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Pilot Plant Maintenance Technician

Tate & Lyle · Hoffman Estates, IL

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Level
Technician
Team
Reliability
Experience asked
65+ years
Industry
Food & beverage
Posted
5 days ago

The role in 30 seconds

A technician-level reliability role at Tate & Lyle (food & beverage) in Hoffman Estates, IL. Creative / Innovative – Able to design, develop and implement new pilot processes.

They ask for
65+ years
Tools it names
EHS / safety

Read from the posting. The full description is below.

From the plant jobs report · week of November 9, 2026

Maintenance Technician roles in Illinois: typical posted base $62k–$93k.

Median of the low and high ends of 5 live postings that list pay, out of 169 maintenance technician 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 177 other live reliability postings in Illinois.

Base pay
Not listed in this posting

Typical $76k–$103k, from 13 postings that list pay.

Experience asked
More than usual (65+ vs 4+)

Similar roles usually ask 4+ years.

Skills these teams ask for most

  • Team leadership 53%
  • PLC 41%
  • Welding 34%

✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.

It asks for 65+ years. If you're close, apply anyway: requirements are a wish list. Talk to someone doing this work there first.

At a glance

Lifts up to 50 lbs

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. 1

    Pick 2–3 people on the Reliability team at Tate & Lyle

    Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find them.

  2. 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. 3

    Turn a reply into a short call

    Questions worth asking about this team:

    • What does a normal week look like on your team?
    • How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
  4. 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. 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.

Full description from Tate & LyleAs posted on their careers site.Show

Qualifications

  • ✓Minimum of 2 years of college in Engineering and previous food industrial experience in a pilot plant OR 5+ years’ experience in food processing
  • ✓In-depth knowledge of food processing equipment
  • ✓Good organizational and time management skills
  • ✓Good verbal and written communication skills
  • ✓Positive attitude capable of working as a team
  • ✓Creative / Innovative – Able to design, develop and implement new pilot processes
  • ✓Asks pertinent questions regarding the safe operation of the processes
  • ✓Knowledgeable in the MS office platform
  • ✓Able to lift 50 lbs.
  • ✓Familiar with equipment safety, food safety and quality procedures and processes

Responsibilities

  • ◆Responsible for the independent, safe operation of process and lab equipment
  • ◆Installation oversight
  • ◆Pre-startup inspections
  • ◆Job safety analyses
  • ◆Preventative maintenance
  • ◆Facilitate scientist trial work
  • ◆Support the Applications and Tech Service group by running and maintaining process equipment
  • ◆Maintain the schedule of activities in the wet process, dry process and confectionery labs in alignment with team priorities
  • ◆Participate as a member of the food safety committee to assure compliance in the food labs and ensure that our products are fit for human consumption. Maintain appropriate safety documentation for all food grade pilot runs.
  • ◆Maintain up-to-date equipment list and assist in identification of new equipment
  • ◆Coordinate outside service of equipment as needed
  • ◆Properly clean and sanitize processing equipment between runs and end of day, and maintain records demonstrating sanitization effectiveness
  • ◆Clean and sanitize process lab areas
  • ◆Maintain basic food ingredient inventory
  • ◆Fully participate in the safety program, including reporting any incidents or near misses and auditing

In addition to competitive pay, we offer a comprehensive Total Rewards package that includes but is not limited to:

  • ◆Medical, Dental, Vision coverages
  • ◆Paid time off package, including vacation, sick time, and 16 weeks of paid parental leave
  • ◆401K with company match
  • ◆Company paid life insurance
  • ◆Additional benefits at not cost to employee such as: Lifestyle Spending Account, Identity Theft protection, Employee Assistance Program, telemedicine and more!

In addition to your Total Rewards, culture and ED&I are very important to Tate & Lyle. We offer multiple Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) that support various communities.

California Consumer Privacy Act ("CCPA")

The Company is committed to complying with the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) and all data privacy and laws in the jurisdictions in which it recruits and hires employees. We collect the following categories of personal information for the purpose of hiring the best qualified applicants and to comply with applicable employment laws: Name and contact information; Job preference and work availability; Social Security Number and/or other identification information; Education and qualifications; Employment history and experience; Military service; Reference and background check information, including relevant criminal history and credit history; Social media information; Pre-employment test results; Post-offer medical examination information and results, including drug test results; Voluntary self-disclosure information regarding minority, veteran, and disability status; and Information provided by you during the hiring process.

Show full description ↓

At Tate & Lyle, our purpose is simple: Transforming Lives Through the Science of Food. With more than 165 years of ingredient innovation, we partner with leading food and beverage brands to create healthier, tastier and more sustainable products enjoyed by millions of people every day. Combining expertise in sweetening, mouthfeel and fortification, we help customers win on taste, nutrition and performance while making a positive impact on society and the planet. With approximately 5,000 colleagues across 75 locations in 38 countries, we're united by a shared commitment to innovation, collaboration and growth. Read on to learn how this opportunity can contribute to our purpose while helping shape the future of food.

Position Summary: The primary responsibility of this position is the independent and safe operation of equipment in the food process labs and facilitation of scientist pilot work. This person must have a strong understanding of Food GMPs and good organizational and communication skills. This position will help with process troubleshooting and developing corrective action plans as needed. Additionally, they will play a key role on our local safety team supporting JSAs, and food safety processes and documentation. This position will be located in the Hoffman Estates, IL Innovation Center.

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