Team Lead Operator – Material Control Days A

Abbott • Columbus, OH

5d • Onsite

About The Position

The Team Lead Operator guides daily production activities and supports operational excellence on the manufacturing line. The role is the primary point of contact for line personnel regarding equipment functionality and production requirements. Although it is not a supervisory position, the Team Lead Operator provides functional leadership, direction, troubleshooting support, and coordination with maintenance teams. The position requires strong knowledge of production operations, an active presence on the line, and effective communication across departments. It also ensures compliance with regulatory standards, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), and Environmental Health, Safety & Sustainability (EHS&S) protocols.

The Team Lead Operator spends at least 75% of their time on the production line coaching, training, and mentoring operators. The role collaborates with plant departments and external functional areas to meet production objectives and support ongoing operations and special initiatives. It identifies and implements improvements to reduce manufacturing costs and increase efficiency, and makes daily decisions affecting line uptime, schedules, operational efficiency, and the production of nutritional and pediatric products.

Additional work includes troubleshooting and performing first-level maintenance, Clean-in-Place (CIP), Master Sanitation, and Preventive Maintenance (PM) tasks on line equipment. The position is based at Abbott's Columbus Plant in Columbus, United States. The listed base pay is $20.85–$41.75 per hour; pay may vary by location. Travel is not required.

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED required.
• At least 2 years of experience in the department for the job, with full training and sign-off on all equipment, machines, and processes within the department.
• At least 3 years of related work experience in food, pharmaceutical, or nutrition manufacturing.
• Strong understanding of regulatory standards, GMP, EHS&S protocols, and sanitation practices.

Nice To Haves

• Associate's degree or higher strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Maintain a production-line presence at least 75% of the time to coach, train, and mentor operators.
• Promote operator competency across equipment and compliance with safety and quality standards.
• Communicate effectively, document work, resolve conflicts, advise the supervisor on performance issues, and support team-building efforts.
• Collaborate with plant department supervisors, employees, and staff to meet production objectives.
• Coordinate with Division Manufacturing, Engineering, Product Research and Development, Human Resources, Material Control and Scheduling, Purchasing, Distribution, Contract Manufacturing, Quality Assurance, and Accounting.
• Communicate with other Abbott manufacturing facilities and their management teams to coordinate manufacturing goals.
• Identify, recommend, and implement operational improvements to reduce manufacturing costs and improve efficiency.
• Make daily decisions affecting production-line uptime, operational efficiency, and schedule adherence.
• Troubleshoot line equipment and perform first-level maintenance, Clean-in-Place (CIP), Master Sanitation, and Preventive Maintenance (PM) tasks.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory standards, GMP, EHS&S protocols, and sanitation practices.

Benefits

• Production areas that are clean, well-lit, and temperature-controlled.
• Training and career development, including onboarding programs for new employees.
• Tuition assistance and tuition reimbursement.
• Competitive compensation and incentives.
• Retirement plans and a 401(k) retirement savings plan with a company match.
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage, wellness programs, and occupational health programs; medical benefits start on day one.
• 120 hours of accrued vacation in the first year (prorated in the first year), a vacation buy program, five personal days, and ten paid holidays.
• Retiree healthcare program.
• Freedom 2 Save student debt program and FreeU education benefit, an affordable and convenient path to a bachelor's degree.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: High school or GED