1st Shift Cooler Associate

The Cooler & Smoker Associate is responsible for safely processing, cooling, smoking, handling, labeling, and staging food products according to production schedules and company standards. Working under the direction of the Cooler & Smoker Lead and Supervisor, this position supports product quality, accurate inventory, traceability, and timely movement of products between departments.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Load and unload smokehouses according to production schedules and work instructions.
• Safely transfer products between Kitchen, Smoker, Cooler, Warehouse, and Repack departments.
• Monitor and record product temperatures during cooling and smoking; follow required processing and cooling procedures.
• Accurately label products, verify lot numbers and product identification, and maintain product traceability.
• Rotate inventory using First In, First Out (FIFO), assist with inventory counts, and maintain organized storage areas.
• Stage finished products for shipping or additional processing.
• Complete production paperwork, temperature logs, and other required records accurately and promptly.
• Perform product quality checks and immediately report damaged or nonconforming products and food safety concerns to the Lead or Supervisor.
• Perform pre-operational equipment inspections and safely operate approved equipment, including pallet jacks, product racks, carts, temperature probes, scanners, scales, and label printers. Forklift operation is limited to certified operators.
• Clean workstations throughout the shift, assist with sanitation during changeovers, and maintain department housekeeping.
• Follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) procedures, Safe Quality Food (SQF) requirements, applicable USDA requirements, and company food safety policies.
• Follow sanitation, allergen control, food defense, and food fraud prevention procedures to protect product integrity and prevent contamination.
• Wear required personal protective equipment (PPE), follow applicable Lockout/Tagout procedures, and immediately report injuries, unsafe conditions, and equipment concerns.
• Meet daily productivity and quality expectations while maintaining dependable attendance, punctuality, and respectful teamwork.
• Support continuous improvement, cross-train in other production departments, and assist with training new employees when requested.
• Perform other duties as assigned by leadership.

Supervisory Responsibilities

This position has no direct supervisory responsibilities.

Required Qualifications

• Ability to read and understand production documents and follow written and verbal instructions.
• Basic math skills and the ability to accurately record temperatures, quantities, lot numbers, and production information.
• Strong attention to detail, organizational skills, and basic problem-solving ability.
• Effective communication and teamwork skills, with the ability to accept direction and work independently as assigned.
• Ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced food manufacturing environment while following safety, sanitation, and product quality requirements.
• Dependable attendance and punctuality.
• Ability to work overtime as business needs require.
• Ability to perform the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Preferred Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED.
• Previous manufacturing or warehouse experience, particularly in food manufacturing.
• Experience working in refrigerated production environments.
• Forklift or pallet jack experience.
• Knowledge of GMPs, food safety practices, and FIFO inventory rotation.

Physical Demands

• Frequently lift and carry up to 50 pounds.
• Frequently push and pull up to 150 pounds using equipment.
• Stand and walk throughout an 8–10-hour shift.
• Frequently bend, stoop, squat, and kneel as production requires.
• Constantly reach above shoulder level.
• Perform continuous grasping, handling, and repetitive hand and finger movements.

Work Environment

• Refrigerated production and storage areas maintained at approximately 34–40°F.
• Exposure to hot smoker equipment, wet floors, manufacturing noise, food ingredients and allergens, and approved sanitation chemicals.
• Work near moving forklifts, pallet jacks, and production equipment.
• Required PPE includes hairnets, beard nets as applicable, gloves, hearing protection, safety glasses, and slip-resistant footwear.