Process Engineer - Decatur, IL
ADM · Decatur, IL
- Level
- Engineer
- Team
- Process
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 2+ years
- Industry
- Food & beverage
- Posted
- 18 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
An engineer-level process role at ADM (food & beverage) in Decatur, IL. It is also responsible for reviewing and understanding area department costs, yields, quality, and process performance and changes that can be made to make improvements in these areas.
- They ask for
- 2+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- Lean, Root cause, DMAIC, EHS / safety
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 2, 2026
Process Engineer roles in Illinois: typical posted base $78k–$108k.
Median of the low and high ends of 16 live postings that list pay, out of 28 process engineer openings in Illinois, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Illinois plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 27 other live process postings in Illinois.
- Base pay
- Not listed in this posting
- Experience asked
- Less than usual (2+ vs 5+)
Typical $78k–$108k, from 16 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Root cause 50%
- ✓ Lean 46%
- Six Sigma 36%
- SPC 29%
- DOE 25%
- Tooling 21%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Process team at ADM
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
- 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Is the work mostly new product launches or sustaining existing lines?
- How much time do you spend on the floor versus at a desk?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
This plant: ADM in Decatur
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Full description from ADMAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Position Summary
The Decatur West Plant is seeking a Process Engineer with the skills to drive operational improvements and optimize our processes. As a member of the West Plant engineering team, this colleague will have the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues by utilizing engineering skills to support operational excellence and improved plant reliability. This role will partner with the production departments to lead improvements from conception though start-up utilizing engineering and performance excellence principles to operate, troubleshoot, and improve chemical and mechanical processes. It is also responsible for reviewing and understanding area department costs, yields, quality, and process performance and changes that can be made to make improvements in these areas.
Job
Responsibilities
- ◆Oversight of specific processes and projects within the department. Project management including purchasing of materials and supplies, equipment installation, budget tracking, employee training, and start-up of projects.
- ◆Process KPI Development, including identifying methods of improvement, understanding critical unit operation functions, and departmental pain-points creating action plans to address.
- ◆Utilize lean manufacturing principles such as DMAIC to optimize and stabilize unit operations.
- ◆Assist in day-to-day operations troubleshooting and trend analysis, utilizing RCA tools for process upsets such as 5-whys, fishbone diagrams, etc.
- ◆Facilitate change management with the use of the MOC process, including permanent and temporary changes.
- ◆Ensure documentation of the process is maintained to satisfy compliance needs, including P&ID review/creation, Process Control Narrative review/creation, Operating Targets & Range review, Process Safety Information review, and provision of technical training to the department.
- ◆Identifies and complies with safety, food safety and environmental
requirements
during personal work.
- ✓Interacts with maintenance, controls, process, and quality personnel in planning for and the development of process improvements, and in personal projects.
Requirements
- ✓Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering (Chemical, Mechanical, and Agricultural Engineering)
- ✓2+ years of process engineering experience preferably in a chemical manufacturing or agricultural processing facility.
- ✓Experience with equipment troubleshooting, including basic knowledge of maintenance PM activities, operational KPI development, control systems troubleshooting, data analytics (PI, PIaF, Excel).
- ✓Project management experience, including past experience with budgeting and scheduling projects, and working with contractors, is preferred.
- ✓Strong problem solving, diagnostic and analytical skills, with a results focused approach.
- ✓Strong leadership, change management and project/program management skills
- ✓Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, acts as a reliable pro-active communicator.
- ✓A drive for success, a continuous improvement approach, a consistently positive attitude and outlook
- ✓Be willing to work in an industrial environment, which can include exposure to loud noise, chemical hazards, and sometimes dirty conditions.
- ✓Experience in an OSHA PSM (Process Safety Management) area is a plus
requirements
of the job requires ability to climb stairs, lift 50 pounds, prolonged periods of standing and sitting, computer work, working in confined spaces and from heights, bending, kneeling, working adjusted hours, and working as instructed.
- ✓Prompt attendance is a must.
- ✓Employees working at the Decatur West Plant are [or may be] exposed to various potential chemical and food allergens due to the nature of our business and the
requirements
of the job.
Excited about this role but don’t think you meet every requirement listed? We encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this role or another one of our openings.
ADM requires the successful completion of a background check.
'AJCIND' REF:114260BR
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Process Engineer- Decatur, IL
This is a full-time, exempt level position.
Physical Demands
- •The physical
