Extruder Operator

Company Description

The Griff Network, with over forty years of experience, provides innovative material solutions to a wide range of industries including Food, Medical, Automotive, Solar, Credit Card, Graphic and POP, Building and Construction, Tape and Label, among others. The company operates five material facilities globally, offering extensive capabilities such as extrusion, lamination, metallization, coating, packaging, and converting. The Griff Network is dedicated to customer satisfaction through quality products and expert services, continually developing new patented products to meet evolving needs.

Position Summary

We are seeking a motivated, reliable, and hands-on Extruder Operator in our 275 building to support our GDF Decorative Film department. This role is responsible for setting up, operating, monitoring, adjusting, and supporting extrusion production lines to ensure safe, efficient, and high-quality output that meets customer and company requirements.

The Extruder Operator will support decorative film production by running extrusion equipment, performing machine setups and changeovers, monitoring material quality, making process adjustments, reducing waste, maintaining accurate production records, and working with maintenance when equipment issues arise. This position requires strong mechanical aptitude, attention to detail, quality awareness, and the ability to work in a fast-paced decorative film and manufacturing environment.

The ideal candidate will have production or machine operation experience, strong troubleshooting skills, basic math and record-keeping ability, and a willingness to learn extrusion materials, machine controls, quality standards, and decorative film production processes.

Key Responsibilities:

• Set up, operate, monitor, and adjust extrusion production lines in the GDF Decorative Film department to meet production schedules, quality standards, and customer requirements.
• Install, change, and adjust dies, machine screws, sizing rings, and related extrusion components as needed for production runs and changeovers.
• Start machines and set controls to regulate vacuum, air pressure, sizing rings, temperatures, line speeds, and extrusion output.
• Monitor extrusion equipment throughout the shift to ensure machines are running safely, efficiently, and in line with company production standards.
• Perform machine adjustments to maintain product quality, improve production efficiency, reduce waste, and correct process issues.
• Inspect finished and in-process material to verify product appearance, sizing, lamination quality, consistency, and customer specifications.
• Identify and respond to production issues, material concerns, quality defects, equipment problems, waste concerns, and process changes as they occur.
• Work with Maintenance to communicate equipment issues, support repairs, replace parts, assist with preventive maintenance, and reduce downtime.
• Read and follow work orders, job specifications, production schedules, material requirements, customer requirements, quality standards, and safety procedures.
• Complete machine reports, waste reports, production records, quality checks, inventory records, system entries, and other required documentation accurately and on time.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and safe work area by following housekeeping, 5S, PPE, and safety expectations throughout the shift.
• Support employee breaks, lunches, workflow needs, material movement, and other production priorities as assigned by the GDF Production Manager.

Qualifications:

• High school diploma or equivalent is preferred, but not required.
• 1 to 3 years of production, machine operation, extrusion, converting, film, paper, plastics, coating, laminating, packaging, or related manufacturing experience is preferred.
• Previous extrusion experience is strongly preferred, but candidates with strong mechanical aptitude and machine operation experience may be considered.
• Ability to set up, operate, monitor, and adjust production equipment in a safe and efficient manner.
• Strong mechanical aptitude and ability to recognize machine, material, quality, setup, or process issues.
• Ability to troubleshoot minor equipment and production issues and escalate maintenance concerns when needed.
• Ability to read and follow work orders, production instructions, job specifications, customer requirements, and safety procedures.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to identify quality issues, material defects, lamination concerns, color concerns, sizing issues, and waste concerns.
• Good basic math, computer, data entry, and record-keeping skills.
• Ability to complete machine reports, waste reports, production records, quality checks, inventory records, and related documentation accurately.
• Strong communication skills and ability to keep the Production Manager informed of production issues, quality concerns, downtime, equipment needs, and open items.
• Reliable, accountable, safety-focused, team-oriented, hands-on, and able to work in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
• Ability to make sound decisions regarding quality, production, waste, safety, and equipment concerns.
• Ability to pass required position testing, if applicable.

What We Offer:

• Competitive pay and benefits package
• Medical, dental, vision, FSA, and 401(k)
• Training and cross-training opportunities
• Career growth within a family-owned manufacturing environment
• Supportive team setting and hands-on learning
• Opportunity to grow into additional leadership responsibilities over time

Physical Requirements

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, use hands and fingers to handle tools and materials, reach, bend, stoop, and communicate effectively with team members. The employee must be able to move materials, assist with machine setup, and work around production equipment in a manufacturing environment.

The position requires the ability to regularly lift up to 50 pounds and move materials weighing up to 100 pounds, with or without assistance. The employee must also be able to work for extended periods in a fast-paced production setting while following all safety requirements and wearing required personal protective equipment.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The Griff Network is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected status.

Pay: $20.00 - $23.00 per hour

Benefits:

• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person

Salary : $20 - $23