Find & Apply For Product Manager Jobs in Clackamas, Oregon

We are looking for professionals who have at least 2-3 years of hands-on experience working in a commercial dairy manufacturing plant and understand how dairy products are processed, fermented, and manufactured at scale. You must understand the science and practical application of yogurt fermentation, including starter cultures, incubation, pH development, texture formation, and process control. You should also understand how Greek yogurt and sour cream are manufactured. Experience with cottage cheese is a strong plus. This role is for someone who knows dairy processing from practical experience, not just from a college course or laboratory research. You will work directly with manufacturing teams to develop products, conduct plant trials, troubleshoot processing problems, improve product quality, and bring new dairy products into commercial production. Candidates with experience limited to plant-based foods, alternative proteins, protein extraction, or academic research without commercial dairy plant experience will not be considered. Key Responsibilities Develop and improve formulations for yogurt, Greek yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese, and other cultured dairy products. Understand and apply the principles of dairy processing, including milk standardization, pasteurization, homogenization, fermentation, cooling, separation, and filling. Understand yogurt fermentation, including culture selection, incubation conditions, pH development, acidification rates, and texture formation. Conduct laboratory experiments, pilot trials, and full-scale plant trials. Transfer formulations from product development into commercial dairy production. Troubleshoot fermentation problems, incorrect pH development, poor texture, viscosity issues, syneresis, inconsistent product quality, and shelf-life concerns. Work with Operations and Quality teams to investigate problems, identify root causes, and implement corrective actions. Evaluate dairy ingredients, starter cultures, stabilizers, and processing conditions to improve quality, consistency, yield, and cost. Support the development and improvement of manufacturing procedures, product specifications, and technical documentation. Work with ingredient and culture suppliers to improve product performance. Support food safety and quality requirements, including GMPs, HACCP, and SQF. Travel between PBI manufacturing facilities to conduct trials, resolve technical issues, and support product commercialization. Required Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Dairy Science, Food Technology, or a related field. At least 2-3 years of professional experience in commercial dairy manufacturing. Direct, hands-on experience working in a dairy plant is mandatory. Strong practical understanding of yogurt processing and fermentation. Knowledge of starter cultures, incubation, pH control, acidification, and texture development. Working knowledge of Greek yogurt and sour cream manufacturing. Ability to troubleshoot dairy processing and product quality problems. Experience supporting plant trials, product development, process improvement, or commercial scale-up. Understanding of dairy ingredients and their effects on finished product quality. Familiarity with GMPs, HACCP, and SQF. Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills. Willingness and ability to travel between PBI facilities as needed. Ability to work on-site in a dairy manufacturing environment. Preferred Experience Direct experience developing or improving yogurt, Greek yogurt, or sour cream. Experience with cottage cheese manufacturing. Experience troubleshooting fermentation, viscosity, texture, syneresis, and shelf-life problems. Experience scaling dairy formulations from laboratory trials to commercial production. Experience working with dairy cultures and ingredient suppliers. Who Should Apply? We are looking for someone who has worked in dairy manufacturing and understands how dairy products are actually made.

Relevant backgrounds include:

Dairy Product Developer Dairy Technologist Dairy Process Technologist Cultured Dairy R&D Associate Dairy Process Improvement Specialist Experience in yogurt and cultured dairy manufacturing is particularly valuable. Please do not apply if your experience is limited to plant-based products, alternative protein development, protein extraction, or academic food science research without hands-on commercial dairy manufacturing experience.

Pay:

$61,600.00 - $74,300.00 per year

Benefits:

401(k) Dental insurance Health insurance Life insurance Paid time off Vision insurance

Work Location:

In person