Process Specialist - Downstream Processing

At Corbion, we exist to champion preservation in all its forms, preserving food and food production, health, and our planet.

Are you passionate about sustainability and would you like to work for a front-runner in the field of sustainability and make a difference? For the Innovation Center Process Technology group, we are looking for a hands-on Process Specialist, who can support our team in developing new innovative processes for food, biochemical, and/or algae business or improve existing processes. The Process Technology group is one of the core technologies of Corbion’s Innovation Center, at our location in Gorinchem. This is the largest R&D site of Corbion worldwide with labs, office space, and pilot plants. On this site, the largest lactic acid derivative production facility is also found, serving our core business units.

Corbion Innovation Center’s Process Technology group consists of a team of around 20 scientists and technicians. We create value by providing innovative solutions for process design, development, and optimization activities and taking responsibility for scale-up and process demonstration, from bench-top to industrial scale, including technology transfer and implementation support.

The role

As a Process Specialist (Downstream Processing), you will engage in a broad range of activities aimed at developing, optimizing, and implementing downstream processes (post-fermentation) for our food, biochemical, and algae business by delivering from lab through pilot/demo to implementation in our plants. You will build insight, know-how, and skills on different downstream processing technologies for both food and non-food products. These can include different separation processes (such as biomass separation, S/L separation, ion exchange, adsorption, G/L separation, extraction, electrodialysis) and/or also downstream processes around concentration, preservation, and powder production (e.g., evaporation, UHT, spray drying, granulation, etc.).

Your role is that of "collaborative and bridging leader" to transfer processes from R&D to plants. You combine a solid scientific background with a hands-on and can-do mentality and a strong drive to deliver. As a Process Specialist in Process Technology, you will work in innovative, multi-disciplinary project teams. You will form and maintain connections to business and operations as well as colleagues from other Innovation Center groups, such as Industrial Fermentation, Product Development, Microbiology, etc.

Furthermore, this role is focused on:

• Leading or supporting scale-up, implementation, optimization, and cost reduction of new or existing processes and products at Corbion's locations or at third parties.
• Preparing, leading, and executing pilot and demo scale production runs; translating the outcomes to full plant scales and giving support to plant scale trials.
• Translating the technology challenges of commercial plants to lab-scale trials at R&D.
• Supporting or leading troubleshooting in case of problems in our plant facilities and translating problems back to lab-scale trials and knowledge base.
• Analyzing results generated by Technicians, and signal IP opportunities.
• Ensuring documentation and reporting of procedures and results according to the Corbion standards.
• Building, maintaining, and exploiting DSP development and implementation skills.
• Supporting intellectual property, regulatory affairs, marketing, and sales departments with relevant expertise.
• Assisting in supervision and support of technicians.

About you

In addition to educational achievements on a Master or PhD level ((bio)chemical technology, food technology, polymer technology, or other relevant fields) and up to 5 years of industrial experience, you have a practical hands-on, can-do mentality with a strong drive for results.

Next to this, the Process Specialist (Downstream Processing) has:

• Knowledge and experience in development, scale-up, and implementation of unit operations used in downstream processing, preferably in the field of chemical engineering, biotechnology, or other relevant process industry (chemical, biochemical, or food).
• Experience with innovation project and process management, preferably experience with coordinating R&D project teams in a multi-functional project environment.
• Ability to think and contribute beyond own expertise area (helicopter view).
• Good communication skills and intercultural sensitivity.
• Both willing and able to work in operations environment as well as R&D, being able to translate cases back and forth between operational plant and R&D bench.
• Willingness to travel up to 30%.
• Stress resilient; ability to deal effectively with ambiguity and scope changes.
• Collaborative, pro-active, responsible, result-driven, and flexible.
• Fluency in English (oral and written).

At Corbion, we look for employees who can:

• SET CLEAR DIRECTION: Explain clearly where we are heading, why, and how we will get there.
• MAKE THE DIFFERENCE: Deliver results and quality while managing change.
• FOCUS ON CUSTOMERS: Consistently meet the expectations of internal and external customers.
• DELIVER THROUGH TEAMWORK: Engage, motivate, challenge, and support employees and teams.

As the Process Specialist (Downstream Processing), we need you to go the extra mile, to embody our behaviors, and show the following competencies: Impact, entrepreneurial initiative, and self-management.

Our offer

We offer competitive remuneration and benefits. What makes Corbion special is the way we consciously create that connection between the product of our work and our individual lives and use it to shape our choices and our priorities as a company. We have a great company made up of talented, dedicated people – people who share a purpose and a vision. When we all understand how we intend to get there in the same way, there’s no telling how far we can go. We offer you the chance to join a company with a:

• Culture to empower people and where your initiatives and ideas make a real difference International focus with truly diverse teams.
• Unique possibility to be trained by our internal expertise in the world of biobased products.
• We invest in relevant training courses related to your particular discipline, that will give you the opportunity to grow into an industry expert.
• Lastly, we offer a friendly, informal culture in a demanding professional environment.

In addition, we actively embrace diversity in how we work together and contribute toward our shared objectives and values. By joining Corbion, you will become an employee in a company where you can feel pride in your achievements and develop your career with global prospects.

About Corbion

Corbion is the global market leader in lactic acid and its derivatives, and a leading supplier of emulsifiers, functional enzyme blends, minerals, vitamins, and algae ingredients. We use our unique expertise in fermentation and other processes to deliver sustainable solutions for the preservation of food and food production, health, and our planet. For over 100 years, we have been uncompromising in our commitment to safety, quality, innovation, and performance. Drawing on our deep application and product knowledge, we work side-by-side with customers to make our cutting-edge technologies work for them. Our solutions help differentiate products in markets such as food, home & personal care, animal nutrition, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and bioplastics. In 2023, Corbion generated annual sales of €1,443.8 million and had a workforce of 2,727 FTE. Corbion is listed on Euronext Amsterdam.