Process Engineer at DryGro

Job Description

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

DryGro is an agriculture technology company working to revolutionise the market for animal feed protein. Today, most animal feed protein comes from soybean meal. Most of the world’s soybeans are grown in the US, Brazil, and Argentina. Protein demand is increasing, but the land required to grow soybeans is scarce. What got us through the 20th century won’t get us through the 21st. We need better, more sustainable alternatives. Founded at Oxford University in , DryGro is developing cutting-edge growing systems to grow a soybean meal replacement crop called Lemna. This technology builds upon recent advancements in vertical farming and horticulture systems, and allows for efficient, reliable production.

The Process Engineer is a key team member who supports DryGro’s downstream processing R&D workflow. The successful candidate will assist in the development, optimisation, and scaling up of our plant protein ingredient processing, working alongside our engineering, plant science, food science, and analytics team.

This role is fast-paced and highly collaborative, requiring critical thinking skills and proactive problem solving. You will be based at our pilot facility in Naivasha, Kenya. You get to take a hands-on approach to working with DryGro’s technology, working closely with emerging plant-protein extraction technologies to ensure that we successfully bring our new ingredient to market. The Process Engineer is expected to be enthusiastic, ready to take on the challenges and opportunities that come with working in a start-up.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Assist in the planning and execution of trials for the development, optimisation, and scaling up of our plant protein ingredient processing Support the engineering team in implementing new equipment and improvements to existing equipment Monitor and ensure that processing equipment is in good working condition, capture data associated with the process, and support the operations team in performing preventative maintenance tasks as necessary Work with the team to troubleshoot and resolve any processing issues that may arise Help to develop and implement process improvements to increase efficiency and quality Maintain accurate records of all processing activities and equipment maintenance

Requirements

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Process/Mechanical/Industrial/Chemical Engineering 2+ years of relevant industry experience Experience conducting experiments in an industrial processing environment Ability to operate and troubleshoot processing equipment

Preferred Characteristics

High attention to detail and drive for excellence in quality Strong communication skills via a variety of mediums Ability to adapt to a variety of cultures Highly organised Excellent time-management