Feed Mill Lead (3rd Shift) - Forest City, IA

Christensen Farms • Forest City, IA

12d

About The Position

Christensen Farms is one of the largest, family-owned pork producers in the United States, marketing approximately 3 million hogs per year. Headquartered in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, the company operates throughout the Midwest with facilities in Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, and South Dakota. Christensen Farms owns four feed mills, manages 145,000 sows on 44 farms, and oversees more than 350 nurseries and grow-finish sites. The company employs nearly 1,000 people and maintains 1,500 contract partnerships. Position Overview & Responsibilities: The Feed Mill Lead – 3rd Shift is a working lead role responsible for guiding nightly feed mill operations and supporting the success of the overnight team. While not a formal supervisor, this position provides informal direction and real-time support to 3rd shift team members to help ensure safe, efficient, and consistent production. The Lead plays a key role in identifying and resolving operational issues, maintaining high safety and quality standards, and ensuring clear communication with day-shift leadership. This role helps bridge the gap between shifts and reinforces operational expectations in alignment with company standards.

Requirements

• Minimum formal education required: High School.
• Minimum number of years of prior job experience required: Minimal, 1-3 years.
• Other Technical Skills required: Proficient in Microsoft word, Access, Excel, Outlook, and strong 10-Key skills.
• Vehicle Licensing Requirements: Class D and proof of insurance

Nice To Haves

• Previous leadership or feed operations or related areas preferred.

Responsibilities

• Shift Coordination & Team Support Support overall shift performance by providing informal direction, answering questions, and helping team members stay aligned with production goals.
• Lead by example through hands-on participation in nightly operations and reinforcement of safety, quality, and performance expectations.
• Serve as the on-shift point of contact for resolving routine issues and elevating more complex concerns to the Assistant Feed Mill Manager or Plant Manager.
• Adjust task assignments and workflow in response to absences or changing production demands, in coordination with the shift team.
• Operational Execution Actively participate in key feed mill functions, including batching, grinding, pelleting, receiving, bin management, and loadout.
• Monitor equipment performance throughout the shift, perform basic troubleshooting, and coordinate service needs through established maintenance channels.
• Assist with unloading of ingredient and corn trucks and oversee corn dryer operations during harvest as needed.
• Safety & Compliance Promote a clean, safe, and compliant work environment by modeling proper safety practices and encouraging team adherence to protocols.
• Conduct informal safety walk-throughs and raise any issues promptly to appropriate leadership.
• Support onboarding and informal training of new team members in proper safety practices and standard operating procedures.
• Communication & Documentation Maintain accurate documentation of nightly activities, including shift logs, production metrics, and material usage.
• Ensure shift notes are completed and communicated effectively to day-shift leadership to support operational continuity.
• Provide timely updates to the Assistant Feed Mill Manager regarding equipment performance, inventory levels, safety concerns, or other operational issues.
• Continuous Improvement Identify and communicate opportunities for operational improvements, efficiency gains, or issue prevention.
• Reinforce a culture of accountability, teamwork, and problem-solving within the shift.
• Other Duties Fill in for operational roles as needed due to absences, production needs, or other unforeseen circumstances.
• Perform other duties as assigned to support the overall performance and success of the feed mill.

Benefits

• A strong HR leadership career track with opportunities to grow.
• We offer a comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, vision, a flexible spending account (FSA), life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, a 401(k) plan, paid holidays, paid time off bank, an employee assistance program (EAP), and more.
• Be an active part of an organization that gives back to the community in many ways---including feed programs that support local farms, food shelf programs, food support for veterans, agriculture education and promotion, FFA/4H support, charitable contributions, etc.
• A company that has a passionate purpose for food safety, animal welfare, and for living its core values every day--respect, integrity, excellence, adaptability, and innovation.
• A culture that fosters employee growth, hybrid work options, promotion from within, and a highly team-oriented workplace environment.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: High school or GED
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees