AMPI owns eight Midwest-based manufacturing plants where 10 percent of the nation’s American-type cheese, processed cheese and butter is produced. The cooperative’s award-winning cheese, butter and powdered dairy products are marketed to foodservice, retail and food ingredient customers. In 2019, the co-op launched its Dinner Bell Creamery brand and accompanying Co-op Crafted promise, highlighting more than 50 years of dairy farm families partnering with skilled buttermakers and cheesemakers.

This list of duties and responsibilities is not all inclusive and may be expanded to include other duties and responsibilities as management may deem necessary from time to time:

1. All AMPI employees have an obligation to report employee safety, food safety and food quality issues to personnel of authority.
2. This position has a heightened food safety and food quality responsibilities.
3. Work jointly with maintenance to identify equipment issues, establish day to day operational priorities and improve machine uptime.
4. Facilitate production expectations with plant personnel; ensuring that goals are met on a day to day, month to month basis.
5. Ensure that production equipment setups are completed in the timeframe required to meet department expectations and efficiencies.
6. Monitor production cleanups. Provide analytical input to improve labor utilization and efficiencies during sanitation processes. 
7. Establish training procedures and processes that provide strategic action plans to improve job knowledge and training.
8. Build a strong working relationship with plant personnel, providing leadership, teaching, and effective communication methods, that ensure enforcement of company policies and procedures.
9. Will be the liaison for the production floor software which will include addressing system performance issues and training.
10. Provide direct support to the Safety Coordinator by assisting with changes and updates to various policies and procedures of the safety program.
11. Review and approve department payroll.
12. Provide absentee coverage for the Natural Supervisor.
13. Participate in the annual management review of the Food Safety and Quality system.
14. Manages competing demands and changes approach or method to best fit the situation.
15. Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner by gathering and analyzing information skillfully. Works well in group problem solving situations and develops alternative solutions.
16. Creates a positive team with the ability to build morale and group commitments to goals and objectives.
17. Ability to manage projects by creating workable plans; communicates changes effectively and builds commitment and overcomes resistance.
18. Develops realistic action plans, by prioritizing and planning work activities. Plans for additional resources as needed.
19. Includes staff in planning, decision-making, facilitating and process improvement. Makes oneself available to staff, provides regular performance feedback, develops subordinates' skills and encourages growth.
20. Ability to react well under pressure. Treats others with respect and consideration regardless of their status or position. Accepts responsibility for own actions and follows through on commitments.
21. Leads and guides all Quality and Food Safety policies and procedures, reporting any nonconformity
22. Leads and guides all Safety policies and procedures, reporting any nonconformity
23. Leads and guides GMP policies and procedures, reporting any nonconformity
24. Other duties as assigned

An individual in this position must be able to successfully perform the essential duties and responsibilities listed above. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position. The above list reflects the general details necessary to describe the principle and essential functions of the position and shall not be construed as the only duties that may be assigned for the position.

 REQUIRED COMPETENCIES:

The following are required competencies of the position that must be met by the employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job:

• Demonstrated proficiency in Windows, MS Office Suite including; Word, Excel, Power Point, and Outlook, internet/intranet and other organizational specific software.
• Exceptional attention to detail, strong organizational and time management skills.
• Knowledge of procedural controls and data validation techniques required.
• Professional communication skills for both internal and external customers, coworkers, team members and consultants.
• Demonstrated excellent training skills involving making presentations covering various topics.
• Ability to plan, initiate, direct and carry out short and long-term programs.
• Ability to define problems, collect and document data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
• Ability to interpret an extensive variety of situations and events and respond accordingly.
• Possess traits of honesty, integrity, creativity and flexibility.
• Exceptional attention to detail, strong organizational and time management skills.
• Must have high level of discretion and ability to handle sensitive and confidential information appropriately.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the products manufactured and the processes involved.
• Basic understanding of equipment operations and minor troubleshooting ability.
• Must be able to demonstrate an ability and willingness to communicate effectively in order to maintain high levels of confidentiality, safety, health, quality and efficiency.
• Ability to read and comprehend standard operating procedures and company quidelines in order to maintain regulatory compliance.
• Ability to understand daily production needs.
• Demonstrated strong teamwork skills, with the ability to lead, participate, and/or work directly with cross-functional teams and/or individuals.
• Ability to work independently, multi-task, and prioritize.
• Ability to perform at a high level in a fast-paced environment with the ability to adapt to a continually changing environment.
• Detail oriented, be quality minded.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Takes a strategic view of the organization, and facilitates the creation of a company-wide culture and uses methodologies to drive core/strategic processes to respond to the needs of customers.
• Ability to define problems, collect and document data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
• Ability to discuss a wide range of topics from business strategy to the tactical execution of that strategy.
• Remain current on economic, industrial, and other trends that affect market and prices.
• Technical understanding of assigned commodities.
• Thorough understanding and board application of safety regulations, standards, principles, theories, and techniques. (Safety/VP/Sr VP Ops)
• Demonstrated training skills involving making presentations covering various topics
• Possess traits of honest and integrity, creativity and flexibility.

AMPI offers competitive starting pay, PTO, 401k, short-term disability, health, dental, vision, life insurance, flexible spending accounts, employee assistance programs and more.

Associated Milk Producers Inc. (AMPI) is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

Military and veterans are encouraged to apply.