What is a Software Engineer at AAK?

At AAK, the Software Engineer role operates in a highly specialized manufacturing context, often functioning internally under the title of Project Engineer. Our story goes back more than 150 years to the southern coast of Scandinavia, and today we are the world’s leading specialist producer of plant-based oils. In this role, you are not just writing code; you are designing and implementing the automation functional descriptions, process modeling, and flow control systems that keep our manufacturing facilities running at peak efficiency.

Your impact in this position is tangible and global. The systems and processes you optimize directly influence the quality of products consumers love—from making chocolate extra-creamy to putting the crunch into croissants. Operating out of our Richmond, California manufacturing plant, you will bridge the gap between software-driven automation and physical chemical engineering processes like filtration, deodorization, and bleaching. Everything we do is about Making Better Happen™, and your technical leadership ensures our production remains healthier, higher quality, and better for the planet.

This is a senior, heavily cross-functional role requiring a deep understanding of capital project execution. You will guide engineering and construction contractors, oversee plant commissioning, and manage the technical scope of multi-million-dollar facility upgrades. Expect a dynamic, hands-on environment where your software and systems engineering expertise directly translates into physical manufacturing success.

Common Interview Questions

The questions below represent the patterns and themes you will encounter during your interviews. They are designed to test the intersection of your systems knowledge, project management skills, and engineering fundamentals. Do not memorize answers; instead, use these to practice structuring your experiences into clear, quantifiable narratives.

Process Engineering & Automation

These questions test your ability to translate physical manufacturing needs into technical documentation and automated systems.

• Walk me through how you develop an automation functional description for a new piece of processing equipment.
• How do you verify that your material balances and P&IDs are completely synchronized before a project moves to the execution phase?
• Describe a time you performed a process modeling study that successfully identified a major energy efficiency opportunity.
• What data points do you prioritize when evaluating process schemes from a live manufacturing environment?

Capital Project Execution

These questions focus on your financial acumen, scheduling rigor, and ability to navigate corporate methodologies.

• Tell me about the most complex capital investment project you have managed. What was the budget, and how did you control scope deviation?
• Explain your experience with stage gate methodology. How do you ensure stakeholders are aligned before passing a gate?
• Describe a situation where a project was falling behind schedule. What specific actions did you take to bring it back on track?
• How do you forecast capital project activities and present those financial reports to senior management?

Cross-Functional Leadership & Start-Up

These questions evaluate your ability to lead without direct authority, specifically with external contractors and during high-stress commissioning.

• How do you provide oversight to ensure a contractor’s process design performance meets your exact specifications?
• Tell me about a time you acted as a technical consultant during a stressful plant start-up. How did you handle unexpected process questions?
• Describe a conflict you had with an engineering contractor regarding project scope. How was it resolved?

Getting Ready for Your Interviews

Preparing for an interview at AAK requires a strategic approach. We evaluate candidates not just on their technical acumen, but on their ability to apply that knowledge within a complex, physical manufacturing environment.

Here are the key evaluation criteria you should focus on:

• Process Modeling & Automation Expertise – We assess your ability to design improved processes, update Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs), and write robust automation functional descriptions. You can demonstrate strength here by sharing specific examples of how your systems improved manufacturing or energy efficiency.
• Capital Project Execution – This role involves managing significant financial investments. Interviewers will look for your track record in controlling scope, managing schedule deviations, and utilizing stage gate methodologies to bring capital investments to completion.
• Engineering Fundamentals – Because our software and automation systems control physical chemical processes, you will be evaluated on your understanding of heat transfer, fluid transport, and reaction chemistry. Strong candidates seamlessly bridge software logic with these physical realities.
• Cross-Functional Leadership – You must successfully guide external contractors and internal stakeholders. We evaluate your communication skills and your ability to present highly technical process studies to senior management in a clear, actionable way.

Interview Process Overview

The interview process for this role is designed to rigorously assess both your technical systems knowledge and your readiness for an on-site manufacturing environment. You will typically begin with a comprehensive recruiter screen that focuses on your background in capital projects and your willingness to work hands-on at the Richmond plant. This is followed by a technical deep-dive with engineering leadership, where you will discuss process modeling, automation, and stage gate project management.

