Job Description

Established in 1806 as a small soap and candle business in New York City, Colgate-Palmolive is now a truly global company with products sold in over 200 countries and territories under such internationally recognized brand names as Colgate, Palmolive, Softsoap, Irish Spring, Protex, Sorriso, Kolynos, elmex, Tom's of Maine, Sanex, Ajax, Axion, Soupline, Haci Sakir, Suavitel, PCA SKIN, EltaMD, Filorga and Hello as well as Hill's Science Diet and Hill's Prescription Diet.

Colgate-Palmolive is a leading consumer products company that serves hundreds of millions of consumers worldwide with brands and products across four core businesses – Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care and Pet Nutrition. We are committed to offering products that make lives healthier and more enjoyable, and programs that enrich communities around the world.

Every day millions of people trust our products to care for themselves and the ones they love. Our goal is to use our technology to create products that will continue to improve the quality of life for our consumers wherever they live.

A career at Colgate-Palmolive is an excellent opportunity if you seek a global experience, constant challenge, and development opportunities in an environment that respects work/life effectiveness.
Information at a Glance
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Job Title:  Pilot Plant Engineer
Travel Required?:  Travel - 25% of time
Posting Start Date:  2/5/26
On-site

Relocation Assistance Offered Within Country
Job Number #170911 - Piscataway, New Jersey, United States

Who We Are

Colgate-Palmolive Company is a global consumer products company operating in over 200 countries specializing in Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care, Skin Care, and Pet Nutrition. Our products are trusted in more households than any other brand in the world, making us a household name!

Join Colgate-Palmolive, a caring, innovative growth company reimagining a healthier future for people, their pets, and our planet. Guided by our core values—Caring, Inclusive, and Courageous—we foster a culture that inspires our people to achieve common goals. Together, let's build a brighter, healthier future for all.
 

The Pilot Plant Engineer is responsible for leading the development and implementation of capital investments and projects, ensuring equipment is maintained, upgraded, and continuously improved to meet formulation and operational requirements across Personal Care (PC), Oral Care (OC), Skin Health (SH), and other categories as needed. This role partners closely with operations, quality, and global/regional Category Manufacturing Services (CMS) and Process Development & Innovation (PD&I) engineers to bring new products and processes to life. The position is based at Colgate-Palmolive’s Global Process Technology Center (PTC) in Piscataway, NJ.

 

Responsibilities: 

  • Responsible for ensuring full compliance with Colgate-Palmolive, local, state, federal standards and guidelines related to EOHS, Quality, and Regulatory within the PTC.

  • Owns and optimizes the performance and reliability of all processing (making, filling, finishing equipment) and utility systems/ assets (e.g., USP water system), driving continuous improvement in asset performance.

  • Develops and maintains equipment specifications, technical documentation, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Validates and transfers factory procedures aligned with performance, reliability, quality and EOHS standards. 

  • Leads projects end-to-end, including project definition, planning, capital expenditure management, vendor engagement, technology transfer and subsequent system installation, start-up , and troubleshooting.

  • Serves as the primary technical lead for the processing area’s technology transfer activities, ensuring the successful implementation of new materials, products and capital projects from R&D into the pilot plant and supporting global/regional process engineering for subsequent implementation. 

  • Drives and implements standardization, simplification, and margin improvement projects and programs across all processing systems, providing project/ program management leadership as needed.

  • Serves as the primary technical resource for Operations and Quality, leading problem - solving efforts and providing critical technical expertise.

  • Provide technical leadership for Skin Health Category formulations and processes, troubleshooting scale-up issues and optimizing yields, quality, and throughput. 

  • Partner with CMs to implement process controls and conduct experimental manufacturing orders (EMOs).

  • Champions and upholds company values and leadership principles across all daily business activities and team interactions.  

  • Manages/ leads projects and programs as per business needs. 

 

Required Qualifications: 

  • Bachelor’s Degree in a Chemical,  Mechanical, Industrial Engineering  or equivalent Engineering discipline.

  • Minimum of 6+ years of experience in cGMP regulated facilities or equivalent.

  • Knowledge of cGMP and IQ / OQ / PQ Validation.

 

Preferred Qualifications: 

  • Experience with managing capital projects, budgets and contractors.

  • A strong background in quality systems, validation, understanding of cGMP and 21 CFR 210 & 211,  and experience in working in a regulated industry (ie. FDA).

  • Knowledge of Capital Expenditure Budget and Capital Procurement.

  • Working knowledge of SAP, validation software (KNEAT), InBatch or similar plant/ quality related computer system.

  • Must be proficient in continuous improvement methodologies.

  • Demonstrate project management skills, ability to communicate effectively and deliver results in a fast paced work environment. 

  • A working knowledge of production processes and control systems.

  • Teamwork orientation with excellent interpersonal and team skills.

  • Master's Degree in a technical field.


Compensation and Benefits
Salary Range $94,000.00 - $133,000.00 USD

Pay is determined based on experience, qualifications, and location. Salaried employees may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses, profit-sharing, and long-term incentives for Executive-level roles.

Benefits: Salaried employees enjoy a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, basic life insurance, paid parental leave, disability coverage, and participation in the 401(k) retirement plan with company matching contributions subject to eligibility requirements. Additional benefits include a minimum of 15 vacation/PTO days (hourly employees receive a minimum of 120 hours) and 13 paid holidays (vacation days are prorated based on the employee's hire date within the calendar year). Paid sick leave is adjusted based on role and location in accordance with local laws. Detailed information regarding paid sick leave entitlements will be provided to employees upon hiring and may be subject to adjustments based on changes in legislation or company policies.

Our Commitment to Inclusion
Our journey begins with our people—developing strong talent with diverse backgrounds and perspectives  to best serve our consumers around the world and fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels a true sense of belonging. We are dedicated to ensuring that each individual can be their authentic self, is treated with respect, and is empowered by leadership to contribute meaningfully to our business.

Equal Opportunity Employer
Colgate is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, marital status, veteran status (United States positions), or any other characteristic protected by law.

Reasonable accommodation during the application process is available for persons with disabilities. Please complete this request form should you require accommodation.

For additional Colgate terms and conditions, please click here.

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