Beyond Meat, Inc., otherwise known as Beyond The Plant Protein Company, is a plant protein company offering a portfolio of plant-based products made from simple ingredients without GMOs, no added hormones or antibiotics, and 0mg of cholesterol per serving. Founded in 2009, Beyond Meat's core products are designed to have the same taste and texture as animal-based meat while being better for people and the planet.
The Plant Technologist strives for maximum production performance and is committed to improving food safety, quality, and efficiency at the Enschede plant and supporting Beyond Meat's co-manufacturers. Effective collaboration with colleagues across departments is essential.
As Plant Technologist, you are jointly responsible for validating and optimizing production processes in the factories where Beyond Meat manufactures semi-finished and finished products. You identify opportunities for performance and cost improvements and report directly to the Plant & EHS Manager.
You lead and support related cost-saving projects. Daily activities include troubleshooting, analyzing performance data, identifying trends and causes of downtime, and finding relationships between discrepancies. You support data-driven problem solving, Root Cause Analyses (RCAs), SOP development, and periodic reporting to track progress.
You work closely with the Process Technologist and departments such as Production, Quality, Innovation, R&D, and Engineering to optimize processes and improve efficiency and yield. Ideally, you have strong technical insight and experience with extrusion and packaging processes.
Responsibilities:
Manage machine recipes, production checks, and OCAPs
Identify and realize savings opportunities (waste reduction, output increases, process simplification, action matrices, and knowledge sharing)
Monitor internal processes and implement technological developments to continuously optimize operations
Automate quality-control tasks, identify relationships between discrepancies, and provide performance insights
Set up, lead, and execute cross-functional (Kaizen) projects and implement resulting actions
Perform problem-solving analyses and develop tools to support production
Act as a sparring partner for Production, QA, R&D, Engineering, and Automation teams
Promote an open culture where feedback and ideas are encouraged and freely exchanged
Contribute actively to a safety-first culture by reporting, preventing, and resolving unsafe situations
Prepare reports on incidents, trials, and disruptions
Requirements:
Bachelor's degree in Food Technology or equivalent
Minimum 5 years of relevant experience in a similar role within the food industry
Knowledge of production processes
Knowledge of HACCP
Familiarity with continuous-improvement methodologies such as Lean Six Sigma
Knowledge of project management
Experience in a coaching role is an advantage
Practical, proactive, results-oriented, and strong problem-solving skills
Proven ability to communicate and present at all levels of the organization
Skilled in processing data and analyzing trends
Able to work independently and as part of a team
Good command of Dutch and English
Proficient in Microsoft Office applications such as Word and Excel
Social, reliable, and punctual, with a strong sense of responsibility toward the company, colleagues, and work
Flexible regarding activities that may occur outside standard working hours
Work environment: Office, production environment, and warehouse of the Beyond Meat factory in Enschede, plus external Beyond Meat production locations in the Netherlands and Germany.
Compensation: Annual salary commensurate with experience. The starting annual base pay for this role is between EUR 45,000 and EUR 54,000. The actual base pay depends on factors such as training, transferable skills, work experience, business needs, and market demands, and may also include bonus, long-term incentives, and benefits.
Beyond The Plant Protein Company is an equal employment opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, ancestry, veteran status, marital status, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
More info: This is an on-site, full-time role based in Enschede, Netherlands. Apply via the link below. Beyond Meat reserves the right to defer or close this vacancy at any time.
