Process Engineer

Colgate Palmolive Company

Job Summary  

The Process Engineer is a shift-based production leadership role responsible for safe, stable and efficient operations across our Focus Factory environment, covering Personal Care/Liquid and Soap, Toothbrush manufacturing. The role combines production/process engineering, front-line people leadership and maintenance/project coordination. Operators will report into this role, and the Process Engineer will report to Focus Factory Managers and keystake stakeholders will be Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, EHS and other plant functions.

This position works on a rotating operational shift pattern (2 or 3 shift system depending on business needs) to support continuous manufacturing operations.

Key Responsibilities   

• Lead day-to-day shift operations; supervise production operators, allocate manpower, follow attendance and shift discipline, and ensure effective shift handovers and daily alignment.
• Own shift execution against safety, quality, service, cost and productivity targets; monitor OEE, downtime, minor stoppages, scrap, energy consumption and other key production indicators and convert gaps into clear action plans.
• Ensure strict compliance with safety, environmental, quality and microbiology requirements; participate in risk assessments, investigations and corrective/preventive actions.
• Apply Lean/WCM tools such as 5S, Kaizen, root-cause analysis, SMED and standard work to reduce losses, improve changeovers and strengthen line reliability and efficiency.
• Act as the first technical escalation point on shift, coordinate troubleshooting of mechanical, electrical, automation and process issues, and partner with relevant technical teams for sustainable corrective actions.
• Coordinate first-level maintenance activities and work orders, support planned/autonomous maintenance routines, follow recurring failures and spare-part needs, and contribute to equipment reliability improvements.
• Support or lead plant/focus-factory improvement projects, equipment modifications, commissioning, trials, line/layout changes and process optimization activities from planning through implementation.
• Maintain and reinforce operating standards, centerlines and basic equipment conditions; coach shift teams on technical standards, problem solving and autonomous maintenance practices.
• Work closely with Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, EHS, Planning and HR to ensure effective daily operations and continuous improvement.

Required Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical & Electronics Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, Control & Automation Engineering, Naval Architecture/Marine Engineering, or another closely related hands-on technical engineering discipline.
• Engineering, Control & Automation Engineering, Naval Architecture/Marine Engineering, or another closely related hands-on technical engineering discipline.
• Minimum 2–3 years of relevant experience in production, manufacturing, process engineering, maintenance, reliability or a comparable plant-based engineering role
• Strong command of English, both written and spoken, with the ability to communicate effectively in a global working environment and work with technical documentation.
• A strong team player with a collaborative mindset, capable of working effectively across shift teams and plant functions.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with shop floor personnel.
• Strong ownership, problem-solving and people-leadership capability, with the confidence to lead front-line production teams in an operational environment.
• Working knowledge of manufacturing KPIs, structured problem solving and continuous-improvement principles.

Preferred Qualifications :

• Experience in FMCG, personal care, packaging or another high-volume / highly automated manufacturing environment.
• Familiarity with mechanical systems, electrical/automation systems, PLC logic, HMI, sensors, mechatronics or industrial troubleshooting.
• Experience with SAP or another production-related ERP/MES system, and strong Google Sheet / Excel capability.
• Experience supporting maintenance, commissioning, equipment upgrades, line changes or engineering projects.
• Full willingness and capability to work in a rotating 2- or 3-shift operational pattern.