Associate Spotlight: Meet Samantha | Careers in Engineering

For generations, we’ve led the charge in revolutionizing pet food production and its ability to enrich the lives of pets everywhere. By 1956, through innovative engineering, we literally reshaped pet food, introducing Dog Chow® as the first extruded dry food. We’re still at it today, with Tidy Cats®, the lightweight cat litter champion of the world and Pro Plan Bright Mind®, a breakthrough formula with enhanced botanical oils shown to promote alertness and mental sharpness in aging dogs. Such leadership requires constant innovation and renovation, which is so often rooted in engineering. Quality and safety are the promises we make on our products—and we continue to deliver on that promise.

Meet Samantha, a Senior Engineer of Project Scheduling, who brings a wealth of expertise and skill to her team. With her exceptional problem-solving abilities and attention to detail, Samantha consistently delivers successful projects on time and within budget. Discover what motivates Samantha’s passion, drive for success, the lessons she’s learned throughout her career, and how she continues to inspire and lead her team to new heights.

Can you tell us about your role as an engineer at Nestlé and how long you have been working in this field?

I have been with Nestlé Purina since September 2022; I'm currently overseeing all projects across the Nestlé Purina Engineering (NPE) Portfolio by assisting other schedulers on their specific projects. I help manage the scheduling software utilized by the team and support the Skid Standards group that creates Modular Designs to be utilized across all factories in North America. I have been working in the scheduling field for approximately 7 years.

What do you enjoy most about being an engineer at Purina?

I enjoy how you can utilize your background to assist in projects and factory production, while growing and moving forward to learn about other fields of study and how everyone intertwines with one another. Most people don’t think about it, but scheduling is almost like a visualization of all fields of study working together so you can see how different groups affect certain parts of a process and project.

What advice would you give to aspiring engineers who want to pursue a career at Purina?

Be passionate and always strive for success. There may be times when you’re asked for what feels like the impossible. Use that ambiguity and make it productive because that’s when you will see that the impossible is more probable. If you can continue to strive for innovation and advancement, with a little bit of humor, you will be a perfect fit here.

We value a collaborative and supportive work environment, which allows our engineers to work on cutting-edge technologies. Are you interested in pursuing a career in engineering? Join our team of talented engineers and contribute to innovative projects that positively impact pet care. Check out the various roles we have open at Purina, and be sure to enroll in our talent network, so you can be the first to know when we have an opening in your area of expertise.