Grind Leader

Schweid & Sons•College Park, GA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Grind Lead oversees daily grinding operations for beef trim, primals, and specialty blends to meet production schedules, quality standards, and food safety requirements. This role coordinates staffing, monitors yields and formulation accuracy, ensures compliance with HACCP and GMPs, and maintains a safe, efficient work environment. The Grind Lead is a hands-on leader who troubleshoots equipment issues, drives continuous improvement, and partners closely with QA, Maintenance, and Logistics.

Requirements

2+ years in meat processing or food manufacturing, including grinding or blending operations.
1+ year in a lead/crew leader role (assigning work, training, basic documentation).
Working knowledge of HACCP, GMPs, SSOPs, and basic food safety principles; comfortable with documentation.
Experience with industrial grinders, blenders, scales, and metal detectors; ability to read production specs.
Basic computer skills for production reporting (e.g., MS Excel or ERP tablets/scanners).
Strong communication skills; detail-oriented; ability to make sound decisions under time pressure.

Nice To Haves

Experience in USDA/FSIS-inspected facilities; familiarity with pre-op, verification, and audit readiness.
Knowledge of fat/lean analysis methods (visual grading or rapid testing equipment).
Bilingual (English/Spanish) a plus.
Lean/5S exposure or continuous improvement experience.

Responsibilities

Lead, train, and coordinate grind room team members; assign tasks and balance line staffing based on volume and product mix.
Execute the daily production plan, hitting output, yield, and on-time targets while minimizing waste and rework.
Monitor grind sizes, fat/lean ratios, and formulation accuracy (e.g., 80/20, 85/15) according to product specs and customer requirements.
Perform line start-up, pre-op checks, and changeovers; verify all SOPs are followed.
Enforce HACCP, GMPs, SSOPs, and plant food safety programs; complete and review required records (CCP/PC monitoring, lot traceability).
Coordinate with QA on holds, deviations, micro sampling, metal detection checks, and corrective actions.
Verify allergen/ingredient controls where applicable; ensure proper sanitation and pre-op inspections.
Maintain product identification, lot control, and labeling accuracy; prevent cross-contamination.
Operate grinders, blenders, conveyors, scales, and metal detectors; ensure proper set-up and calibration.
Perform basic troubleshooting; escalate issues to Maintenance; support PM schedules and safe lockout/tagout.
Monitor equipment performance and contribute to reliability and uptime improvements.
Model and enforce safety policies: PPE use, machine guarding, LOTO, ergonomic practices, and incident reporting.
Maintain clean, organized work areas; ensure waste management and sanitation standards are met.
Track production metrics: throughput, yields, giveaway, labor hours, downtime, and quality incidents.
Complete end-of-shift reports and inventory usage; verify material reconciliation (trim, spices, packaging).
Identify and implement improvements in processes, layouts, and training to optimize efficiency and quality.
Coach and develop team members; conduct on-the-job training and cross-training.
Uphold company values and EEO standards.