Production Operator

Sunset Farm Foods

FT Non-Union Operations

Valdosta, GA, US

Salary Range: $12.50 To 14.00 Hourly

Production Operator Sunset Farm Foods provides great career opportunities and the chance to utilize your skills in an ever-changing environment. Our Production Operators are a critical part of our team to help us accomplish our vison of providing southern goodness for all.

People selected for a Production Operator position may be placed in various roles within the production process of our food manufacturing plant. There may be needs in either production areas – Grinding, Processing, Packing, Cook Room, Smokehouse or Shipping on either day or night shift. Assignments are determined based on suitability, experience, hiring needs and production levels in each area. Below lists a brief explanation for each of those areas of operation within the plant. Pay rates and scheduled work hours are based on area assigned.

The primary purpose of the Production Operator is to rotate through various positions within the plant to facilitate the grinding, processing, cooking, packing, pack out and shipping of products to be delivered to various routes and facilities. You will learn to operate various production equipment as needed for your daily assignments. Equipment must be operated in such a manner as to meet and exceed our customer expectations daily in the safest possible manner.

Employees are required to learn all equipment and rotate as needed. Typical learning curve for each position is no longer than 2-5 working days. Standards must be met for each position within two weeks of hire and sustained during employment. Employees will be placed in roles that meet production needs, and the skills and abilities of the employee. 

All Production Operation employees will be required to perform other duties as assigned. All employees will adhere to all quality standards and obey all safety standards. All Production Operation employees hired must be able to perform the essential functions of the job, with or without accommodation.

Up to 40 hours with a required possible overtime of up to two hours daily. This may vary depending on production levels.

Qualifications

• High School Education or GED preferred.
• Excellent teamwork skills required.
• Employees must be willing to move between all jobs via rotation when needed.
• Basic computer knowledge and the willingness to learn new computer applications.
• Good record-keeping skills required.
• Experience: Previous work experience in food industry preferred
• Skills: Ability to read, write, analyze, and interpret procedure sheets, product labels, training and safety material provided by company.
• Personal Characteristics: Identifies with the values, philosophy, and mission of Sunset Farm Foods. 

Production Positions: 

• Grinding Material Handler- Responsible for the preparation of the products needed for the processing department.
• Stuffer- Responsible for setting correct length of sausage products and inspecting product for defects.
• Hanger- Responsible for inspecting product for defects and moving product from the stuffing line to trees and/or rolling racks.
• Cook Room Material Handler-Responsible for cooking products and over-seeing quality of product.
• Smokehouse Operator- Responsible for dyeing and smoking different products.
• Packer- Responsible for placing product into plastic formed pockets while inspecting for defects.
• Stacker-Responsible for labeling and stacking products onto a wooden pallet.
• Takedown-Responsible for inspecting product for defects and verifying for packaging purpose.
• Shipping Material Handler-Responsible for loading/unloading trucks and customer order fulfillment.

Hours: 

1^st Shift 

Grinding- 6:15am-3:30pm

Processing (Hanger or Stuffer)- 7:15am-3:30pm

Smokehouse-6:00am-3:30pm

Packing (Takedown or Packer)- 7:00am-3:30pm

Cook Room- 6:30am-4:00pm

Shipping- 6:30am-4:00pm

2^nd Shift

Processing (Hanger or Stuffer)- 4:00pm-12:30am

Packing (Takedown or Packer)- 4:00pm-12:30am

Working conditions

• Work in a cold environment (45ºF, 4ºC) while on concrete floors.
• Will be exposed to moderate noise levels.

Physical requirements

• Ability to stand, walk, stoop, kneel, climb, balance and/or reach with arms. 
• Ability to lift up to 50- lbs. 

Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disabled/Veterans