This Milk Powder Process Manager job description sets out the main duties, qualifications, skills and measures of success for the role, which is also known as Dryer Manager, Evaporation and Drying Manager, Powder Plant Manager or Process Manager. Download it free as a Word or PDF template and adapt it for your own vacancy.
| Job title | Milk Powder Process Manager |
| Also known as | Dryer Manager, Evaporation and Drying Manager, Powder Plant Manager, Process Manager |
| Department | Dairy processing |
| Reports to | Powder Plant Manager |
| Direct reports | Shift supervisors (dotted line) |
What does a Milk Powder Process Manager do?
Optimises a milk powder plant for quality, yield, cost, safety and environmental performance. Works with shift supervisors to find the root causes of process problems, put permanent fixes in place and keep operating procedures current, and deputises for the Powder Plant Manager.
Milk Powder Process Manager duties and responsibilities
Process performance
- Review plant and process results every day, week and month
- Analyse yield, raw material use, losses, bag weights and energy use and drive improvements
- Track OEE, downtime and downgrades and agree corrective actions with supervisors and engineering
- Support evaporation, drying and CIP changeovers when needed
- Make full use of milk solids recovery while cutting the volume of product sent to it
Planning and new products
- Work with production planning to meet sales orders while keeping the plant efficient
- Raise production orders accurately and on time in the ERP system
- Lead reviews before and after each campaign when product specifications change
- Support new product development, plant trials and commercialisation
- Make sure concentrate and other intermediate products are delivered on time and in specification
Quality and food safety
- Make sure product meets customer and regulatory specifications
- Maintain the HACCP plan and food safety controls in the powder plant
- Review product grading results with the quality team and act on trends
- Manage product and milk sampling, plant records and CIP schedules
- Carry out GMP audits and close out audit actions
- Check that pasteuriser, metal detector and other critical checks are completed and recorded
Continuous improvement
- Identify improvement opportunities in quality, cost, delivery, safety, morale and environment
- Use a structured change management approach to deliver and embed process changes
- Write and update SOPs and train staff in new methods
- Monitor adherence to new procedures and correct any drift
Health, safety and environment
- Develop and apply safety and risk management plans for the powder plant
- Keep the plant safe through good housekeeping, training and quick action on hazards
- Identify and deliver plans to reduce effluent, emissions and product losses
- Investigate incidents and drive actions to reduce injury rates
Leadership
- Deputise for the Powder Plant Manager with delegated authority
- Coach supervisors and operators in process knowledge and problem solving
- Attend shift meetings to share safety, quality, engineering and production information
- Build strong working relationships with maintenance, quality, warehouse, environmental and other production teams
Milk Powder Process Manager qualifications and experience
Essential
- Degree or diploma in dairy science, food science, chemical engineering or a related subject
- At least three years' experience supervising milk powder production
- Detailed knowledge of evaporation, spray drying and powder handling
- Strong knowledge of HACCP, quality control and health and safety in food manufacture
- Track record of delivering process improvements and cost savings
Desirable
- Lean or Six Sigma qualification
- Experience of new product commercialisation
- Experience with ERP and plant data systems
- Experience of infant formula or nutritional powders
Skills and attributes
- Data analysis and process optimisation
- Root cause problem solving
- Coaching and leading change
- Planning and prioritising
- Clear written and verbal communication
- Building cross-team relationships
How success is measured
- Plant yield and losses against target
- Product grading and right-first-time quality
- OEE and downtime
- Production orders delivered in full and on time
- Audit results and timely close-out of actions
- Safety incidents and environmental compliance
Working conditions and safety
Site-based role in a food production environment, mainly on day hours with occasional shift work. Safety-sensitive role with PPE and hygiene controls.
- Follow health and safety rules and safe systems of work, and wear the correct PPE
- Follow food safety, hygiene, HACCP and quality procedures at all times
- Report hazards, accidents, near misses and concerns promptly
Milk Powder Process Manager interview questions
Use these questions to assess candidates for a Milk Powder Process Manager role. Each one includes what a good answer shows.
- Which process factors affect the moisture and bulk density of spray-dried milk powder?
What a good answer shows: Understands concentrate solids, viscosity, atomisation, inlet and outlet temperatures and fines return, and how they interact. - How would you reduce product losses across an evaporator and dryer plant?
What a good answer shows: Uses a mass balance to find CIP, changeover and stack losses, and targets the biggest losses first. - How do you prepare the plant for a product specification change between campaigns?
What a good answer shows: Reviews specifications, settings, CIP and sampling needs before the campaign, and holds a review afterwards. - How do you use OEE and downtime data with supervisors to improve plant performance?
What a good answer shows: Breaks down losses, agrees actions with clear owners and checks that results improve. - Powder is downgraded for scorched particles three days running. How would you investigate?
What a good answer shows: Uses data and inspection to check dryer deposits, temperatures, cleaning and concentrate quality, then fixes the root cause. - Concentrate keeps reaching the dryer out of specification. What do you do?
What a good answer shows: Investigates evaporator causes with supervisors, adjusts settings and puts permanent fixes and updated procedures in place. - What are the main food safety hazards in a powder plant, and how are they controlled?
What a good answer shows: Knows pathogen, moisture and foreign body risks, controlled through zoning, hygiene, CCPs and environmental monitoring. - How do you check that pasteuriser and metal detector checks are done and recorded properly?
What a good answer shows: Audits records, observes checks on the floor, explains their importance and acts quickly on any gaps. - How do you get shift supervisors who do not report to you to adopt a new procedure?
What a good answer shows: Involves them early, explains the benefit with data, trains well and follows up on adherence. - How would you coach a shift supervisor to solve process problems more independently?
What a good answer shows: Teaches root cause tools, asks questions rather than giving answers and recognises progress.
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Frequently asked questions
Optimises a milk powder plant for quality, yield, cost, safety and environmental performance. Works with shift supervisors to find the root causes of process problems, put permanent fixes in place and keep operating procedures current, and deputises for the Powder Plant Manager.
Employers usually look for: degree or diploma in dairy science, food science, chemical engineering or a related subject; at least three years' experience supervising milk powder production; detailed knowledge of evaporation, spray drying and powder handling.
A Milk Powder Process Manager usually reports to the Powder Plant Manager. Direct reports typically include shift supervisors (dotted line).
Yes. Download the free Word template, add your location, contract and salary details, and adapt the duties to your site. You can then advertise the role on Dairy Jobs.
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