Product & Process Innovation Engineer – Downstream Processes

Who are we?

With a long-term vision of adding value to agricultural raw materials and developing quality products for the food, health and renewable energy sectors, Tereos is one of the market leaders in sugar, alcohol and starch. The Group's societal and environmental commitments contribute to the company's long-term performance while strengthening its contribution as a responsible player. A cooperative group, Tereos brings together 11,000 cooperative members and has recognized know-how in the processing of beet, cane, cereals, alfalfa and potatoes. Thanks to its 41 industrial sites, a presence in 15 countries and the commitment of its 15,000 employees, Tereos supports its customers as close as possible to their markets with a wide and complementary range of products.

For more information, visit Tereos.com

Contract : CDI

Position location : Burchtstraat 10, Aalst 9300 BEL

About the position

We are looking for a Product & Process Innovation Engineer to join our R&D team at the Tereos Corporate Technology Center. As part of the sweeteners and carbohydrates development team, you will contribute to the innovation in downstream processes, supporting industrial operations and driving the development of innovative products and technologies from lab to pilot and industrial scale. You will also lead and manage development projects in refining and sweetener processes. The ideal candidate brings at least 3 years of relevant experience, a hands-on mindset, and strong problem-solving skills.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and support R&D projects focused on downstream process innovation and product development.

• Design and execute lab, pilot, and industrial trials to validate new concepts and troubleshoot on existing processes.

·       Build expertise related to downstream and on water and wastewater treatment; by the usage of membrane processes, adsorption and other relevant technologies.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to improve productivity, yield, energy, and water usage.

• Conduct process modeling, cost estimation, pre-engineering studies, hand-over of projects to the capex and engineering teams and contribute to technology assessments.

• Stay at the forefront of industry trends through literature review, expert networking, and conference participation.

• Ensure safe and efficient lab and pilot operations, contributing to SOPs and 5S standards.

Your Profile

• Master’s degree in Bioengineering, Chemical, Process, Environmental Engineering (or comparable).

• Minimum 3 years of industry experience, ideally in food, bioprocessing, or water treatment.

• Hands-on expertise in membrane technologies (MF, UF, RO), ion exchange, and activated carbon.

• Solid understanding of physical separation, thermal operations, complemented by a foundational knowledge of enzymatic reactions and starch-based conversions

• Experience in process upscaling and in pilot plant operations.

• Skilled in interpreting P&IDs and managing data in Excel or similar tools.

• Proactive, analytical, sense of urgency, and an ability to work and manage multiple projects independently.

• Collaborative mindset with strong communication skills.

• Fluent in English; Dutch and French are a plus.

• Willingness to travel to production sites and partners across Europe.

Note: This job description is a general outline of the primary responsibilities and qualifications for this position. Activities and responsibilities may be modified or added based on the specific needs of the company and ongoing projects.