As employees of a farmer-owned cooperative, we come to work every day trying to honor the tireless effort and care these farming families put in every day, all day, 365 days a year. Our farmer-owners tend to think in generations, with some of our farms being run by the same families for over a century. We carry this approach into our business, knowing that each and every one of us makes a difference in allowing these generational traditions to continue, taking pride in knowing that we nourish our friends, neighbors, nation, and even the world with healthy and delicious dairy products. Our products include milk, flavored milk, yogurt, dip, sour cream, cottage cheese, Italian cheese, and ice cream mix marketed under the Upstate Farms®, Bison®, Milk for Life®, and Intense Milk® brands. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Openings in the Batch Blend, Canning Line, Milk Processing, and Specialty Packaging Departments. Common duties include:

• Master the Manufacturing Execution System.
• Ability to diagnose problems and take appropriate action.
• Ability to use the Manufacturing Execution System.
• Ability to perform change overs in all areas.
• Complete daily Shift Report and collect production line paperwork.
• Observe cleaning procedures and inspect equipment to maintain safe food processing expectations.
• Maintain clean work environment.
• General: Perform all other tasks and duties as assigned by Management/Supervision including Work Group Leads and Trainers responsible for these areas.

Essential Skills and Expectations:

• Must maintain constant awareness of surrounding environment for the purpose of protecting personal safety and the safety of food products.
  • Each individual is responsible for their personal safety and the wearing of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
  • Must observe Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP’s) at all times.
  • Must observe Security procedures at all times.
  • Must be conscientious, dependable, and reliable.
• Possess the appropriate level of mathematical skills required for calculating process (12^th Grade Level).
• The ability to read and write English at the 12^th Grade Level.
• Possess the physical ability and dexterity to perform the duties of this position, including:
  • The lifting of objects that weigh up to 60 pounds.
  • Working from elevated walkways, platforms, stairs, and ladders.

Department-Specific Requirements:

Batch Blend:

• Understand product ingredient staging and safe ingredient handling to prepare for mixing by Batch Blend Operator.
• Must be knowledgeable about milk, milk composition, milk fractions (cream, protein, permeate, etc.) and milk chemistry.
• Master the Special Products Blending Systems
  • Manage preparation of equipment, process vessels (silos & tanks), pumps, pipeline circuits, valves, and equipment such as blenders, filters, heat exchangers, homogenizers, and all other associated equipment utilized in the production of special products.
• Staging Requirements:]
  • Receive liquid ingredients from tankers to storage vessels.
  • Distribution of liquid ingredients from storage vessels to processing systems.
  • Load out of liquid specialty products from storage/processing systems to tankers and totes.
  • Master cleaning procedures, operating clean-in-place (CIP) systems and inspection of tankers, pipeline circuits and associated vessels/processing equipment.
  • Maintain clean work environment throughout special product handling areas.
• Must have the physical ability/dexterity to perform the duties of this position, including:
  • Lifting of material weight of up to 100 pounds.
  • Working from elevated walkways, platforms, stairs, and ladders.

Canning Line:

• Ability to operate and clean filling, seaming, and capping equipment.
• Ability to operate Case Packer and associated equipment.
• Ability to operate retorts and material handling systems.
• Understand and operate labelers along with associated equipment.
• In General: Perform all other tasks and duties as assigned by Management, including Supervisors and Work Group Leads assigned to the area.

Milk Processing:

• Must be knowledgeable about milk, milk composition, milk fractions (cream, protein, permate, etc.) and milk chemistry.
• In truck bays:
  • Receiving raw dairy products from tankers to storage vessels
  • Distribution of raw dairy products from storage vessels to processing systems.
  • Load out liquid dairy products from storage/processing systems to tankers.
  • Cleaning procedures, operating clean-in-place (CIP) systems and inspection of tankers, pipeline circuits and associated vessels/processing equipment associated with tankers.
  • Manually clean the outside of all equipment, walls, and floors in work area at a frequency sufficient to maintain them in clean condition.

• In Condensary:
  • Learn and demonstrate knowledge of process system flows during production and CIP, including:
    • Liquid dairy products to, though, and from all vessels (tanks & silos), pasteurizers, evaporators, and ultra-filtration membrane systems.
    • Operating all CIP systems utilized for cleaning pipeline circuits, tanks, silos and associated equipment.
    • Support efforts of your fellow Processing Line Operators.
    • Clean outside of all equipment, walls, and floors in the work area you are assigned to with a frequency sufficient to maintain them in clean condition.
  • In South Processing Area:
    • Learn and demonstrate knowledge of process system flows, including:

• Liquid milk products to and from Unit #7 HTST/Separation system and associated pipeline circuits, tanks, silos and associated equipment.
• Liquid milk products to, throughout and from the ultra-filtration and reverse osmosis systems and associated pipeline circuits, tanks, silos and associated equipment.
• Operating all clean-in-place systems utilized for cleaning milk processing systems including pipeline circuits, tanks, silos and associated equipment.
• You are required to manually clean the outside of all equipment, walls, and floors in the work area you are assigned to, at a frequency that is sufficient to maintain them in a clean condition.
• In General: Perform all other tasks and duties as assigned by Management, including Supervisors and Work Group Leads assigned to the area.

Specialty Packaging:

• Ability to operate and clean filling, seaming, and capping equipment.
• Ability to operate Case Packer and associated equipment.
• Ability to operate retorts and material handling systems.
• Understand and operate labelers along with associated equipment.
• In General: Perform all other tasks and duties as assigned by Management, including Supervisors and Work Group Leads assigned to the area.

Union Requirements:

• Must join the Union after 30 days of employment as a condition of continued employment.
• Must commit to the following lengths of service before bidding out of your department:
  • Batch Blend & Milk Processing: 2 years.
  • Canning Line & Specialty Packaging: 1 year.

Physical Demands:

• Regularly required to stand; walk; bend; reach.
• Manual dexterity
• Must regularly lift and /or move up to 15 pounds.
• Occasionally lift and/or move up to 60 pounds.
• Good visual acuity including close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment:

• Regularly exposed to slippery floors, as well as hot and cold conditions.
• Regularly exposed to moving mechanical parts and risk of electrical shock.
• Frequently exposed to vibration.
• Frequently exposed to fumes or airborne particles; toxic and caustic chemicals.
• Occasional exposed to extreme cold and heat, including steam.
• Exposed to high noise level.
• Wearing of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) required, including bump caps, hearing-protection, steel toe non-slip shoes, hair net, beard net (if applicable) and company-provided uniform.

Shift Requirements:

• Must be available to work ANY shift – Days, Evenings, and Nights.
• Must be available to work weekends and holidays.

Starting Pay:

• $21/hour for all Skilled Production Operators while in training period.
• After earning certification on 2 pieces of equipment, pay rate will increase to the full Skilled Production Wage as defined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

*The hourly rate as indicated in the CBA. The posted pay rate reflects just one component of our total rewards package. Other components of the total rewards package may include participation in group health and/or dental insurance, retirement plan, paid time away from work, and paid holidays.

Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc. is committed to equal employment opportunity for all, without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic.