Lead Operator — 2 Color Jumbo Printer Slotter

Purpose of Role

As Lead Operator of the 2 Color Jumbo Printer Slotter, you are the primary technical owner and crew leader of one of our largest and most productive converting machine centers. This machine handles oversized corrugated blanks—often exceeding standard sheet widths—and integrates two-color flexographic printing with precision slotting, scoring, and trim operations in a single pass. You will ensure that every job is set up rapidly and accurately, every box meets customer print and structural specifications, and your crew is developed, engaged, and performing at a high level. You are the go-to expert on machine behavior, print quality, slotting precision, tooling management, and corrective action—and you champion the three pillars of Tavens production: Perfect Boxes, Fast Accurate Set-Ups, and Responsive Manufacturing.

Key Responsibilities

Ranked in priority: Safety → Quality → Production

Safety & Compliance

• Serve as the safety leader for the Jumbo Printer Slotter machine center. Enforce all plant safety policies, OSHA regulations, and Tavens-specific requirements at all times.
• Ensure full compliance with Lock-Out/Tag-Out (LOTO) procedures before any maintenance, tooling change, jam clearance, or adjustment on any section of the machine, including feeders, print units, slotter shafts, score heads, trim knife hubs, and stacker/counter-ejector.
• Maintain 5S housekeeping standards: keep feeder trays, ink stations, slotter shaft areas, waste chutes, stacker output zones, and aisle ways clean, organized, and free of slip/trip hazards.
• Require and verify proper PPE usage by all crew members: safety glasses, hearing protection, cut-resistant gloves during blade/knife changes, and appropriate footwear.
• Immediately stop the machine for any unsafe condition, near-miss, or quality risk. Coach your crew to exercise the same stop authority without hesitation.
• Participate in safety audits, incident investigations, and corrective action implementation. Ensure learnings are communicated and embedded into standard work.
• Monitor and enforce safe substrate handling practices for jumbo-format corrugated sheets, which present elevated ergonomic and pinch-point risks due to their size and weight.

Machine Setup & Process Ownership

• Feeder & Board Handling: Set feeder gap, back-stop positions, side guides, and feed-roll pressure to achieve stable, consistent board feeding for jumbo-format sheets. Adjust vacuum assist or air-jet systems where equipped. Minimize doubles, mis-feeds, and board damage during feeding.
• Two-Color Flexographic Print Stations: Mount photopolymer or rubber flexo print plates onto print cylinders using appropriate mounting tape. Register each color unit to achieve accurate lay-down and color-to-color registration within job specification tolerances. Calibrate print and anilox impression for clean ink transfer without board crush or plate damage.
• Set up and maintain chambered doctor blade systems or wipe-roll ink systems: fill ink chambers, adjust blade angle and pressure, verify end seals, and ensure consistent ink metering across the full width of the anilox roll.
• Understand anilox line screen and cell volume tradeoffs (typically 150–400 lpi for corrugated applications) and apply this knowledge when troubleshooting density, streaking, or coverage defects.
• Manage water-based ink systems: verify viscosity, pH, and color consistency at job start and throughout the run. Prevent ink dry-down on anilox surfaces during stops. Clean ink chambers, anilox rolls, and doctor blades at job end per cleaning protocols.
• Coordinate print plate storage, cleaning, and inspection with Tooling or Prepress team. Identify and remove worn, cracked, or damaged plates before run start.
• Slotting, Scoring & Creasing Section: Position and lock slotter head assemblies on upper and lower shafts per job specifications: set slot width, slot depth, panel dimensions, and flap cut positions. Install and torque male slotting knives, female anvils (scoring rules), crease heads, pre-creasers, and trim knife hubs.
• Verify that slot-to-score centerline alignment is correct for each slot position, and confirm slot depth is appropriate for the board grade and flute type being run.
• Monitor slotting knife and anvil wear throughout the run. Identify signs of dull or chipped blades (ragged slot edges, board tearing, score cracking) and schedule or execute blade changes to maintain cut quality.
• Manage trim knife hubs for edge trimming: set trim width and verify clean, consistent trim cuts. Direct waste trim into chutes and confirm scrap removal systems are functioning.
• Waste Removal & Vacuum Transfer: Ensure waste and scrap is clear. Monitor vacuum transfer systems (where equipped) for consistent board stability through the print and slot sections.
• Stacker: Configure stacker for sheet orientation, and output stack quality. Verify ejection timing and batch count accuracy. Adjust for board warp, stacking height, or delivery misalignment.
• Make-Ready & First-Piece Approval: Conduct structured make-ready following standard work sequence. Run test sheets, inspect first-piece against job ticket for print registration, color coverage, slot position, slot width, score depth, trim accuracy, and board integrity. Obtain supervisor or quality approval before ramping to full production speed.
• Run-Time Monitoring: Continuously monitor machine performance during production: board feed stability, print registration, ink density, slot/score accuracy, stacking quality, waste levels, and machine speed. Make real-time adjustments and escalate mechanical or electrical issues to Maintenance promptly.
• Preventive & Routine Maintenance: Perform daily, weekly, and periodic PM tasks: Make sure pans are cleaned at end of shift, Make sure open/close tracks are clean and free of debris, inspect and clean print cylinders, clean anilox rolls per protocol, inspect & clean slotter shafts, and locking mechanisms, check stacker belts and delivery systems, and verify machine guarding integrity. Escalate issues requiring specialized repair.
• Change-Overs: Lead full job change-overs with discipline and speed: stage incoming job’s tooling (slotter heads, print plates, anilox rolls, creaser rings), substrates, and job data before the current job ends. Minimize transition downtime while maintaining quality discipline on the outgoing job until the last good sheet.

Quality & Productivity

• Perfect Boxes: Every box produced must meet customer print and structural specifications. This includes accurate 2-color print registration, correct ink density and coverage, clean slot cuts without tearing or ragging, precise score lines for clean folding, correct flap dimensions, and accurate trim. Zero defect mindset on every run.
• Inspect incoming corrugated substrate for moisture, warp, caliper, liner quality, and flute integrity before starting a job. Reject or escalate non-conforming board before it enters the machine.
• Conduct first-piece inspection against job specification and maintain in-process quality checks throughout the run at a frequency appropriate to run length and complexity. Use calipers, gauges, and color density tools as available.
• Fast, Accurate Set-Ups: Drive structured, disciplined change-overs that minimize make-ready waste and time. Use staged tooling, pre-verified job data, and standard change-over checklists. On a jumbo-format machine, efficient positioning of slotter heads and print plate mounting have an outsized impact on total change-over time.
• Responsive Manufacturing: Adapt quickly to schedule changes, urgent short runs, or customer priority shifts. Pre-communicate tooling and material needs to Scheduling and Materials so the machine can flex without unplanned delays.
• Track and report production metrics every shift: change-over time, machine uptime/availability, scrap and waste percentage, throughput (sheets per hour), print and slot reject counts, and root-cause summary for any significant deviations.
• Lead root-cause investigations for recurring defects: ink streaking, anilox plugging, print misregistration, slot positional errors, board double-feeds, or stacker jams. Implement and document corrective actions.

Crew Leadership & Development

• Lead, motivate, and develop the team of Certified Operators and Production Associates assigned to the Jumbo Printer Slotter. Set the tone for safety, quality, and professionalism every shift.
• Assign and adjust crew roles in real time to optimize performance: feeder attendant, print quality monitor, stacker/pallet handler, and changeover support. Ensure no crew member is working unsafely or beyond their training level.
• Develop crew competencies in: safe machine operation, 2-color print registration and ink management, slotter head positioning, tooling change procedures, first-piece inspection, and quality documentation.
• Conduct or coordinate training toward Tavens certifications: Basic Box-Maker, Advanced Box-Maker, and Master Printer, with emphasis on skills specific to this machine center.
• Coach ownership mindset: help every crew member understand how their actions directly affect box quality, set-up speed, and the ability to respond to schedule demands.
• Execute effective shift hand-offs: communicate machine status, open quality issues, upcoming job priorities, tooling or material shortfalls, and any safety or maintenance concerns to the incoming Lead Operator.
• Provide direct, timely feedback to crew members on performance. Recognize strong performance and coach promptly on skill gaps or unsafe behaviors.

Collaboration & Continuous Improvement

• Partner with Materials/Handling to ensure corrugated sheets (correct board grade, size, quantity) are staged and ready ahead of each job. Flag board quality issues early.
• Work with the Tooling Coordinator to ensure print plates, cutting dies, and die segments are inspected, and available for each job change-over.
• Coordinate with Maintenance on preventive maintenance schedules, unplanned repairs, and equipment improvement projects for this machine center.
• Collaborate with Supervisors to flag machine constraints, change-over time issues, and job sequencing opportunities that reduce waste or tooling swaps.
• Identify and lead continuous improvement initiatives: reduce change-over time, improve print registration consistency, reduce make-ready waste, extend slotting knife life, or improve anilox maintenance practices. Participate in kaizen events.
• Update and maintain standard work documents, change-over checklists, and machine-specific SOPs. Ensure documentation reflects current best practices and is accessible to all crew members.
• Communicate proactively to your supervisor: machine status, schedule deviations, quality issues, tooling or material constraints, and improvement ideas.

Qualifications & Experience

• High school diploma or equivalent required; technical or vocational training in printing, packaging, or manufacturing a plus.
• Minimum 3–5 years of experience operating corrugated converting equipment, with at least 2 years on a printer-slotter or similar flexographic press in a corrugated environment.
• Demonstrated mechanical aptitude and hands-on experience with: flexo print plate mounting and registration, anilox roll and ink system management (chambered doctor blade or wipe-roll systems), slotter head positioning and blade/anvil changes, scorer and creaser head setup, and feeder adjustment.
• Working knowledge of corrugated board grades, flute types (B, C, BC double-wall, etc.), and how substrate characteristics affect print quality, slotting, and scoring.
• Proven experience leading or supervising a small production crew in a manufacturing environment.
• Strong problem-solving ability: able to diagnose and correct print defects (misregistration, streaking, ink density variation), slot defects (positional errors, ragged cuts, crease cracks), and feed/delivery issues.
• Ability to read and interpret job tickets, work orders, and technical specifications. Basic math skills for panel calculations, slot positioning, and waste tracking.
• Experience with production reporting systems for tracking downtime, waste, throughput, and quality data.
• Strong communication, teamwork, and leadership skills. Reliable attendance; willingness to work assigned shifts including early starts, overtime, and weekends.
• Physical requirements: ability to stand for extended periods, bend, lift up to approximately 50 lbs, and work in an industrial environment with noise, dust, ink, and moving equipment.

Pay: $18.00 - $24.00 per hour

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person

Salary : $18 - $24