Production Specialist - PM Shift

Grande Cheese Company•Town of Jefferson, WI

10d

About The Position

Grande Cheese Company is a family-owned enterprise focused on quality, professional excellence, and respect for its Associates. The company uses a High Performance Work Team structure and a Skill Block model to support Associate development. Production Specialists work in Dairy Production, Packaging, Equipment Operations, Intake, or Receiving & Inventory/Warehouse. They perform processes involved in cheese and whey manufacturing, processing, and/or distribution to ensure products are produced and delivered according to company specifications and quality and safety objectives. Duties vary by assignment and may depend on skills attained. The role includes operating, monitoring, adjusting, calibrating, and troubleshooting manufacturing, packaging, intake, or warehouse equipment; performing product and material inspections and tests; maintaining accurate records and inventory; and supporting efficient production, quality, sanitation, regulatory compliance, and safety. Associates may also train new team members, provide operational backup, and recommend improvements. The listed schedule is 6 PM to 6 AM on a 2/2/3 schedule. Starting pay is $22.25, with a $3 night-shift premium for 6 PM–6 AM and a $2.25 weekend-shift premium for Saturday and Sunday shifts.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED preferred.
Math, reading, and writing skills.
Ability to understand and follow technical instructions, policies, and procedures in written, verbal, or diagram form.
Computer skills.

Nice To Haves

Prior related work experience and/or training in a food manufacturing organization is preferred.

Responsibilities

Carry out dairy production duties, including equipment setup and monitoring, loading and unloading, mixing, cooking, testing, inspecting, final preparation, recording data, and communicating feedback to Process Leaders.
Set up, monitor, calibrate, adjust, and troubleshoot production and packaging equipment to maintain effective operation and meet production needs.
Ensure production processes run efficiently and comply with company and regulatory standards.
Operate packaging equipment and maintain product flow across multiple products and product lines.
Check packaging position, spacing, seals, codes, and labels; correct or prevent problems, and inspect, rework, or discard defective product according to procedures.
Operate, inspect, calibrate, adjust, and troubleshoot dairy manufacturing equipment; perform preventive and general maintenance as needed.
Monitor equipment and instruments, conduct product sampling and tests such as temperature, moisture, consistency, fat, protein, and pH tests, and record results.
Coordinate milk unloading and transfer to storage, prioritize trailers to prevent expired milk, and operate critical control points in accordance with company and regulatory procedures.
Verify milk seals, wash tags, and weights; agitate milk and collect samples for quality testing and payment purposes; load out cream, whey, and milk for processing.
Monitor intake equipment, temperatures, and sanitation; maintain inventory and order supplies and starter; troubleshoot and maintain intake equipment.
Receive, inspect, unload, identify, and store incoming materials; prepare packaging pallets and internal transfers; coordinate shipment, returns, and outbound orders.
Manage material storage and tracking using FIFO procedures; receive and store chemicals according to safety and identification procedures; operate and maintain forklifts and related equipment.
Conduct cycle counts, document and investigate inventory discrepancies, and take corrective action to improve inventory accuracy.
Assist with supplier service, delivery, and quality questions.
Sanitize production areas and equipment, including dismantling, cleaning, scrubbing, foaming, power washing, rinsing, sanitizing, descaling, demineralizing, and reassembling equipment as needed.
Maintain clean work areas to help prevent pathogens and chemical contamination.
Complete required regulatory documentation, records, reports, paperwork, logs, and computer-system data entry.
Follow food and workplace safety policies, company policies, and procedures; make independent decisions affecting product quality.
Assist in training new Associates, provide backup relief as needed, and offer improvement recommendations to Process Leaders and Managers.
Obtain and renew licenses and certifications required for the role.