Because this role is deeply integrated into our physical operations, the final stage is an intensive on-site loop at the Richmond facility. During this stage, you will meet with cross-functional stakeholders, including plant managers, operations leads, and safety officers. You should expect a plant tour as part of the evaluation, where interviewers will gauge your situational awareness, safety mindset, and comfort level in an active, industrial setting.

The visual timeline above outlines the typical progression from initial screening to the final on-site panel. Use this to pace your preparation, ensuring you are ready to discuss high-level project management early on, while reserving your deepest technical and safety-oriented examples for the on-site rounds. Note that the on-site loop is intensive and requires physical walkthroughs, so managing your energy and arriving prepared for a manufacturing environment is critical.

Deep Dive into Evaluation Areas

To succeed in our interviews, you need to understand exactly how we evaluate your technical and operational competencies. Below are the primary areas of focus.

Process Modeling and Automation Systems

This area is critical because it represents the core technical deliverable of the role. We evaluate your ability to diagnose process deficiencies and translate physical manufacturing needs into precise automation functional descriptions and process datasheets. Strong performance means you can comfortably discuss how you use data to model improvements and update technical documentation.

Be ready to go over:

• Material Balances and P&IDs – How you read, update, and maintain these critical documents to reflect new automation logic.
• Process Flow Control – Your approach to designing systems for filtration, deodorization, and bleaching.
• Data-Driven Diagnostics – How you evaluate process schemes using live operating data to identify bottlenecks.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – Integrating legacy machinery with modern automation protocols, or predictive modeling for energy efficiency.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Walk me through a time you identified a process deficiency using operating data and designed an automation improvement to solve it."
• "How do you ensure your automation functional descriptions align perfectly with the updated P&IDs for a new facility start-up?"

Capital Project Management

As a key driver of capital strategy, your ability to manage project finances and schedules is heavily scrutinized. We evaluate your familiarity with stage gate methodologies and your strict control over scope creep. A strong candidate demonstrates a history of bringing complex, multi-million-dollar projects to completion on time and within budget.

Be ready to go over:

• Stage Gate Methodology – Your experience navigating projects through structured approval phases.
• Scope and Schedule Control – Techniques you use to prevent schedule deviation and manage contractor deliverables.
• Stakeholder Reporting – How you forecast current activities and present capital project reports to senior management.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Describe a capital project where the scope began to expand beyond the initial budget. How did you manage the stakeholders and contractors to reel it back in?"
• "Explain your process for developing clear project premises, budgets, and detailed schedules with cross-functional teams."

Engineering Fundamentals

Because our automation controls plant-based oil production, a pure software background is not enough. We evaluate your foundational engineering knowledge. You must demonstrate an excellent understanding of the physical laws governing our manufacturing floor.

Be ready to go over:

• Heat Transfer & Fluid Transport – Essential for understanding how oils move and change state during processing.
• Reaction Chemistry – Basic principles relevant to bleaching and deodorization.
• Equipment Specifications – Preparing process datasheets for complex instrumentation.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "How does your understanding of fluid transport influence the way you write flow control automation?"
• "Explain a scenario where a misunderstanding of heat transfer led to a process failure, and how you engineered a solution."

Contractor Oversight and Plant Commissioning

You will not be working in a vacuum; you will guide external teams and internal operations. We evaluate your leadership during the high-stakes phases of plant commissioning and start-up. Strong performance is shown through proactive risk mitigation and clear, authoritative communication with construction and engineering contractors.

Be ready to go over:

• Performance Oversight – How you monitor and enforce the process design performance of external contractors.
• Start-Up Consulting – Your role as a technical consultant during the critical hours of a new facility start-up.
• Safety and Compliance – Integrating safety protocols into contractor workflows.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Tell me about a time you had to correct a contractor whose process design was not meeting your functional descriptions."
• "What is your step-by-step approach to participating in planning for a major plant commissioning?"

Key Responsibilities

As a Software Engineer (Project Engineer) at AAK, your day-to-day work is a dynamic mix of desk-based engineering and hands-on plant floor engagement. You will spend a significant portion of your time executing capital projects, which involves developing clear project premises, establishing budgets, and strictly managing schedules. You are the central figure ensuring that the vision for new and existing equipment modifications is carried out from concept to start-up.

