a manufacturing setting; requires use of appropriate PPE.