Dairy Process Technician – Evaporation & Spray Drying
Location: Dennington, Victoria
Employment Type: Full-time
About ProviCo Australia
ProviCo Australia is a leading dairy nutrition company with a large processing facility at Dennington, on the outskirts of Warrnambool. We process fresh milk daily into a range of high-quality dairy products that are distributed across Australia and globally. Our mission is to innovate and deliver world-class dairy solutions while maintaining the highest standards in quality, safety, and sustainability.
This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing and dynamic team where your technical expertise will have a direct impact on production efficiency, product quality, and continuous improvement initiatives.
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The Role
As a Dairy Process Technician – Evaporation & Spray Drying, you will play a critical role in optimising our evaporator and spray dryer operations, ensuring product quality, safety, and efficiency. You will work closely with Production, Maintenance, Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, and Finance teams to support both day-to-day operations and long-term improvements.
Key Responsibilities:
* Process & Recipe Management: Adjust and develop recipes to meet specifications, support new product development, and communicate requirements for accurate forecasting and cost control.
* Troubleshooting & Technical Support: Lead troubleshooting of evaporator and dryer issues, acting as the primary technical stakeholder and collaborating with Maintenance/Engineering teams to resolve root causes.
* Continuous Improvement: Identify, track, and implement CI initiatives focused on yield, efficiency, and waste reduction.
* Dryer Safety: Champion dryer safety protocols, ensuring compliance and following up on safety actions.
* Planning Support: Provide technical guidance for production scheduling, assessing feasibility and operational constraints.
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Key Skills & Competencies:
* Technical expertise in spray dryer and evaporator operations, process optimisation, and recipe development.
* Strong problem-solving and troubleshooting skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across teams.
* Continuous improvement mindset with experience tracking KPIs such as yield and OOE.
* Solid understanding of manufacturing processes and constraints.
* Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
* Commitment to safety culture and ability to ensure compliance.
* Analytical skills, including interpreting process data and making data-driven decisions.
Desirable Skills:
* Degree in Engineering, Chemistry, Food Science, Nutrition, or related technical discipline.
* Experience with SCADA systems or process automation.
* Exposure to New Product Development (NPD) trials or recipe creation.
* Financial awareness and ability to communicate process implications to Planning/Finance teams.
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Why Join ProviCo?
* Be part of a passionate team driving innovation in the dairy industry.
* Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives that have a real impact on production efficiency, safety, and product quality.
* Competitive remuneration and benefits.