Collaboration is at the heart of this role. You will constantly interact with operations to evaluate process schemes from live operating data, diagnosing deficiencies and creating design improvements. When a new facility or equipment line is being planned, you will prepare the process datasheets, update P&IDs, and write the automation functional descriptions that contractors will use to build the systems.

You will also act as the primary technical consultant during plant commissioning. This means you will leave the office environment, put on your hardhat and safety gear, and step onto the manufacturing floor to provide real-time oversight. You will present your process modeling studies and energy efficiency findings to senior management, ensuring that every capital investment aligns with our overarching goal of Making Better Happen™.

Role Requirements & Qualifications

To be highly competitive for this position, candidates must possess a unique blend of systems engineering, project management, and physical chemical engineering knowledge.

• Must-have skills – A Bachelor’s degree in engineering (Chemical Engineering is strongly preferred). You must have a minimum of 10 years of experience in project-based engineering with a heavy focus on capital project execution. An excellent, practical understanding of heat transfer, fluid transport, and reaction chemistry is non-negotiable.
• Must-have operational readiness – You must be comfortable working on-site in an active manufacturing plant environment, which includes exposure to loud noises, dust, and wearing required protective safety clothing (hardhat, goggles, appropriate shoes).
• Soft skills – Exceptional written and oral communication skills are required to present studies to management and oversee contractors. You must have a proven track record of successfully meeting strict schedule deadlines.
• Nice-to-have skills – Advanced proficiency in specific process modeling software and deep experience with modern automation protocols will set you apart.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is there any flexibility for remote work in this role? This is a strictly on-site role located at the Richmond, California manufacturing plant. Because you will be diagnosing physical process deficiencies, overseeing contractors, and participating in plant commissioning, your physical presence on the manufacturing floor is essential.

Q: How deeply will I be tested on chemical engineering principles if my background is in software/systems? You will be tested rigorously. Because our automation systems directly control the filtration, deodorization, and bleaching of plant-based oils, you must demonstrate a strong applied understanding of heat transfer, fluid transport, and reaction chemistry.

Q: What differentiates a successful candidate from an average one? A successful candidate seamlessly bridges the gap between high-level capital strategy and ground-level execution. They can comfortably present a financial forecast to senior management in the morning and troubleshoot a P&ID discrepancy with a contractor on the plant floor in the afternoon.

Q: How long does the interview process typically take? The process from the initial recruiter screen to a final offer typically takes 3 to 5 weeks, depending on the availability of the cross-functional interview panel and scheduling the on-site plant tour.

Other General Tips

• Speak the Language of Capital and ROI: Whenever you discuss a technical improvement or a new automation system, tie it directly back to capital strategy. Highlight how your engineering choices improved manufacturing efficiency, saved energy, or reduced schedule deviation.
• Emphasize Safety Above All: You will be working in an environment with heavy machinery, loud noises, and strict PPE requirements. Proactively weave your commitment to industrial safety and compliance into your behavioral answers.
• Master the Stage Gate Framework: If you are not intimately familiar with stage gate methodology for capital investments, review it thoroughly. Interviewers want to see that you respect structured, phased project approvals.
• Structure Your Answers with the STAR Method: When answering complex project management questions, use the Situation, Task, Action, Result format. Be highly specific about the "Action" you took, especially when discussing contractor oversight.

Summary & Next Steps

Stepping into the Software Engineer (Project Engineer) role at AAK is an opportunity to drive massive, tangible impact at a global company dedicated to Making Better Happen™. You will be at the forefront of modernizing and optimizing the physical processes that create the plant-based products millions of people rely on every day. Your work will directly influence the safety, efficiency, and technological advancement of our Richmond facility.

The compensation data above reflects the base salary range for this highly specialized role. In addition to the base salary, AAK offers a robust benefits package including a $1,000-$1,500 annual Health Savings Account contribution, comprehensive health insurance starting on your date of hire, and a competitive 401(k) match. Keep this total rewards picture in mind as you navigate the final stages of the process.

To succeed, focus your preparation on the intersection of automation, capital project management, and chemical engineering fundamentals. Practice articulating your past experiences with clarity and confidence, ensuring you highlight your ability to manage both the financial scope and the technical minutiae of major facility upgrades. You have the expertise necessary to excel in this rigorous environment—now it is time to demonstrate it. You can explore additional interview insights and resources on Dataford to further refine your strategy. Good luck!