Process Control Specialist

Process Control Specialist

Recruitment Brief | Product Development | Ottawa Ontario

Company

apetito HFS Limited

Location

1010 Dairy Drive Orléans Ontario

Reports to

Program Manager, Product & Process Optimization

Direct reports

None

Background on apetito

apetito is a successful, family owned international food group with a long term approach to investment, innovation and value creation. The group supplies nutrition, food, systems and services to care markets, including seniors, healthcare and long term care.

apetito HFS Limited is the Canadian business of the apetito group. In Canada, the company serves business to business markets - including healthcare, long term care and Meals on Wheels - as well as consumers through Heart to Home Meals, its franchised home delivery service for seniors.

The Ottawa production facility is located in Orléans and operates from a purpose built food manufacturing site. The facility is federally regulated by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and operates a HACCP plan. Most business support and head office functions are based at this location.

The role and the team

The Process Control Specialist will support apetito's Value Engineering & Process Optimization program within Product Development. The role will improve the performance, consistency and efficiency of manufacturing processes through data analysis, structured problem solving, factory trials and implementation of sustainable process improvements.

Working at the interface between Product Development and Operations, the Process Control Specialist will translate product and recipe requirements into robust manufacturing processes and identify opportunities to improve yield, reduce waste, optimize batch sizes, increase capacity and strengthen process consistency. The role will work closely with Product Developers and operational teams to move improvements from analysis through validation and into standard production.

The ideal candidate brings practical food manufacturing experience, strong analytical and problem-solving capability and a hands-on approach to process improvement. They will be comfortable working with production data, leading factory trials and building trusted relationships across Product Development, Operations, Quality, Engineering, Supply Chain, Procurement and Finance.

The position

Job role

Process Control Specialist

Reporting to

Program Manager, Product & Process Optimization

Direct reports

None

Key relationships

Product Development, Operations, Quality, Engineering/Maintenance, Supply Chain, Procurement and Finance

Location

1010 Dairy Drive, Orléans, Ontario

Key responsibilities

· Lead process optimization initiatives across the product portfolio, focusing on yield, waste, batch size, giveaway, reprocessing, capacity, process consistency and manufacturing efficiency.

· Analyze production, yield, spoilage and process data to identify improvement opportunities, determine root causes and develop fact-based recommendations.

· Act as the technical bridge between Product Development and Operations, ensuring recipes and products are translated into practical, repeatable and efficient manufacturing processes.

· Plan, coordinate and lead factory trials and process validations, documenting results and ensuring successful changes are transitioned into standard production.

· Review and optimize batch sizes, BOM assumptions, processing routes, manufacturing parameters and production methods to improve product and process performance.

· Lead structured root-cause investigations into recurring production, yield and quality issues, working cross-functionally to implement sustainable corrective actions.

· Identify opportunities for equipment, capacity and process improvements, supporting technical evaluation, business cases, commissioning and implementation where appropriate.

· Maintain and improve process-related standards, master data, tools and documentation, ensuring validated manufacturing requirements are accurately captured and controlled.

· Support the margin improvement portfolio by providing process expertise, operational analysis and implementation support to Product Developers and other project leads.

· Develop and monitor relevant process performance measures and communicate progress, risks and realized improvements through operational and project reviews.

The candidateEssential qualifications and experience

· Degree or diploma in food science, food technology, engineering, manufacturing, process technology or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant manufacturing experience.

· Experience in a food manufacturing environment, ideally involving recipe-based or batch manufacturing.

· Demonstrated experience in process improvement, manufacturing optimization, production trials or continuous improvement.

· Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret production data, identify root causes and translate findings into practical improvements.

· Working knowledge of manufacturing measures and concepts including yield, waste, throughput, capacity, batch sizing and process control.

· Experience working cross-functionally with Operations, Quality, Product Development and Engineering/Maintenance.

· Strong organization and project execution skills, with the ability to manage multiple improvement initiatives and follow changes through to implementation.

· Comfortable working both analytically and hands-on within a production environment.

Desirable qualifications and experience

· Experience in prepared meals, large-scale food production or a similarly complex manufacturing environment.

· Experience with recipe/BOM optimization, yield improvement, waste reduction or batch-size optimization.

· Exposure to Lean, Six Sigma, continuous improvement or structured root-cause problem-solving methodologies.

Personal qualities

· Analytical and curious, with a strong ability to turn production data into practical action.

· Hands-on and solutions focused, comfortable spending time on the factory floor to understand problems and validate improvements.

· Highly organized, able to manage multiple priorities and maintain momentum from analysis through implementation.

· Confident communicator who can build credibility and influence across technical and operational teams.

· Collaborative and accountable, with the persistence to work through complex manufacturing issues.

Detail oriented, with a strong focus on process discipline, data accuracy and sustainable results