Central Kitchen Production Associate - Full-Time

Buehlens Fresh Foods•Wooster, OH

About The Position

Buehler’s Central Kitchen Production Associates prepare and ship food products for customers to purchase at store locations. The role supports the company’s strategies of becoming the Best in Food Service and providing the Freshest Foods by supplying stores with high-quality products. Associates work full time, 35–40 hours per week, on a first shift with typical hours of 7:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. The posting states no holidays or weekends, while also asking for schedule flexibility and the ability to work weekends to accommodate staffing needs and customer demand. The hourly rate is $14.50–$18.00, with weekly pay and an option to withdraw earned pay through the Dayforce Wallet App. The work includes handling ingredients and packaged food, operating food-processing and cooking equipment, preparing products according to recipes, monitoring quality, maintaining sanitary work areas, packaging and labeling products, and preparing finished goods for shipment to stores. Duties may also include special projects and other assigned tasks. The listed duties and responsibilities may change without notice.

Requirements

Must be at least 18 years old; employees aged 16–17 may not operate equipment such as a slicer or buffalo chopper.
Must be available to be scheduled for 35 or more hours per week.
Able to occasionally stand, reach, lift, bend, kneel, stoop, climb, push, and pull items weighing 50 pounds and occasionally 80 pounds.
Manual dexterity, auditory and visual skills, and the ability to follow written and oral instructions and procedures.
Ability to do simple math problems.
Able to work in a deli/kitchen environment and tolerate frequent exposure to heat, steam, fire, cold temperatures, and noise.
Able to work effectively in a close teamwork environment.
Able to manage stress and maintain composure during busy periods.
Able to work with minimal supervision, remain productive, and multitask effectively.
Dependable, reliable, and flexible with scheduling, including the ability to work weekends to accommodate staffing needs.

Responsibilities

Unpack cans and cartons.
Count and record food items.
Perform other duties as needed, including tasks associated with special projects.
Set up, start, or load food-processing equipment.
Check, weigh, and mix ingredients according to recipes.
Monitor food-cooking machines and adjust controls for equipment such as boilers, ovens, fryers, and cookers.
Record batch production data.
Load raw ingredients into cooking machines and measure amounts according to company recipes and industry standards.
Sanitize materials and machinery parts at the end of each shift, and clean the workstation according to company cleanliness standards.
Perform packaging-line duties, including loading and adjusting items.
Clean workspaces and equipment in accordance with health and safety standards.
Check finished products to ensure quality.
Remove finished products from the production line and move batches to the next packaging step.
Price packaged and processed items according to standard protocols.
Label packaged food items appropriately.
Assist with loading finished products for store shipments.
Assess and respond to stores’ needs and help ensure the production of high-quality products.
Work dependably and flexibly to accommodate customer demand and staffing needs.